The Journey From Undocumented To U.S. CitizenEvery year, thousands of people across the U.S. become naturalized citizens. This video follows one of them, Ana, as she reflects on what it means to become a new American citizen.
The history of Europeans in America | DW DocumentaryThirty million Europeans emigrated to the USA in the 19th Century to realize their American dream. But the continent was settled at the expense of its original inhabitants.
The United States is always seen as the land of dreams and unlimited possibilities. Our starting point for this account of the settlement of America’s eastern seaboard by European pioneers is Florida, where the Spaniards first settled in the early 16th Century.. Their legacy today is 50 million Americans who speak Spanish as their first language -more than in Spain itself. But it was the largely Protestant British who made up the second wave of immigrants. They founded Jamestown in Virginia and settlements in Massachusetts and pushed northwards into Canada. While the southern states largely lived from the proceeds of slavery, the northern states developed into booming industrial centers that would ultimately defeat them in the civil war. It was here that the American dream of dishwasher to millionaire originated.
Immigrants Building the American DreamIn this reel, we follow the stories of some incredible individuals making a new life for themselves in America. We meet a Holocaust survivor who has tailored custom suits for every American President since Eisenhower, witness an incredible friendship between a Korean chef and a Mexican opera singer, and dine on some delicious Cuban-Chinese cuisine.
The Immigrant Experience: 1900-1940The political and economic turmoil of Europe drove millions to leave their countries of origin and emigrate to the U.S. where a lady held a welcoming lamp “beside the Golden Door.” This ABC News program anchored by Peter Jennings tells the dramatic story of the transformation of America into a truly multicultural nation, from the teeming ethnic neighborhoods of New York to the black migration to northern cities during the Great Depression. Also discussed are ugly incidents of racism spurred by the terror tactics of the Ku Klux Klan and the World War II fears that prompted the forced internment of 120,000 Japanese.
Nouveau Poor: Immigrant PovertyA part of the series Poverty in America.
The “golden door” exalted at the Statue of Liberty still beckons the world’s poor. Once inside the U.S., however, most immigrants accept a lifestyle that is anything but glittering. This program reveals the conditions in which an American newcomer, legal or not, struggles to earn a living, save money, and meet basic needs. Featuring interviews with numerous immigrants from Latin America and Africa, the film illustrates their experiences with entrenched racism, unfairly low wages, the lack of a social safety net, few if any economic resources, and crowded, substandard housing. These individuals also describe the goals that drive them—education and a better future for their loved ones—and the equally important work ethic with which the majority of immigrants approach their jobs. Several scholars contribute their expertise as well.
The Jewish Americans: HomeFrom PBS: Part of the series The Jewish Americans: A Series by David Grubin.
No period in American history was more dramatic for Jewish citizens than the latter half of the 20th century. This program examines that phase of the Jewish-American experience, focusing on changes in the ways that the Jewish community related to mainstream America, the world, and itself. The film covers important World War II events, the Jewish Holocaust, the founding of Israel, the American civil rights movement, and what some view as a weakening of the sociopolitical bond between Jews and African-Americans.
Muslims in Appalachia: Islam in ExileThis program examines the surprisingly rapid growth of Islam in the heart of America’s Bible Belt, a predominantly fundamentalist Christian locale. Yet for Muslims living in Appalachia, the daily challenge lies not so much in acceptance by their neighbors as with practicing their religion in a country whose overall culture is so often at odds with their own beliefs. Interviews with refugees living in the region and with experts in American Islam reveal the resiliency of a faith that can thrive in exile. The history of Islam, Islamic contributions to the arts and sciences, and common ground between Muslims and Christians are also highlighted.
Conquering America: Bharati MukherjeeBharati Mukherjee writes vivid, sensual, and troubling stories about America’s newest immigrants, Asians like herself. Mukherjee’s early novels spoke from India, the old world she left behind to marry an American. Upon arriving in America she set out to capture the New World experiences of Asian immigrants. In this program with Bill Moyers, Mukherjee discusses America’s newest immigrants and the building resentment and tensions between our country’s various cultures. "We’ve come to America," she says, "in a way, to take over. To help build a new culture."
Prejudice: More Than Black and WhiteA Films for the Humanities & Sciences Production:
Muslims, blacks, gays, people with disabilities, and immigrants of every ethnicity and color: these and many other groups have stood in the spotlight glare of intolerance, easy targets for every sort of discrimination and violence. What makes people prone to irrational hate, and what steps can individuals and society take to eradicate it? In this program, psychology professors Susan Fiske, of Princeton University, and Mahzarin Banaji, of Harvard University; representatives of the Council on American-Islamic Relations and other pro-tolerance groups; and victims of prejudice share their insights and experiences. A pro-gay Baptist minister who formerly took a biblical stance against homosexuality and an ex–imperial wizard of the Ku Klux Klan who now speaks out for tolerance also offer their views. Contains inflammatory language and images
Spanish Voices: Spanish and English in the Southeastern United StatesThe unprecedented growth of the Spanish-speaking population in the Southeastern US has led to major language issues about the co-existence of English and Spanish. Providing a snapshot of life in the South, this program tells the story of those who have participated in this change through interviews with recent immigrants, long-term residents, musicians, dancers, language instructors, and students. Their narratives show how their experiences are unique to the Southeast as well as common to language contact situations worldwide The program is a valuable resource that can open rich discussions about language.
"Joy Luck Club"From PBS: Amy Tan’s debut novel tells the story of four sets of Chinese mothers and their American-born daughters. Actress Ming-Na Wen discusses how the novel conveys the immigrant and Asian-American experience while telling a universal story about family.
