Storytelling Workshop: Making It In America

Born in Greece to Turkish diplomats, Berk Arslan grew up in several different places, moving from Turkey to New York and back but eventually settling in Chicago. Reflecting on his grad school professor’s belief that “Minorities have to be bilingual, bicultural just to make it,” Arslan, 20 years later, explores whether he is bilingual/bicultural, and if he has “made it” in the U.S.

This segment was produced by Berk Arslan for Vocalo’s Fall 2023 Storytelling Workshop. Vocalo’s quarterly Storytelling Workshop took place this fall with five segments produced by community storytellers, uplifting the voices of individuals who add to the rich cultural diversity of Chicago. It was edited by Ari Mejia. More information can be found at www.vocalo.org/storytelling-workshop.