Hopes, fears, difficulties, and tearful partings, the immigrant experience shaped the destinies of so many American families. Here you can listen to just a few of these engaging and, at times, bittersweet tales.

Return to Family Story Recordings

The Reunion  playing time 5:41

Stan Miller's family immigrated to the United States from Russia in the early part of the Twentieth Century. What's truly remarkable is what happened during their journey to get here.

Lost Horses  playing time 2:56

Many families came to the New World with ambitious schemes for success and happiness. Here Alan Jabbour, former Director of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, tells about his grandfather who came to the United States from Syria with a boatload of fine Arabian horses.

The Yearbook  playing time 5:22

Maria Mazziotti Gillan is a noted poet and writer. Her mother came to the United States from a small village in Italy. Here Maria shares her mother's feelings about her new home in America.

Johnstown  playing time 4:33

Michael Pritchard's family came from Ireland and settled in Pennsylvania. Here Michael talks about his Uncle Martin and what he witnessed after the tragic Johnstown flood.

Paints Steeple  playing time 2:55

Olga Andreyev Carlisle is the granddaughter of Victor Chernov who started the Socialist Revolutionary Party in Russia. Driven out of Russia by the Bolsheviks he eventually brought his family to the United States. Here Olga tells about one of her mother's first experiences in her new homeland.

The Ill-Fated Hotel  playing time 3:01

It can take years for some stories to get told as Judy Nielsen discovered when she at last heard the truth about the hotel her grandfather and great uncles purchased soon after arriving in America.

The Carved Suitcase  playing time 2:28

David Fattaleh is a photographer for the State of West Virginia. Here he talks about two of his ancestors, two young children, who made the difficult journey from Lebanon to the mountains of West Virginia and the stranger who helped them find their way.