This is Jacobin Radio. I'm Susie Wiseman. On today's show, we're joined by Emil Dredzer. He's an author, scholar, former Soviet satirist,

and his life story bridges two worlds and two eras. His newest book is called Lapping All the Way

to Freedom, the Americanization of a Russian immigrant, and it chronicles his journey from

censorship and conformity in the

former Soviet Union to the chaotic freedoms he encountered in 1970s, America. With wit and

unflinching honesty, Emil recounts the culture shock, contradictions, and gradual transformation

of becoming American, not just on paper.

It's a story of reinvention told through the eyes of someone who came to this country

when immigrants like him were actively welcomed by the U.S. government.

But times have changed.

In our conversation today, we're going to ask in Bill be able to reflect on that contrast between his own

experiences as a Cold War refugee during the Cold War, a Soviet Jew, and the climate faced

by immigrants today under an administration increasingly hostile to those seeking a new life

on American soil. And we're also going to touch on the new Russian-American friendship between Putin and Trump.

Imperial autographs determined to redefine the character of politics, Putin in Ukraine, and Trump in the Americas and beyond.

All this, when our program by Emil Dredzer. He's an author, scholar, former Soviet satirist, and his life story bridges two worlds and two eras.

His newest book is called Laughing All the Way to Freedom, the Americanization of a Russian immigrant, and it chronicles his journey from censorship and conformity in the

former Soviet Union to the chaotic freedoms he encountered in 1970s, America. With wit and

unflinching honesty, Emil recounts the culture shock, contradictions, and gradual transformation

of becoming American, not just on paper.

It's a story of reinvention told through the eyes of someone who came to this country

when immigrants like him were actively welcomed by the U.S. government.

...