"Welcome to Shelbyville" and "I Learn America" are two documentaries that explore the lives of American immigrants as they join their new communities and begin their new lives.
"Welcome to Shelbyville" takes a look at the small, rural town of Shelbyville in Tennessee. The long-standing population of mostly African-American and white Christians is shaken up as more and more people of Latino and Somali backgrounds move to town.
The film is set in 2008, when the economy suffered and a historical presidential race came to a close. Life in America is complicated enough for a town comfortably settled in its ways, but the residents of Shelbyville are challenged even more as they try to understand the newcomers' diverse beliefs and backgrounds. "Shelbyville" gives a much-needed honest and personal look at the lives of immigrants in America. See the trailer for the documentary.
Watching a film is a great way to raise awareness, but taking action is important, too. Shelbyville Multimedia is a campaign that focuses on the issues of immigration and social differences. The aim of the project is to bring different communities closer together. Using the documentary and other videos, the campaign is centered on the stories of six very real people from the town of Shelbyville. Shelbyville Media gives us discussion topics and models to follow in order to incorporate diversity into a community.
"I Learn America" is another documentary about immigration, but this one focuses exclusively on teenagers. Like "Shelbyville," it takes an in-depth look at a few members of a community - five students at the International High School at Lafayette in Brooklyn, NY. The school is a public high school committed to making the transition easier for young people coming to America. In the film, the five adolescents have very different backgrounds, all filled with sadness and conflict.
The film is a powerful swirl of emotions and growth and gives a rare glimpse into the lives of teens dealing with the struggles of immigration. Watch the trailer for "I Learn America" and read more about the film, the school, and what you can do to make a change.
For someone living in a foreign country, everyday struggles are magnified because very often they don't know the culture, the people, or the language. You, our tutors, make a huge difference in the lives of your learners as you teach them the language and basic ways of life in America. It's great to see that more and more people are taking the time to understand these new Americans and inviting them into our communities.
Documentaries like the two mentioned here are powerful and get straight to the core of what it means to be human, regardless of where you're from. I hope to see more like them hit the mainstream media in the future.
Happy tutoring!
Kris
Kristofer Pieper
Programs and Social Media Intern, English At Large
Tufts University, Class of 2016
ENGLISH AT LARGE
Literacy and Learning for Life
Join the conversation
"Welcome to Shelbyville" takes a look at the small, rural town of Shelbyville in Tennessee. The long-standing population of mostly African-American and white Christians is shaken up as more and more people of Latino and Somali backgrounds move to town.
The film is set in 2008, when the economy suffered and a historical presidential race came to a close. Life in America is complicated enough for a town comfortably settled in its ways, but the residents of Shelbyville are challenged even more as they try to understand the newcomers' diverse beliefs and backgrounds. "Shelbyville" gives a much-needed honest and personal look at the lives of immigrants in America. See the trailer for the documentary.
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| From: http://shelbyvillemultimedia.org/ |
Watching a film is a great way to raise awareness, but taking action is important, too. Shelbyville Multimedia is a campaign that focuses on the issues of immigration and social differences. The aim of the project is to bring different communities closer together. Using the documentary and other videos, the campaign is centered on the stories of six very real people from the town of Shelbyville. Shelbyville Media gives us discussion topics and models to follow in order to incorporate diversity into a community.
"I Learn America" is another documentary about immigration, but this one focuses exclusively on teenagers. Like "Shelbyville," it takes an in-depth look at a few members of a community - five students at the International High School at Lafayette in Brooklyn, NY. The school is a public high school committed to making the transition easier for young people coming to America. In the film, the five adolescents have very different backgrounds, all filled with sadness and conflict.
The film is a powerful swirl of emotions and growth and gives a rare glimpse into the lives of teens dealing with the struggles of immigration. Watch the trailer for "I Learn America" and read more about the film, the school, and what you can do to make a change.
For someone living in a foreign country, everyday struggles are magnified because very often they don't know the culture, the people, or the language. You, our tutors, make a huge difference in the lives of your learners as you teach them the language and basic ways of life in America. It's great to see that more and more people are taking the time to understand these new Americans and inviting them into our communities.
Documentaries like the two mentioned here are powerful and get straight to the core of what it means to be human, regardless of where you're from. I hope to see more like them hit the mainstream media in the future.
Happy tutoring!
Kris
Kristofer Pieper
Programs and Social Media Intern, English At Large
Tufts University, Class of 2016
ENGLISH AT LARGE
Literacy and Learning for Life
Join the conversation
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