In this episode, Simone interviews Burak Yilmaz from Turkey who shares his story of imprisonment, torture and poverty on the route to freedom.  In 2002 Burak Yilmaz was thrown into a Turkish prison for publishing a Sex in the City-style book about the underground gay community within the Islamic-run country. After years of torture, Burak was released and he immediately fled to New York City where he endured homelessness, racism, and sexual abuse on the way to becoming a registered nurse. His upcoming book, If My Mother Never Left, is a continuation of his heroic story. He truly believes that if he can make it through all of the misery he's endured, you can do anything too.  In this episode, Burak discusses:  the release of his first book in Turkey and subsequent arrest, imprisonment, and release his journey to the United States  learning English and overcoming cultural challenges  meeting his mother and learning the story surrounding his birth and abandonment his career accomplishments and the release of his second book, "If My Mother Never Left" If interested, you can find his book on Amazon.com or at his website Burak212.com    Let's Connect! Email: [email protected] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Immigrant-Experience-In-America-103525698906957 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonewjohnson Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theimmigrantexperiencepodcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theimmigrantexperience Check out the previous episodes of The Immigrant Experience in America here: http://thedreamacademy.us/podcast/ If you are interested in coaching sessions, contact the host at 240-232-5579 or [email protected] Show us some support and join our mission to grow our human library. We are now accepting donations to cover the financial costs of producing each episode. Now, more than ever, it's important to foster a thriving community and amplify the voices of our guests. Together we can inspire others to share their stories and ideas openly. Click HERE to donate now. If you are interested in learning how to set boundaries in a communal cultural setting and/or how to set boundaries as an immigrant to prevent burn out. Let's talk. If you're an immigrant who wants to share your unique journey, then we want to hear from YOU. Apply now for our podcast interview series and be a part of the next inspiring episode. You could be our next storyteller!  

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