Ep 183: Shadows of Tehran: From Revolution to Resilience with Nick Berg (Part 1)
The Immigrant Experience in America (TIEIA)
Release Date: 05/21/2025
From Jamaica to Podcast Host: Podcaster Kerry-Ann Reid-Brown (Ep. 202) - Part 1
The Immigrant Experience in America (TIEIA)
The founder of Carry On Friends! Kerry-Ann was born in Jamaica and moved to Brooklyn, NYC as a teenager. Since starting Carry On Friends, have been a speaker at Podcast Movement, Haiti Tech Summit, Caribbean Digital Divas on a variety of topics including podcast, career, entrepreneurship and Caribbean culture. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Immigrant Experience in America Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/3OmWxJZ Official Site: https://bit.ly/3OmWAWg 📱Listen to more episodes on: 💼 Apple...
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From Nigeria to Nursing Professor: Idongesit Obeya (Ep. 201) - Part 3
The Immigrant Experience in America (TIEIA)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Immigrant Experience in America Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/3OmWxJZ Official Site: https://bit.ly/3OmWAWg 📱Listen to more episodes on: 💼 Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3OK7xCN 💼 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3DKXsiE 💼 Amazon: https://amzn.to/43VG4Cn 📱Support our Patreon: https://bit.ly/3KwUiTz 📱Connect with Simone! 💼 Website: https://www.thebridgeconcepts.org 📱 Follow us on Social Media: 💼 LinkedIn: / simonewjohnson 💼...
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From Nigeria to Nursing Professor: Idongesit Obeya (Ep. 200) - Part 2
The Immigrant Experience in America (TIEIA)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Immigrant Experience in America Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/3OmWxJZ Official Site: https://bit.ly/3OmWAWg 📱Listen to more episodes on: 💼 Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3OK7xCN 💼 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3DKXsiE 💼 Amazon: https://amzn.to/43VG4Cn 📱Support our Patreon: https://bit.ly/3KwUiTz 📱Connect with Simone! 💼 Website: https://www.thebridgeconcepts.org 📱 Follow us on Social Media: 💼 LinkedIn: / simonewjohnson 💼...
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From Nigeria to Nursing Professor: Idongesit Obeya (Ep. 199) - Part 1
The Immigrant Experience in America (TIEIA)
Key Themes Identity & Belonging The tension of “you’ve arrived here, now who are you?” Many immigrants carry a dual identity: rooted in a homeland + building a future elsewhere. Letting go of perfection: striving to fit in often causes people to lose parts of what made them uniquely strong. Belonging isn’t only about external acceptance. It begins internally — how you carry yourself, how you reconcile “old home” and “new home.” Financial Literacy in a New Context Systems you took for granted in your home country (banking, credit, retirement, investments)...
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From Panama to Pastoral Leadership: Dr. Renaldo White’s Journey of Faith, Culture & Resilience (Ep. 198) - Part 3
The Immigrant Experience in America (TIEIA)
In this four‑part conversation on The Immigrant Experience in America, host Simone W. Johnson‑Smith sits down with Dr. Reynaldo White, a Panamanian‑born pastor, educator, author, musician, and community advocate whose life journey traverses Panama, Miami, and rural Alabama. Dr. White recounts his upbringing in extreme poverty near the Panama Canal and his family’s move to the United States when his father joined the U.S. Army. He reflects on learning English and navigating identity in Miami, then describes the cultural adjustment of pastoring in Alabama—a state where...
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From Panama to Pastoral Leadership: Dr. Renaldo White’s Journey of Faith, Culture & Resilience (Ep. 197) - Part 2
The Immigrant Experience in America (TIEIA)
Episode Summary In this extended conversation from The Immigrant Experience in America, host Simone W. Johnson-Smith talks with Dr. Reynaldo White—a Panamanian‑born pastor, educator, author, and former concert pianist now living in Alabama. Over three parts, they explore Dr. White’s journey from growing up in poverty near the Panama Canal to serving as a pastor and community leader in the American South. He explains how his Ph.D. in educational leadership and his bilingual books opened doors both in Alabama and abroad. The episode traces the evolution of his writing...
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From Panama to Pastoral Leadership: Dr. Renaldo White’s Journey of Faith, Culture & Resilience (Ep. 196) - Part 1
The Immigrant Experience in America (TIEIA)
In this episode of The Immigrant Experience in America, host Simone W. Johnson-Smith talks with Dr. Reynaldo White—a Panamanian-born pastor, educator and author now living in Alabama. Dr. White recounts his childhood in extreme poverty near the Panama Canal, his family’s move to Miami when his father joined the U.S. Army, and the adjustments he faced learning English and finding his identity in America. They discuss how his Ph.D. in educational leadership opened doors and how his students encouraged him to write his childhood stories, which evolved into a series of books in...
