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THE NEW AMERICANS e-newsletter - March 2004
The time has arrived! PBS's acclaimed series Independent Lens will broadcast The New Americans March 29-31 2004 at 9 pm, a ground-breaking television series that follows the intimate stories of a diverse group of contemporary immigrants and refugees from their homelands to their first years in the United States. Welcome to THE NEW AMERICANS e-newsletter with the latest information on PBS broadcast updates and details on outreach resources and community planning across the country. In this issue, you'll find: I. Outreach Tools and Resources Update II. What's Happening in Communities III. Partner Perspectives Subscribe to the email newsletter here. I. Outreach Tools and Resources Update Here are some updates on outreach resources that are now available. To read more about THE NEW AMERICANS Community Engagement Resources or download our brochure, visit http://www.itvs.org/outreach/newamericans/resources.html To read an article about the national community engagement campaign "Engaging Communities: The New Americans Outreach Campaign Hits the Mark", visit http://www.beyondthebox.org/vol.22/BTBWS04_2.html ++ The New Americans Series Guide and Activity Book ++ This full series guide and activity book is NOW downloadable from www.itvs.org/outreach/newamericans/guide. The guide, developed by ITVS's Community Connections Project, was written and reviewed by professionals in the fields of adult education, ESOL, literacy, multicultural education, immigrant services, healthcare and mental health services. The guide contains thoughtful classroom and community activities prompted by scenes and quotes from the film. You can assess the work you are doing and provide feedback on the guide and other resources using our evaluation tools located on this web page. ++ Purchase The Full Series or Modules ++ THE NEW AMERICANS will be available for purchase on videotape this spring following the PBS broadcast. Cost for the set of three video tapes (total running time: 7 hours) will be $79.95 plus shipping. Contact Home Vision Entertainment at 888/572-8918. Supply is limited, so order soon. For information on the video modules, visit http://www.activevoice.net/index.html ++ Publicity Photos and Press Releases ++ The New Americans press release is now available in Spanish and English. You can download the press release from www.itvs.org/pressroom. If you need photos, send an email to Wilson_Ling@itvs.org and state your specific needs. ++ PBS companion Website Launch ++ The New Americans companion website (www.pbs.org/newamericans) will launch on March 11, 2004. The site includes original content including a section on cultural riches from the regions represented by the film subjects; a myths about immigration quiz; background stories of the film subjects along with updates on their lives today. ++ Broadcast Schedule ++ The New Americans will be broadcast on PBS's acclaimed series Independent Lens March 29-31 at 9:00 pm. (Check local listings.) To confirm local broadcast dates and times or check rebroadcasts of the series, visit www.itvs.org/newamericans and search the broadcast database. II. What's Happening in Communities ++ The New Americans Community Engagement Map ++ It's time to spread the word about the important community and educational outreach activities you are involved in. Visit the online activity map at www.itvs.org/outreach/newamericans/map/index.html to see examples of how people are working with THE NEW AMERICANS resources and engaging in thoughtful dialogue about issues such as immigration, demographic changes and creating welcoming communities. Please let us know about opportunities to highlight THE NEW AMERICANS resources at conferences, meetings and workshops. Don't forget to update your listings! ++ Urban League of Greater Madison ++ Stephen L.H. Braunginn, President/CEO The Urban League of Greater Madison, in concert with Wisconsin Public Television, hosted a six-part series of documentaries with a focus on race and diversity during 2003. The purpose of the Community Discussions on Race and Diversity was to provide an avenue for the public to discuss topics of great importance to the health and well being of a growing community, a white, middle-class community challenged by the influx of immigration of people of color, especially African Americans, Latinos and Southeast Asians with a strong international student population from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. We watched an Active Voice video module as our fifth featured documentary, drawing rave reviews by virtually everyone who attended the event, such as, "I will remember how working harder helps with adjusting"; "Very moving-makes me want to learn more about the personal stories and experiences of immigrants and refugees in this country"; and "I will remember the pain of the man from Nigeria who was so talented, educated, and a leader of his people and had to work subserviently, [and] the pain of the Latino girl who dreamt of completing school but couldn't". Congratulations ITVS on such an energizing and insightful series, which will surely open the eyes of so many people who think they know the plight of those who immigrate to the United States or are refuges, but really have no idea whatsoever but is willing to learn. ++ University of Northern Iowa, New Iowans Program and Iowa Public Television ++ Mary Bracken, Programming and Outreach Coordinator The New Iowans Program is working with Iowa Public Television to promote the upcoming PBS miniseries The New Americans as a tool to understand immigration in Iowa today. This exciting collaboration between the New Iowans Program and IPTV will involve four activities:
Cindy K. Hechler, Communications Specialist Community Idea Stations WHTJ is producing a follow up program entitled: CHANGING CULTURES: OUR NEW AMERICANS. They have tapped into incredible community resources to provide an important local perspective. The host is an adult ESL instructor and the two guests who share their personal experiences are: a man from Senegal and is seeking asylum. He's been in the US for almost two years, first in DC, and he has an MBA and is looking for a business job, but in the meantime works at Taco Bell. The other guest is a woman who came to the United States from Bosnia in 2000. She didn't speak any English. She now works at a country club where her jobs have advanced over time. The show will also include an autobiographical 6-minute video that a teen from Afghanistan created. The program will be broadcast Thursday, March 25 at 8:30 pm, Sunday, March 28 at 11 am & Tuesday, March 30 at 11 pm. Please forward this newsletter to a colleague or community partner. If this issue of THE NEW AMERICANS e-newsletter has been forwarded to you, you can subscribe here. |
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