Americans are nuts about free speech, but as Studio 360's Kurt Andersen notes, the impulse to censor is never as far off as we think.  

The Miele Vacuum Cleaner

Kurt Andersen and Congolese novelist Emmanuel Dongala look at the lives and work of composers, writers, and musicians who left their native homelands and sought refuge in the United States.

Emmanuel Dongala was born in the Congo Republic and educated in the United States and France. In 1997, civil war ...

In the 1930s and '40s, Hollywood became a major destination for European composers fleeing Nazi-occupied Europe, and they made Tinseltown an important musical center, not just for film scores, but for contemporary classical music. Produced by Jeff Lunden.

Twenty-four years after arriving in the U.S., a young Vietnamese-American poet returned to Saigon with his father. Quang Bao reflects on how the visit forced him to redefine his notion of home. Produced by Jocelyn Gonzales.

Albania's national folk-singing treasure adjusts to a new life in America. Produced by Eric Copage and Jocelyn Gonzales.

The Iranian-born filmmaker who now lives in the U.S. describes her art as a bridge between two worlds. Produced by Kerrie Hillman.