In this episode of Mosaic, three generations of one family tell a history of Chinese migration, struggle, and the changing politics of identity that go into the creation and preservation of Chinese-American restaurants.
Ana Gonzalez
Ana González is the host and producer of Mosaic. She's proudly Puerto Rican and Irish, and loves meeting new people almost as much as she loves meeting new dogs. Before coming to The Public's Radio in 2019, Ana worked with the WHYY Media Labs in Philadelphia and ran her own video production company, EARF. In 2017, she produced and directed a feature-length documentary about hip hop history in Rhode Island, Almost Dope. Ana is a 2015 graduate of Brown University.
If you have a story about immigration in Rhode Island, give her a shout at agonzalez@thepublicsradio.org.
Living Ramadan
In this episode of Mosaic, we break fast with the Kinjawi family throughout the holy month of Ramadan to understand how living as Muslims in the US has allowed them to become both more Muslim and more American.
Land of the Free, Part II
We pick up where we left off with the story of Pov Pech: he returns to Lowell after serving his sentence and tries out the straight and narrow life. But Pov’s past has already changed the course of his life and set him up on a path that, decades later, ends in deportation.
Land of the Free, Part I
Pov Pech came to the US as a refugee and turned towards crime to solve his problems. He stole, fought, sold drugs, and even shot up a high school. Last summer, he was deported back to a country he barely knows, leaving his family and his American identity behind.
Season 2 Premiere: Balancing Act
The coronavirus pandemic has been especially difficult for undocumented immigrants, like Mikayla’s parents. As a student at Brown University, Mikayla has spent the majority of 2020 trying to forge her own path through the Ivy League and a changing world all while dealing with the stress of her family back home.
Juneteenth organizers hope to empower Black communities in Rhode Island
Every year on June 19th, Black communities celebrate the end of slavery with a holiday known as Juneteenth, or Emancipation Day. This year, the coronavirus has made it more difficult to celebrate. But, as civil unrest over systemic racism and police brutality rocks the country, organizers say the holiday is more important than ever.
Rioting, looting, and the history of nonviolence
After a week of civil unrest in Providence and across the country, many are wondering what to make of the protests, riots, and looting triggered by the death of George Floyd. Ana González talked with nonviolence facilitator and trainer, Sal Monteiro from Providence’s Nonviolence Institute to understand how nonviolence is not always peaceful.
Ramadan in the age of social distancing
The closure of mosques and social distancing requirements have changed how families celebrate this holy month, but not necessarily for the worse.
How one coffee shop is staying open during the coronavirus
The service industry is hurting right now. But some restaurants that are choosing to stay open with modifications. The Shop, a tiny coffee shop on the East Side of Providence, is one of them.
Hunger strike at Wyatt sparks motorcade protest
Protesters took to their cars in a different sort of demonstration supporting alleged hunger strikers inside the Wyatt Detention facility.

