Abdi Nor Iftin was on tour for his new memoir Call Me American; he was in Minneapolis for just one day, and he kindly agreed to meet up with me to chat about his dreams of America, growing up in war-torn Mogadishu, and the way the reality has lined up with those dreams. The day he landed in America, Michael Brown was shot in Ferguson, MO. Imagine what that must've felt like?

His memoir is fantastic. If I were still teaching Human Rights Lit, I would assign it and be thrilled it existed.

Behind the scenes: I had to watch Terminator for the first time in order to find the perfect sound for this piece.

Growing up in Mogadishu, Abdi Nor Iftin's friends called him "Abdi American." After all, he loved U.S. movies. He spoke English. And now, he's a newly published American author. KFAI's Emily Bright reports he's got things to say about his new home. (Photo by Todd Melby.) More on Iftin's book here: http://bit.ly/2zA2fFb

Emily K. Bright