In honor of World Refugee Day 2025, Hannah explores the day’s history, this year’s theme Solidarity with Refugees, and why it matters now more than ever. She highlights trailblazers like Luma Mufleh and Omar Bah, outlines ways to celebrate meaningfully, and urges listeners to turn awareness into action through advocacy and support. Host: Hannah Joos Original Opening/Closing Music: Michael Caskey aka Bunny Patootie Resources: Luma Mufleh Ted Talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/luma_mufleh_don_t_feel_sorry_for_refugees_believe_in_them?language=en UNHCR We Were Here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbpi6ZahtOH7c6nDA9YG3QcyRGbZ4xDFn Emi Mahmoud: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=av77E3le9ho Flee Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgj7DUEtfg0 We Dare to Dream Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KvH55DDNzQ Peace by Chocolate Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YN5ZXrCkik Salam Neighbor Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6SxPSZVD9o

In this episode of ESL for Equality, Hannah examines the reinstatement of the U.S. travel ban under the Trump administration. She unpacks the policy’s legal and historical context, its far-reaching human impact, and why the latest version has been crafted to withstand judicial scrutiny. Hannah also turns to what’s unfolding on the ground in Los Angeles, where the federal deployment of National Guard troops to support immigration raids has sparked mass protests, arrests, and a national outcry. Call to Action: Engage with local advocacy efforts to support those impacted by the travel ban. Connect with community organizations, participate in events, and offer support to individuals affected. Your involvement can help uphold the values of inclusion and justice. Host: Hannah Joos Original Music: Michael Caskey aka Bunny Patootie, Semo, ABE

In this episode of ESL for Equality, Hannah unpacks Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s testimony before Congress and the Trump administration’s shocking FY26 budget proposal. From massive cuts to refugee support and global health programs to the complete dismantling of human rights offices, we examine how this budget isn’t just lean, it’s lethal. Call to Action: Support frontline global health and refugee organizations like Partners In Health, Doctors Without Borders, CARE, International Rescue Committee, Women for Women International who are doing the work the U.S. government is walking away from.

In this episode of ESL for Equality, host Hannah unpacks a shocking and illegal deportation carried out by the Trump administration, sending eight men, most of whom were not South Sudanese, to one of the most dangerous and unstable countries in the world. We explore what happened, how it violated a federal court order, and why deporting people to a country engulfed in famine, flooding, and conflict sets a terrifying precedent for U.S. immigration policy. Call to Action: Support legal defense. Organizations like the National Immigrant Justice Center and Human Rights First are fighting to protect due process for immigrants facing deportation. If you can, donate or share their work because legal aid saves lives. Host: Hannah Joos Original Music: Michael Caskey aka Bunny Patootie

In this episode of ESL for Equality, we dig into the Trump administration’s decision to revoke Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghan nationals, just three years after the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan and left many of its allies behind. We explore the history of TPS, the chaotic 2021 exit, and how this policy shift puts thousands of Afghans at risk of deportation to a country still ruled by the Taliban. We contrast this with the recent welcoming of white South African “refugees” and ask: Who gets protection in America and why? Call to Action: - Call your members of Congress. Demand they support permanent protections for Afghans — including pathways to citizenship for TPS holders and SIV applicants. - Support legal aid organizations like the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) and the Afghan-American Community Organization (AACO), who are fighting for TPS holders and helping with asylum claims. - Write an op-ed. Talk to your local paper. Use your voice. Policy changes when people make noise. - Donate to mutual aid funds that support Afghan families facing eviction, job loss, or legal uncertainty. - Talk about this. Share this episode. Talk to your friends, your family. Make sure people understand this isn’t just a political decision — it’s a moral crisis. This is about justice and it’s not too late to act. Host: Hannah Joos Original Music: Michael Caskey aka Bunny Patootie

In this urgent episode, host Hannah Joos returns to unpack one of the most jarring developments in U.S. refugee policy: the expedited resettlement of white South African Afrikaners under a new executive order from the Trump administration. While the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program remains largely suspended for most global populations, this exception, made for a historically privileged group with deep ties to South Africa’s apartheid regime, has ignited global criticism. We dive into the legacy of apartheid, the mechanics of refugee vetting, and the political messaging embedded in this decision. With policy unraveling for the many and being selectively extended to the few, this episode asks listeners to look directly at how racism continues to shape immigration law. Call to Action: This time, we won’t pretend there’s a clear next step. There’s no hotline, no form letter. But we can stay informed. We can name what this is. And we can refuse to normalize it. Because when refugee policy becomes a tool of white grievance, we are all implicated. See resources below. Host: Hannah Joos Original Music: Michael Caskey aka Bunny Patootie NPR: "Trump ignites political firestorm in South Africa over Afrikaner asylum status offer": https://www.npr.org/2025/05/09/nx-s1-5391815/first-afrikaners-granted-refugee-status-due-to-arrive-in-u-s Reuters: "First white South Africans to arrive under US refugee plan as soon as next week": https://www.reuters.com/world/trump-officials-seek-bring-first-white-south-african-refugees-us-next-week-nyt-2025-05-09/ Associated Press: "US to accept white South African refugees while other programs remain paused": https://apnews.com/article/us-south-africa-refugees-a8ef81e11667041f6d87c33f613774a9

