“Eye 2 Eye”

Our project seeks to highlight the strength of community in an era where xenophobia is on the rise across the nation. In the wake of events such as COVID-19, where East Asian Americans were unfairly blamed for a global pandemic, and a polarized political climate that employs identity as a tool for spreading hate, it is more important than ever to emphasize the power of coming together. Throughout America's history, communities have formed to advance their agendas and fight for their rights and liberties. Examples include the Civil Rights Movement, Women's Suffrage Movement, and LGBTQ rights movement, all of which found strength in community to elevate their status in the US. Today, identity-based communities are still crucial, and our podcast aims to shed light on how communities were formed by immigrants, specifically Chinese and Cuban immigrants, during the Reconstruction Era and how they served as a driving force for change.

Our podcast talks about the immigrant experience in the US including topics about the American Dream and finding community. We invited two speakers from two different cultures and backgrounds: Isabelle’s mom who came from Puerto Rico as a child and Lena’s grandfather who came as an adult from Taiwan for economic opportunity. We pursued this project because we wanted to create a project that is accessible to everyone and our goal for this podcast is twofold. First, we wanted to educate the audience on the historical experience of immigrants during the Reconstruction era. Second, we wished to offer another perspective on the immigrant experience now in the 21st century.