This week on Alt.Latino, we got a special treat: Felix Contreras and I traveled down to sunny Miami, alongside NPR's Michel Martin, for a conversation of immigrant stories in America. We crowdsourced the conversation and shared some of your stories with the audience, and also curated the conversation on Twitter. On stage, special guests joined us: Haitian writer Edwidge Danticat, poet Richard Blanco, reggae singer and songwriter Etana and actress Diane Guerrero.
Of course, immigration is a heavily politicized issue. NPR covers that angle regularly. But for this event, we wanted to focus on the storytelling.
We started off online with some light conversation, with questions like, "Is there one song that reminds you of those first few days, weeks or months in which you arrived to the U.S.?" We got some fun answers, like one listener who wrote in to say that her cousin made her listen to The Bee Gees the minute she got in the car at the airport. On a more serious note, listener Daniel Garzon wrote, "I remember my first months in Miami were marked by Hoja En Blanco by Monchi y Alexandra. That was while I was working with my uncle-in-law's family (early 2001). ... Almost 10 years later, I remember listening to Eric Clapton's 'Wonderful Tonight' while I was about to be deported."
There was plenty of talk about the hardships of the immigrant experience. One listener, Juan, tweeted to us: "I've called #Florida home for 15yrs... I am still deportable." He shared this poem:
"You broke the ocean in
half to be here
Only to meet nothing that wants you." —immigrant
For actress Diane Guerrero (Orange Is The New Black, Jane The Virgin), who was born to Colombian parents, hardship came at a young age. Onstage, she shared the fear, sadness and strength that accompanied her parents being deported when she was 14. She said she feels it's of utmost importance for the immigrant community to speak up and participate.
Beyond the storytelling, this type of insight abounded. Poet Richard Blanco, who spoke at President Obama's inauguration, mused about identity while sharing the words of his Cuban mother: "It's not where you are born that matters; it's where you choose to die. That's your country."
We could have talked forever, but we had to call it a night. However, the conversation keeps on going, even when we leave the stage. Tell us your story in the comments section, or tweet us @AltLatino. Remember to use the hashtag #NPRMichel.
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