Podcast

FINDING REFUGE.

By : Amaris Gilbert, Arlene Gonzalez, Zulema Villanueva, Sofia Pena, Pedro Madrigal.

In the United States, perhaps one the most heavily debated topics year-round is immigration. Such debates are usually gatekept or restricted to politicians, academics, or white-collar professionals. However, Amaris Gilbert, ​​ Sofia Peña, Arlene Gonzalez, Zulema Villanueva, and Pedro Madrigal break down those barriers as students at USC’s Annenberg Youth Academy. 

Our podcast, Finding Refuge, reflects on the current state of immigration policy and sentiment. We discuss the history of immigration policy and the differences between Latin American immigration, which is something all members are connected to, and European, Asian, and Middle Eastern immigration. Such differences are valuable because, through thinking critically and analyzing historical trends, they can reveal the social hierarchy of the United States.

We hope to be able to utilize civic media to open the conversation up, to further highlight the public interest of immigrant communities. Here in Los Angeles, the hometown of the hosts, we all found love and support within our communities! But because many of our parents did not have the opportunity to further their education, they often cannot participate in the same conversations as their children, and sometimes cannot find that political or social support.

We decided to have a more open-ended, conversational podcast because a more relaxed setting permits for a greater audience. Through a discussion type podcast, the audience can feel a part of the conversation, and may continue the conversation with family, friends, or peers. We tried to avoid using political jargon or speaking exclusively about statistics because immigration is an emotional topic– it is not something that can be boiled down to the economy, crime rates, or housing. 

To incorporate the personal aspect of immigration, we interviewed Arlene’s father about his experience migrating. We hoped that such a firsthand account would open up a different, more humanistic view of immigration.  

Opening a more individualistic view on immigration within our listeners was incredibly important during the creation of Finding Refuge because, as immigrants or first-generation immigrants, people do not always view immigrants in a positive light. Many make negative assumptions about the motives of immigrants, but in reality, immigration is rooted in hope and opportunity.

We chose to incorporate statistics in the podcast because, even though we were attempting a more empathetic approach to immigration, we wanted to reach a more fact-guided audience as well. During research for the podcast, we were honestly disappointed and hurt by our findings. We felt that including data that evokes emotion, such as the whopping 47% uptick in Mexican-American hate crimes during the Trump administration, would be the most impactful way to provide factual backing. 

Finding Refuge utilizes civic media to approach an entire community of immigrants, to amplify their voice and importance in creating the very brand of the United States. Despite hostility towards immigrants, the US is known globally to be the land of opportunity, and yet the conversation surrounding immigration is so limited. 

We created this podcast for our mothers and fathers, tías y tíos, so they could hear their stories, their struggles, through us, and prove to them that we are eternally grateful they chose to find refuge within our beautifully diverse home of LA.. 

By : Amaris Gilbert, Arlene Gonzalez, Zulema Villanueva, Sofia Pena, Pedro Madrigal