The winds of the spring of 2021 are spreading seeds of relief, anticipation, reckonings and rebirths. An American president with megalomaniacal delusions is gone from power and authority. A new president has used the iconic First Hundred Days in office to try to regain trust and chart a course for the future. A new cadre of students have dedicated themselves to taking the pulse of immigrants, refugees and their communities to report on what they can expect and how they’re faring so far as the Biden administration rolls beyond its First Hundred Days. Here are the questions they raised and the stories they produced to address them:
- Should the Biden administration turn to other countries when Iraqi refugees are deported? By Yasmeen Altaji
- Biden introduced community sponsorship to resettle refugees. How’s that going? By Victoria Benefield
- How will Biden’s infrastructure plans affect gentrification in Pilsen? By Melina Chalkia
- How will the Biden administration sustain the effort to fight hate crimes against Chinese Americans? By Delia Corridon
- What is Vice President Kamala Harris doing for Indian immigrants? Has she abandoned S.386? By Margaret Fleming
- Yes, Black people deserve reparations, but — who gets a piece of the pie? By Amirah Ford
- How will the 2020 census and redistricting affect Chinese American communities? By Jane Greeley
- How will Biden’s policies affect DACA students’ access to higher education? By Isabelle Kenagy
- How do the South Asian communities in the U.S. feel about the Biden administration’s handling of the covid crisis in India? By Lunden Mason
- How should international students plan for or adapt to policy changes? By Sarah Meadow
In the process of doing the series on Biden’s policy changes: What immigrants can expect and how they’re faring so far, we encountered some extraordinary people you should know:
- For this Assyrian immigrant, one safe haven lies beyond the checkout counter, By Yasmeen Altaji
- Religion complicates the destiny of this Iraqi refugee, By Victoria Benefield
- Two cultures drive the inspiration of Mexican artist Hector Duarte, By Melina Chalkia
- This Chinese immigrant dreams of breaking the language barrier and studying literature, By Delia Corridon
- For this Pakistani, religion decided everything, By Margaret Fleming
- From one country to another, this Nigerian discovers truths that are as evident as her own hair, By Amirah Ford
- A community leader’s Hong Kong roots propel her into activism and civic engagement, By Jane Greeley
- For this Mexican immigrant, hurtful stereotypes are a motivation to break glass ceilings and scale walls, By Isabelle Kenagy
- The Drs. Ahmad heal through cohesion and unity, By Lunden Mason
- This Indian lives at the intersection of culture, sports, and journalism, By Sarah Meadow
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The student reporters wanted you to know something about themselves and their inspiration for investing in reporting on immigrants unlike themselves. The stories are captured here and on the Immigrant Connect staff page:
- What the cemetery has to say, By Yasmeen Altaji
- For my dad, assimilation is a survival technique and an act of rebellion, By Victoria Benefield
- Pagpalain ka ng Diyos*: Roxane’s story of separation and thankfulness, by Melina Chalkia
- Aklema’s life in Guyana remains a mystery to me, By Delia Corridon
- No me olvides: A father’s journey to the US, By Margaret Fleming
- The vastness of Blackness: My first Labor Day in Brooklyn, By Amirah Ford
- Nene’s smile is worth 1,000 patriotic words, By Jane Greeley
- From my great grandmother to me and back to Vienna, By Isabelle Kenagy
- Go be great, By Lunden Mason
- Uncle Al personifies heritage for 22 of us, By Sarah Meadow
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