America Border Culture Dreamer: The Young Immigrant Experience from A to Z

by Wendy Ewald

First- and second-generation immigrants to the US from all around the world collaborate with renowned photographer Wendy Ewald to create a stunning, surprising catalog of their experiences from A to Z.

In a unique collaboration with photographer and educator Wendy Ewald, eighteen immigrant teenagers create an alphabet defining their experiences in pictures and words. Wendy helped the teenagers pose for and design the photographs, interviewing them along the way about their own journeys and perspectives.

America Border Culture Dreamer presents Wendy and the students' poignant and powerful images and definitions along with their personal stories of change, hardship, and hope. Created in a collaboration with Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture, this book casts a new light on the crucial, under-heard voices of teenage immigrants themselves, making a vital contribution to the timely national conversation about immigration in America.

Genres: Nonfiction, Immigration, Photography, Childrens

64 pages, Hardcover

Published October 16, 2018

About the author

Wendy Ewald (born in 1951) is an American photographer and educator.

Wendy Ewald was born in Detroit, Michigan, graduated from Abbot Academy in 1969 and attended Antioch College between 1969–74, as well as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she studied photography with Minor White. She embarked on a career teaching photography to children and young people internationally. In 1969 & 1970, she taught photography to Innu and Mi'kmaq Native-American children in Canada. Between 1976–80 she taught photography and film-making to students in Whitesburg, Kentucky, in association with Appalshop, a media co-op. In 1982, she traveled to Ráquira, Colombia, on a Fulbright fellowship working with children and community groups; spending a further two years in Gujarat, India. Ewald is married to Tom McDonough, a writer and cinematographer. They live in the Hudson Valley of New York with their son, Michael.

(from Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Aliza Werner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Besides humane policy, what’s most needed right now is for Americans to hear stories from refugees themselves, especially children. It is easy to push a narrative of fear when a scapegoat is needed and propaganda is intentionally utilized. With refugees seeking asylum at our borders, characterized as criminals, and undocumented people on American soil fearing for their safety and lives, books like this help reshape the narrative through our young people, which can then transform policy.

[Jennifer]

Moving, insightful interviews with first and second generation immigrants.

Love the definitions they created:
America - A country where everything starts first
Education - A power that no one can take away
Happiness - The explosion of joy one feels within oneself when one's heart is full
Trust - To find your way in the darkness with the help of others

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

The stories within this book relate the immigrant experience from the point of view of teenagers in the Philadelphia area. Some entries are short and simple, while others are longer, but the sum of the parts is both personal, moving, and colorful.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

"This year I'm not wearing my hijab and some people who didn't even look at me last year come over to me and talk. They don't even realize I had class with them last year. Even some of my teachers don't."

[David Morales · Rating 4 out of 5]

Diversity looks different for everyone. Immigration is usually not a huge busload of everyone looking the exact same with the same skin tone, same accent, same language, or really the same anything. This book looks at the alphabet but puts some powerful stories of immigration and what it’s like being an outsider. Most of these stories are from teenagers or older intermediate grade students. The book may be a lot for primary students, but it would be a good way to show diversity and inclusion to any age.

[Sarah]

Nice photos and stories documenting different young people's journies to the US.