Immigrant Stories from Illinois

In order to promote empathy and harmony within the community, with the aim of getting to know your neighbors, it is essential to acknowledge that a significant number of them in the context of Illinois, are immigrants whose experiences are widely shaped by their status. 

We utilize a map of the different stories of immigrants in Illinois that are a collection of diverse stories with varying backgrounds and histories. We conducted extensive research, collecting podcasts, oral histories, documentaries, art, books, etc., and figuring out where these stories originated. We aspire for this project to inspire and aid congregational groups to gain insight into their neighbor’s identities and experiences. Through the research provided by this project, we encourage readers and congregations to promote and cultivate meaningful conversations within the community. 

We hope that this map can be of use to help congregations learn and understand the history and stories of immigrants in their specific towns so they can better relate and work with those communities and foster better community relations between neighbors. 

Immigrant stories are powerful tools that provide a voice and opportunity to immigrant communities that have been and continue to be underrepresented in American society. In order to bridge the gap between larger systems that diminish the voices of immigrants, it is essential that their experiences are highlighted and accessible to the communities that they are a crucial part of. It’s important to understand that we are all function in the same community.

Studies show that compassion and empathy are the best drivers of reform an understanding when it comes to immigration in America.

In mapping Illinois we are able to compare the differences in stories between the Northern and Southern parts also known as downstate Illinois. Through gathering immigrant stories in Illinois, we found that a significant number of stories were concentrated in Chicago. This can allude to the fact that Chicago is one of the main cities in the state and therefore, embodies a diverse population with many immigrants. We also acknowledge a little difficulty in acquiring stories of immigrants from other areas of Illinois as easily as Chicago, as most sources and news outlets produce many stories centered around Chicago due to its high immigrant population. Through intensive research, we have also found a good amount of information and stories outside of Chicago.

The map provides points of the different locations in Illinois which pertain to a story of an individual immigrant. Zooming in and clicking on the points in the map will reveal further information on the stories such as a short description of the story, followed by the type of the source and where it can be found. This aims to provide a number of information at first glance for easy learning and accessibility with regard to immigrant make-up in Illinois. The idea is to create something accessible to everyone and which aims to make people aware of the stories we have found. The idea is that these stories can primarily help congregations but at the same help those who know little about the history of immigration within the state. The points in the map are color coded, depending on the source type.

• Why do you think there is a disconnect between immigrants and the rest of the community? What efforts do you know of that try to bridge this disconnect?
• How do you think people see immigrants in your community?

We conducted our research through reputable sources to find each of the immigrant stories that are mapped out. We aimed to curate these stories into one map that tells a story in an accessible fashion that congregations can potentially use. It is important to acknowledge that while we collected the stories to the best of our ability with the resources available, we did not conduct these interviews ourselves. Therefore, it should be acknowledged that these stories may not provide the context of the people in full complexity, as the immigrant experience is multifaceted and varied. We also attempted to collect stories of immigrants from varying origins in order to ensure that it captures the diversity of the immigrant makeup of the state of Illinois. However, given that the Latino population of Illinois is very large, a number of the curated stories pertain to this respective group. Additionally, we collected stories from first-generation immigrants in order to highlight this experience as first and second-generation immigrant stories greatly differ in terms of incorporation into society. 

• How has your view on immigrants changed while you were engaging with the stories?
• Do you think these stories helped you learn something that was previously unknown to you?
• Which story impressed you the most and which reflections did it leave you?

It is essential that people reflect on how immigrants are seen by other members of the community in order to create cohesive community relations with the aim of getting to know your neighbors. Through this foundational information provided, we hope that it created some insightful knowledge toward understanding these particular immigrants and their stories. Each of these stories are an experience that is unique and seeks diverse perspectives and in curating it, we would like to challenge the existing stereotypes. 

We found that through this research in reading and understanding immigrant stories has furthered our knowledge in relation to the immigrant experience. It is hoped that through this project, it can foster the same sense of knowledge for different audiences, and also be useful for congregations as a foundation for creating community awareness and strengthening relationships.  Given the difficulties in finding the sources utilized in the project, we would also like others to be inspired by the aims of this project as it can be used as a starting point for creating not only similar projects but also as a source of information before working with immigrant communities.  We would like to see the congregations and the communities around the state in creating a better environment for immigrant needs.

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