In this episode of ESL for Equality, Hannah explores how language policy is being weaponized in real time. With the recent repeal of Executive Order 13166 and the signing of EO 14224, federally funded institutions are no longer required to offer translation or interpretation services unless deemed “essential.” What does that mean for multilingual families, students with disabilities, immigrants, and Limited English Proficient (LEP) communities? It means the loss of access - not just to language, but to healthcare, education, justice, and public services. This episode traces the history of language access in the U.S., exposes the dangerous myths behind English-only movements, and shows how this moment is part of a long legacy of linguistic exclusion. Hannah also highlights the vital role of interpreters and educators working at the frontlines of language justice. Whether you’re an educator, an advocate, a parent, or a student, this episode will help you understand the stakes and your power to respond. 🎯 Call to Action: Support your local interpreters and community translators. These frontline language workers are essential to equity and survival. ✅ Find and follow/ reach out to a local interpreter collective, bilingual legal aid clinic, or community health center. ✅ Share their work with your networks. ✅ Invite an interpreter to speak in your classroom, staff training, or community meeting. ✅ Donate if you can. 🗣️ Language access isn’t optional, it’s a right. Let’s defend it, together.

How do you assert your rights when the system doesn’t speak your language? In this episode, host Hannah Joos explores the life-saving power of Know Your Rights (KYR) resources - educational tools that help immigrants, refugees, and English learners understand and assert their legal protections in the United States. From the history of KYR campaigns to their critical role today in detention centers, housing courts, and hospitals, this episode highlights how language access is not just about communication, it's about justice. We also dig into how ESL educators can integrate KYR into their teaching, using real-world flyers, roleplays, and legal vocabulary to equip students with both language and agency. Because when someone can read a deportation notice, assert their right to silence, or demand an interpreter in court, they’re not just surviving. They’re resisting. Host: Hannah Joos Original Music: Michael Caskey aka Bunny Patootie 📣 Call to Action This week, help spread the knowledge that protects. Print and post multilingual Know Your Rights resources in the spaces where people live, work, learn, and gather: classrooms, libraries, churches, community centers, laundromats, and break rooms. 🔗 Use the links below to access and download KYR materials in multiple languages: ACLU – Know Your Rights: https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights NILC – Multilingual KYR Materials: https://www.nilc.org/resources/everyone-has-certain-basic-rights/ Immigrant Legal Resource Center – KYR Toolkit: https://www.ilrc.org/resources/community/know-your-rights-toolkit Legal literacy is community care. Share it widely. Someone’s safety might depend on it.

In this episode, we examine the human consequences of the Trump administration’s abrupt revocation of the CHNV humanitarian parole program, a program that provided over 500,000 people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela a legal path to safety in the United States. Hannah guides listeners through the policy’s original purpose, the long-standing history of humanitarian parole in U.S. immigration law, and the devastating impact of revoking legal status for families who followed every rule. We explore what it means to burn a legal bridge after people have already crossed it. From fear in classrooms to vanishing ESL students and shattered trust between communities and institutions, this episode is a wake-up call and a reminder that policies don’t just live on paper. They shape lives. Host: Hannah Joos Original Music: Michael Caskey aka Bunny Patootie 📞 Call to Action: This week, make a phone call to your congressional representative and urge them to support the reinstatement of the CHNV parole program. Let them know that hundreds of thousands of people deserve the right to stability and protection, not betrayal. 📝 A sample call script is available here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1x7wge9if0Lj2C99gz_7kereI-cfBaTJ1SUuWMSsBtlE/edit?usp=sharing Find your representative and their contact info at www.house.gov/representatives. 📣 Five minutes. One voice. Real impact. Let’s flood the phone lines with truth and solidarity.

In this episode, we take a hard look at the unraveling of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). Once a bipartisan humanitarian cornerstone, USRAP has been systematically dismantled by the current administration. Host Hannah Joos walks us through the program’s origins, how it operated across continents, and what we stand to lose when refugee protections are gutted overnight. From the presidential determination to the shuttering of Resettlement Support Centers, this episode offers a comprehensive and personal account of what it means when a country built on welcome chooses to close its doors.This isn’t just a history lesson, it’s a call to remember that resettlement was never just a process. It was a promise. Host: Hannah Joos Original Music: Michael Caskey aka Bunny Patootie 📣 Call to Action: We need more than outrage. We need action. This week, take five minutes to contact your congressional representative. Tell them you support the restoration and protection of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. Use this pre-written letter template, personalize it if you can, and send it to your elected officials today: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Y7xaf0PyoosTv4gwnlW3katpZozwhm0-hqRqNcGCVTk/edit?usp=sharing 📩 Every letter counts. Every word builds pressure. Every voice matters. Let’s make sure they hear us loud and clear: Refugees belong. USRAP must be restored.

