Her parents were teenagers when they were forced leave their homes, bid their fathers farewell and live far away, behind barbed wire, for no good reason. In spite of this history, Karen Kurotsuchi Inkelas says, she inherited from her family an “irreverent love” for America.

“We cannot take democracy for granted,” our guest says on this next show in our occasional series “The Power of Many.” He should know. He worked under Nicaraguan administrations that disappointed. Then the next one threw him in jail.