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Decoding America and Thrive Abroad with Thriving In Intersectionality Podcast (195)
The Immigrant Experience in America (TIEIA)
Part 2 of the interview: I was recently interviewed on the Thriving in Intersectionality Podcast by Lola Adeyemo. Listen to Thriving In Intersectionality Podcast If this episode resonates, subscribe, like, and share with others navigating life across borders. Comment below your experiences or questions—we love hearing your story! ______________________________________________________ The Immigrant Experience in America Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/3OmWxJZ Official Site: https://bit.ly/3OmWAWg 📱Listen to more episodes on: 💼 Apple Podcast:...
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Decoding America and Thrive Abroad with Thriving In Intersectionality Podcast (194)
The Immigrant Experience in America (TIEIA)
I was recently interviewed on the Thriving in Intersectionality Podcast by Lola Adeyemo. Listen to Thriving In Intersectionality Podcast If this episode resonates, subscribe, like, and share with others navigating life across borders. Comment below your experiences or questions—we love hearing your story! ______________________________________________________ The Immigrant Experience in America Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/3OmWxJZ Official Site: https://bit.ly/3OmWAWg 📱Listen to more episodes on: 💼 Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3OK7xCN 💼 Spotify:...
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Ep 193: Culture, Community, and Belonging (My Interview on The Kreashon Podcast Part 2)
The Immigrant Experience in America (TIEIA)
In the second half of my conversation with Maanarak on The Kreashon Podcast, we go deeper into the work I do today. I talk about building community for immigrants, the hidden emotional and financial costs of advocacy, and my drive to help high-achieving immigrants decode workplace dynamics and feel a genuine sense of belonging. This part is all about turning personal challenges into a platform for change. ______________________________________________________ Check out the full episode on The Kreashon Podcast Connect with Maanarak: ...
info_outlineIn this powerful and emotional episode of The Immigrant Experience in America, host Simone Johnson sits down with Nick Berg—author, U.S. Army veteran, and self-described "citizen of the earth"—as he shares his remarkable journey from Tehran to America.
Born to an Iranian mother and American father, Nick’s story spans continents, cultures, revolutions, and wars.
Nick Berg is an American-Iranian author and former U.S. Special Operations soldier, best known for his autobiographical novel Shadows of Tehran. His work explores themes of resilience, cultural conflict, and transformation.
In this deeply personal conversation, he opens up about growing up during the Iranian Revolution, navigating identity as a biracial, bicultural child, escaping government persecution, learning English from scratch, and ultimately serving in the U.S. Army for over a decade—including Special Operations deployments to conflict zones like Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and Bosnia.
Nick’s upcoming novel, Shadows of Tehran, is a fictionalized autobiography that captures these experiences through a gripping narrative of resilience, rebellion, and redemption.
What You’ll Hear in This Episode:
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Nick’s upbringing in Iran and the cultural shock of arriving in America
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How the Iranian Revolution upended life overnight
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What it means to be a “third culture” person—and why he never felt fully Iranian or American
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His early days in Detroit and learning to navigate America’s racial dynamics
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How the U.S. Army became both refuge and purpose
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A surprising and emotional discovery: reconnecting with his CIA-officer father decades later
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Insights into Shadows of Tehran, his upcoming book blending truth and fiction
💬 Notable Quotes:
🔥 “In Iran, I was the American boy. In America, I was the Iranian guy. I belonged nowhere—and everywhere.”
🔥 “Joining the military wasn’t just about serving. It was about trying to belong and trying to help people who couldn’t help themselves.”
🔥 “No matter where you go in the world—color, culture, class—we all want the same thing: to take care of our families and live a life of meaning.”
Connect with Nick Berg:
🌐 Official Website
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Homepage: pnberg.com
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About Nick Berg: Biography
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Contact: Reach Out
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Press & Media: Media Coverage
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Charity Work: Nick Berg Charities
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Blog: The Warrior’s Way
📚 Books by Nick Berg
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Shadows of Tehran: Forged in Conflict – From Iranian Rebel to American Soldier
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Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.org
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Other Works:
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Secrets to a Successful Commercial Software (COTS) Implementation
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The Culture of Open: Transforming Your Business Through Transparency, Truth and Trust
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Available on ThriftBooksBarnes & Noble+2Bookshop+2Amazon+2ThriftBooks
📱 Social Media Profiles
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Instagram: @nick.berg3
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Goodreads: Nick Berg
The Immigrant Experience in America
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Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
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Listen on:
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Amazon: https://amzn.to/43VG4Cn
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Support our Patreon
Connect with Simone!
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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077396568671
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LinkedIn: / simonewjohnson
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Instagram: / theimmigrantexperiencepodcast
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TikTok: / theimmigrantexperience