Season 2 of ESL for Equality opens with a clear-eyed look at the mounting policy rollbacks targeting immigrants, refugees, trans communities, and multilingual learners. Host Hannah Joos explores the far-reaching consequences of recent executive orders, from the dismantling of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program to the erosion of language access protections and gender-affirming care. As headlines blur and the weight of the news deepens, this episode offers space to reflect, recalibrate, and resist. It’s a call to educators, advocates, and community members to stay engaged, support one another, and fight for a future rooted in justice, voice, and belonging. Host: Hannah Joos Original Music: Michael Caskey aka Bunny Patootie

Listen to episode 21 where I have a conversation on interpretation services with Abdi Ali. I met Abdi in Nairobi, Kenya when we both worked in the Cultural Orientation department at Resettlement Support Center Africa. Abdi worked as an interpreter himself before moving on to assist the Interpreter Training Specialist in hiring and training interpreters in the field. We talk: - the importance of interpretation throughout the resettlement process - the inherent challenges with interpretation - what interpretation really looks like on the ground level - Abdi's new initiative African Peace Bridges. Get in touch with Abdi and learn more about African Peace Bridges: African Peace Bridges - https://www.facebook.com/African-Peace-Bridges-102502628312337 Abdi Ali LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/abdi-ali-6153b068/

Listen to episode 20 where I discuss some books I've read recently that have opened my mind and had me questioning. The books are: Race, Empire, and English Language Teaching - Suhanthie Motha - https://www.tcpress.com/race-empire-and-english-language-teaching-9780807755129 Decolonisation, Globalisation: Language-in-Education Policy and Practice - Angel Lin & Peter Martin - https://www.researchgate.net/publication/234705882_Decolonisation_Globalisation_Language-in-Education_Policy_and_Practice_New_Perspectives_on_Language_and_Education On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous - Ocean Vuong - https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/600633/on-earth-were-briefly-gorgeous-by-ocean-vuong/ Radio Congo: Signals of Hope from Africa’s Deadliest War - Ben Rawlence - https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Radio-Congo/Ben-Rawlence/9781851689651 Welcome to the New World - Jake Halpern & Michael Sloan - https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250305596

Listen to episode 19 where I have a discussion with my dear friend Ian Randall. I know Ian Randall from back home in Chicago, IL. During grad school, I taught English at a Kaplan International, housed on the south side of Chicago on the Illinois Institute of Technology campus. While there, I was lucky enough to meet some amazing teachers who quickly and easily became lifelong friends. Ian was one of them. He has worked at writing centers, community-based ESL programs, Intensive English Programs and more. Since our years teaching together, we have both left Chicago in pursuit of careers and lives both abroad and elsewhere in the US. Currently, Ian lives in Japan and works as an English Instructor. We talk: - differences between community and collegiate programs; - the role of assessment within different English language programs; - the importance of cultural context; - what it is like to be an English teacher abroad; - and more! Resources: yourEnglishtest.com Newsela https://www.lextutor.ca/vp/eng/ - vocabulary profiler Xreading We Speak NYC

Listen to episode 18 where I have a conversation with author and poet Laurie Kuntz. Full disclosure, Laurie was a complete stranger to me before recording this podcast.  Her work had been living on my shelf and in my classroom for years, yet it never occurred to me to question who was behind those incredibly relatable, meaningful stories I and so many of my colleagues have used! I figured since it was written in 1982, it may be too challenging to find the author or that she may not even be interested in discussing one of her works from nearly 40 years ago! On a whim, I decided to write her a quick note and to my delight, she wrote back!  It has been really incredible to learn about Laurie’s amazing background and work history.  Her experiences shed light on how the refugee resettlement, specifically cultural orientation and training process has changed over the years.  With decades of international teaching experience, including several years in refugee camps, Laurie is truly a resource to us all. We talk: - Experiences as a teacher abroad; - The intent and inspiration behind the creation of The New Arrival series; - How poetry can save the world; - So much more! Resources: Laurie Kuntz Website: https://lauriekuntz.myportfolio.com/home-1 The New Arrival Book 1: In the Refugee Camp: https://www.amazon.com/New-Arrival-Activities-Language-Development/dp/0136123422/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=the+new+arrival+laurie+kuntz&qid=1613496789&s=books&sr=1-2 The New Arrival Book 2: In the United States: https://www.amazon.com/New-Arrival-United-States-Bk/dp/0136123678/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+new+arrival+laurie+kuntz&qid=1613496789&s=books&sr=1-1 Children of the Enemy: Oral Histories of Vietnamese Amerasians and Their Mothers - Stephen DeBonis (Laurie's husband): https://www.amazon.com/Children-Enemy-Histories-Vietnamese-Amerasians/dp/078647601X

