Stories
PEOPLE GROUPS
The Last of the Calabrian Greeks: Calabria, Italy - There exists today a tiny enclave of Greek-speaking people in Calabria that have survived millennia. Their language is called Greko and roughly 200-300 speakers remain today.
We Are Still Here: The Jews of Thessaloniki, Greece - Once the largest ethnic group in the city, Thessaloniki's Jewish community is still striving to survive and maintain its unique culture, language, and identity since WWII.
In the Beginning, God Made Me Circassian: Amman, Jordan - Circassians arrived in Amman over 150 years ago fleeing genocide & war in the Caucasus. I sat down with a community leader to learn more about the current status in Jordan.
Ortakio: A Former Greek Town in Bulgaria - As a result of WWI & nationalism, indigenous Greeks of Ortakio (present-day Bulgaria) were forced to leave in 1913. Learn about this former community and the last Greek family remaining there today.
To Begin Again - In the wake of Hurricane Maria, Lakeland, Florida has become a new home to many Puerto Ricans wanting to start a new life. I sat down with three individuals who chose to leave their homeland and journey to Lakeland.
A Question of Survival for Jewish Youth in Greece - What does life look like for a Jewish family raising children in Europe's most anti-Semitic country? With so many odds faced against them, I sat down with Lucy Nachmia in Thessaloniki to gain some insight.
A Forgotten Greece: The Pomakochoria - In a backwater region of northeastern Greece lies a group of indigenous Muslim villages. Despite their isolation and differences with the rest of Greece, they have kept their language and culture intact.
PHOTO ESSAYS
The Greko-Calabrian Countryside of Aspromonte: Calabria, Italy - In the toe of the Italian Peninsula lies a hard-to-access region that is dotted with several villages where Greko-speaking people have lived in isolation for centuries.
Living in Trash to Survive a Civil War: Juba, South Sudan - After driving on countless unpaved roads about 15 km west of Juba, we arrived at the Juba County Dumpsite. Smoke and methane gas were steaming from the waste-covered earth.
The Fener Neighborhood of Istanbul, Turkey - Located just outside the Golden Horn is the historic neighborhood of Fener. Its colorful mansions were once inhabited by the city's affluent influential Greek, Armenian, and Jewish residents.
Giving Birth in Trash: Juba, South Sudan - The multiple layers of civil war has devastated Africa's youngest nation through famine, massacre, and displacement. Read about how the war manifested itself into the capital city's dumpsite.
The Greek Countryside: Serres, Greece - Time stands still in Greek villages where local farmers go door-to-door selling fresh goat's milk, homes are engulfed with the smell of koulourakia, and community-wide celebrations are a norm.
The Andalusia of Bolivia: Tarija - Nestled in a southern corner of Bolivia lies the attractive city of Tarija. This Mediterranean-like city may not be on the well-travelled touristic route with La Paz, but it does have a unique culture and identity.
Oruro, Bolivia: An Indigenous Urban Center - When one thinks of Oruro, one typically thinks one of two things: the carnival OR the mining industry. Read to take a glimpse into an overlooked Bolivian city that has the most local feel.
Sandanski & Petrich, Bulgaria - Because of their locations as border towns in southwestern Bulgaria, Petrich and Sandanski have been hit hard by the economic crisis taking place in Greece. Less spending money for Greeks means less traffic.