Update

Work on the final project for my journalism class has officially begun. Last week, we were divided into groups and chose topics. This week we set the schedule, wrote a project proposal, and began our research.

Before I get into the details of the group’s progress this week, a brief recap of the project is necessary. The goal of the project is to create three multimedia stories relating the topic of immigration in the Milwaukee neighborhood of Clarke Square.

We selected Clarke Square as the location for our stories due to the large Hispanic population in that area. 

Each group member has their own specific story based on the topic of immigration that they will be developing over the next seven weeks. Group member Colleen Herrmann’s story will be a narrative. For her story, she plans to follow a child of immigrants whose parent(s) are illegal immigrants who either have been or are at risk of being deported. Group member Andrew Phillips will be working on a story about the educational opportunities for immigrants in the city of Milwaukee. Finally, I will also be working on a narrative, following one person on their journey toward becoming a U.S. Citizen.

Once we had our potential stories hammered out, the footwork began, contacting people and organizations that could be potential resources. The group contacted a number of organizations in Milwaukee, including Journey House, the International Institute of Wisconsin, the Milwaukee Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and the Latino Community Center. So far, we have heard back only from Journey House. Their response was definitely positive and they expressed extreme interest in working with us on this project. The group is very excited to start working with them and the community they serve to develop a better understanding of immigration and how it impacts individuals in our own back yard.

My only fears, at this point of the project, are one, that people will not be willing to open up to us about their experiences, especially on camera, and two that I will be at a disadvantage not knowing Spanish. My hope is that by working intimately with the organizations mentioned above, our group will be able to develop contacts and build relationships with members of the community who have been affected by immigration.

That is it for this weeks update. I look forward to sharing our progress with you again next week.