Listen to episode 17 where I have a conversation with Andrea Echelberger from Literacy Minnesota. Andrea is the ESL Training Coordinator at Literacy Minnesota, formerly known as Minnesota Literacy Council. If you teach refugee and immigrant adults, you are likely very familiar with this organization and the wealth of resources they have made available. Andrea has a wide range of experience teaching English, both domestically and abroad. Her passion for creating practical and useful materials, collaborating with fellow teachers and colleagues around the world, and empowering English language learners has been a real inspiration to me. We talk about resources available through Literacy Minnesota as well as a few other leading organizations, what to look for when searching for materials for adult language learners, how to manage large virtual classes, training materials for volunteers, and so much more. Definitely tune in to this one if you are a teacher/volunteer yourself or have an interest in joining a classroom one day! Resources: I am ABE: https://sites.google.com/view/iamabe/about-iamabe?authuser=0 Literacy Minnesota Educator Resources: https://www.literacymn.org/educator-resources Instructional Support Kits: https://www.literacymn.org/esl-instructional-support-kits Remote tutoring resources page: https://www.literacymn.org/remote-tutoring-resources Bow Valley Readers: https://globalaccess.bowvalleycollege.ca/learners/readers.php LESLLA: https://www.leslla.org/ Atlas ABE: https://atlasabe.org/ Literacy Indy - Pathway to Literacy: https://sites.google.com/view/adultellliteracyindy/home?authuser=0 Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association: https://www.ciwaresources.com/

Listen to episode 16 for a brief rundown of some of Biden's recent immigration initiatives. While I don't cover every order or initiative, I attempt to break down the some of the largest and more complex issues. News moves fast - my apologies if some of this is no longer accurate. Resources: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/27/us/biden-undocumented-immigrants-citizenship.html https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-politics-race-and-ethnicity-health-care-reform-7c0584e2e7a795e24aa3c829b98dde08

Listen to episode 15 where I have the great honor of speaking with journalist and author, Helen Thorpe. She has authored three books and her magazine work has been published in The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, Texas Monthly, and more. We talk specifically of her book The Newcomers: Finding Refuge, Friendship, and Hope in an American Classroom. Through this narrative, Helen explores immigrant and refugee high school students and their families who had been relocated to Denver. Helen’s writing gives readers an intimate glimpse into what this transition looks like for young adults. Listen for a discussion on The Newcomers and an exploration of how we can be a more welcoming society. For more information on Helen Thorpe and to find her books: https://www.helenthorpe.com/ Bookbar Denver: https://www.bookbardenver.com/book/9781501159107 Tattered Cover: https://www.tatteredcover.com/book/9781501159107 Indie Bookstore Finder: https://www.indiebound.org/indie-store-finder

Listen to episode 14 where I talk with Sarah Jackson, the founder of the Denver/Aurora based organization Casa de Paz. Several years ago, Sarah’s eyes were opened to the realities of immigration to the United States. We discuss her experiences and how she decided she could be a welcoming force in the Denver area. Casa de Paz works directly to support individuals released from the Aurora ICE Detention Center as well as families who come to visit their loved ones. Casa de Paz is run entirely on volunteer energy and the desire to make the US a welcoming place for all. The work Casa does helps to rehumanize immigrants and support people in getting to their final destination. We also discuss Sarah's new book, The House that Love Built, as well as the documentary made about Casa de Paz, Welcome Strangers. To learn more about the work Casa de Paz does as well as Sarah's book and the documentary, visit the following: -https://www.casadepazcolorado.org/ -https://www.casadepazcolorado.org/book - Book -https://www.welcomestrangersfilm.com/ - Documentary For even more context or if you would like to learn more about the asylum seeking process, I would suggest listening to Episode 9 of this podcast (if you haven’t already) where I speak to 2 individuals who assisted asylum seekers in preparing for their credible fear interviews at the Texas/Mexico border.

Listen to Episode 13 with guest Abdullahi Mire, a freelance journalist as well as the founder of Dadaab Book Drive and the a host on Radio Gargaar in Dadaab Refugee Camp. We talk about the history and potential future of Dadaab Book Drive and how Radio Gargar has been used to spread life saving information about COVID-19. Having grown up in the camp, Abdullahi sheds light on the history as well as the current situation in Dadaab. To contact or follow Abdullahi and to learn more about these programs, visit: Twitter: @miire06 Twitter: @DadaabBF Dadaab Book Drive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dadaabbookdrive Radio Gargaar Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Radio-Gargaar-1445627172433505