Talking Im/migration Facilitator Training Workshop

On Monday, May 18, 2009 the Chicago Cultural Alliance's first facilitator training workshop for the Talking Im/migration series happened at The Field Museum. This all day event was attending by representatives from the four pilot sites for the Talking Im/migration dialogues, the Cambodian American Heritage Museum, Polish Museum of America, the Swedish American Museum, and the Chicago Japanese American Historical Society. These four sites will be putting together 2 dialogues each with their community on immigration. Also in attendance was representatives from the facilitating members, who were there to be trained to assist the pilot sites in facilitating their dialogues. The Indo-American Heritage Museum, the American Indian Center, Bronzeville Historical Society, and Chinese-American Museum of Chicago, will be the four facilitating members.

The workshop ran from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm and many topics were covered. A review of articles on immigration and civic engagement started a great discussion amongst the group. A trip into the museum to the thresholds case was an illustration of different object related to different immigrant and cultural experiences. The workshop concluded with the facilitator training and general outreach strategies. The 4 pilot sites will now have to hold two dialogues over the summer with people from their community who do not normally participate with their organization. This is an exciting capacity building program developed through the Chicago Cultural Alliance with the support of The Field Museum.

Immigration Storytelling Workshop

On Monday, May 11, 2009 a group gathered in the basement of the Cambodian American Heritage Museum to discuss immigrant stories in a workshop hosted by the Chicago Cultural Alliance and the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. The Medill School of Journalism was recently awarded a grant from the Carnegie Foundation to start a collection of immigrant stories to be placed on Immigrant Connect Chicago.

The workshop, run by Jack Doppelt, a professor at the Medill, focused on teaching the participants the core questions and interview techniques required to draw out the stories that everyone has about immigration or migration. With the assistance of some written prompts, the group divided into partners and began to tell each other their stories, or the stories of someone they knew. The results were astounding; when given the task of reporting on other people's story, everyone was able to relate the story of their partner in great detail.

With the knowledge of how to start asking the questions that can facilitate dialogue about an individual's immigration experience, this workshop was timed to occur one week before the Talking about Im/migration facilitator training workshop at The Field Museum. These skills will be expanded during the day-long session on Monday, May 18 2009 and over the next few months.

The Immigrant Connect Chicago program is an online forum, where people can write their own stories or contact a member/student of the university program to assist them with writing their story. The ultimate purpose of this program is to bridge immigrant groups and cross ethnic and generational lines within communities. Their goal can in many ways be assisted by the Alliance, and makes the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University an ideal partner organization. For further information on sharing your own, or someone else's immigration story, you can can contact Professor Doppelt and his students at contact@immigrantconnect.org.