Our 5 Most Weird and Wonderful Stories Of Immigrants Making It In America

From a vaudeville dancer with a secret past to New York's accidental king of virgin Russian hair, these mysterious and incredible lives couldn’t have happened anywhere else.

Hey, readers! We hope you’re all gearing up for a fun and festive Fourth of July. In honor of the holiday, we got to thinking about a handful of Narratively stories spotlighting people who have redefined success and belonging in the U.S.A. — or, in the case of one enterprising couple, those who have also desperately tried! They say you can be anyone you want to be in this country, and, well, these five stories of newcomers to our shores prove that some take the mantra further than most would ever imagine.

5. The Liberty Factory

From an unassuming workshop in Queens, a Romanian immigrant lives out his own version of the American dream, crafting one miniature Statue of Liberty souvenir at a time.

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4. My Bizarre Reign as New York’s King of “Virgin Russian Hair”