National Public Radio (NPR) collected immigration stories from some of its Latino employees for Hispanic Heritage Month. Check out this article to read about their experiences.
Category Archives: Culture and Belonging
Immigration Explorer
The vast majority of Americans can trace their roots to another country. This interactive map from The New York Times makes it easy to see where and when different groups settled in the United States. Use the pull-down menu in the upper left corner to select a national group, then move the arrow on the timeline to see how many people entered the United States during each decade.
‘My Name, My Identity’: Educators Promote Cultural Awareness in Campaign
Many students, especially those from cultures outside the United States, feel embarassed when teachers mispronounce their names. A recently launched campaign urges educators to show respect for all their students by making the effort to get their names right.
The importance of belonging
A sense of belonging plays a major role in a person’s well-being. This article discusses the work of social psychologist Gregory Walton, who believes that people can benefit from sharing their stories about overcoming feelings of isolation.
Newest Immigrants Assimilating as Fast as Previous Ones, Report Says
In September of 2015, the National Academies published a report that explored how immigrants fit into American society. The study applied current research to try to clear up common misconceptions, including the idea that immigrants frequently commit crime. Read this article to learn about the report’s findings.
California’s gardens tell an immigrant story
Most of the laborers who maintain lawns and gardens in California are Latino immigrants. Read to learn more about the history and culture of these gardeners, or jardineros.
From Ghana to Greyhound: One immigrant’s story of getting by in New York
Edmund Marfo came to the United States from Ghana in 1998. Read about his experiences as an immigrant and his enthusiastic approach to his job managing Greyhound Bus Lines’ arrival and departure gates of New York’s bustling Port Authority.
About Our Antagonisms
Two cultural psychologists have found that differences among cultures often come down to how we view ourselves—as individuals or as part of a group.
Adapting to a New Culture
This is a story told by Yukiko Nishimura about the difficulties facing her and how she overcame them, having moved to the United States from Japan.
Fighting Fiction with Facts: The BCN Anti-Rumor Campaign
To dispel misconceptions people hold without justification about their immigrant neighbors, the Barcelona City Council (BCN) recruited ‘anti-rumor agents,’ countering negative mindsets with the real facts and truths.
A Video Library of Human Life Experiences
Read about the collaborative work of filmmakers, designers, and many other volunteers from around the world who are producing a video library called Global Lives Project. Click on the Global Lives Project link within the article to get a window into the very different lives of individuals from all around the world.
Youth Voices: I Have a Voice!
Mei-Hua Li, a Chinese emigrant in the United States, tells about how the responsibility of interpreting for her family brought maturity. She also discusses how the youth program of the Asian Community Corporation (A-VOYCE) helped her understand her own identity in a foreign country.
Portraits of a Generation: Children of Immigrants
Quetzal Maucci, an Argentinean- and Peruvian-American photographer, creates a portrait series depicting children from immigrant families living in the U.S. and tells the stories of their identity struggles in their new culture.
New Beginnings: Immigrant Women and the American Experience
Women immigrants have played a dynamic role in transforming America socially, politically, and economically.
Montana Offers A Boost To Native Language Immersion Programs
Thanks to a new Montana state bill more Native American kids will now have the opportunity to participate in language immersion classes in public schools. Read about it here.
Students, Swedish-Americans swap immigrant stories
Learn about an initiative at Wellstone High School in Minneapolis, Minnesota, called Story Swap. This program aims to teach the students about what they have in common with past immigrants like the Swedes.
Can we choose our ethnic identities based on random obsessions?
Just how much of the ethnic background we claim or aspire to claim, has to do with the family members or traditions we relate to the most?
Home? Teen Refugees and Immigrants Explore Their Tucson
Read about, and view some of the material from, this exhibit in which student refugees and immigrants in Tuscon, AZ, explore the concept of home.
Students immersed in Chinese culture
Watch a video about a group of American students on a cultural exchange in China. Immersing themselves in the culture, these students will spend a year in China learning Mandarin and living with locals.
Yiddish Culture Takes Center Stage
Zalmen Mlotek, artistic director of the National Yiddish Theatre-Folksbiene, and his son Avram, who performs at the theater, talk about the Yiddish language and preserving it through art.