My blogs

World of Story: Immigration Tales

About me

Location	Seattle, WA, United States
Introduction	Margaret O’Donnell, a descendant of Irish, English, and German immigrants, grew up in the 1950s and 60s in American Midwestern small towns. This was long before immigrants began to bring their own new energy to those towns in the 1980s. Her fascination with immigration began at age 18 when a friend, the daughter of Polish immigrants, introduced her to her extended family, a lively group of Chicago Poles. Their food, their dances, their dress, their manners, their sheer difference, their beliefs, and most of all, their joyous ability to survive and thrive captured her imagination. Now she is an immigration attorney in Seattle, and has practiced immigration law since 1985 when she began representing Central Americans pro bono in their asylum cases. From 2000-2006, she lived in El Salvador, Colombia, and Bolivia, working in USAID-funded justice projects. Her legal practice has been her primary window into immigrant lives, but years of friendships with immigrants have deepened her understanding of the world of immigrants, and her admiration for their courage and hope.

Location

Seattle, WA, United States

Introduction

Margaret O’Donnell, a descendant of Irish, English, and German immigrants, grew up in the 1950s and 60s in American Midwestern small towns. This was long before immigrants began to bring their own new energy to those towns in the 1980s. Her fascination with immigration began at age 18 when a friend, the daughter of Polish immigrants, introduced her to her extended family, a lively group of Chicago Poles. Their food, their dances, their dress, their manners, their sheer difference, their beliefs, and most of all, their joyous ability to survive and thrive captured her imagination. Now she is an immigration attorney in Seattle, and has practiced immigration law since 1985 when she began representing Central Americans pro bono in their asylum cases. From 2000-2006, she lived in El Salvador, Colombia, and Bolivia, working in USAID-funded justice projects. Her legal practice has been her primary window into immigrant lives, but years of friendships with immigrants have deepened her understanding of the world of immigrants, and her admiration for their courage and hope.