YOKO ESSEL

Upon marrying Robert (after a lengthy long-distance courtship), Yoko made New York City her permanent home. In her English-language classes, she discovered a like-minded community: expatriates from Asia, Europe, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East who became her international family. The language difficulties she and her friends experienced (English was their common language) made their communication more direct and honest.

Primary location: New York United States