We believe that the stories of immigrants, as well as the perspectives of Wisconsinites, are important today and going forward.
While at the national level, the migration of people from Mexico, Central, and South America is being debated, here in Wisconsin, many of us have not had opportunities to meet or talk with immigrants from these places.
These conversations are special! Scroll down to learn how to get involved!
Immigrant Journeys conversations are accessible and free to everyone with an internet connection and a device. We use Zoom to conduct the online meetings.
Immigrant Journeys conversations are intimate, comfortable, and valuable. Groups of 4-8 people are invited to listen, reflect, and share in a non-confrontational setting.
Immigrant Journeys conversations are recorded. This Wisconsin Humanities virtual conversation initiative, in partnership with Local Voices Network (LVN), will result in a digital archive of the stories and perspectives of ordinary Wisconsinites. LVN’s sophisticated online platform makes the conversations easily heard and read by policymakers, journalists, and the broader public (while participants can choose to remain anonymous).
Each conversation will be transcribed, with digital tags to help search on topics of relevance, so it looks something like this:
Join us!
There are different ways to get involved.
Open the tabs below to learn more. And we are happy to talk with you anytime to help! Email Cristopher Font-Santiago, the Immigrant Journeys project manager, with any questions!
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I want to participate!
We are scheduling new conversations all the time! We are here to help make one happen in your area.
Step 1: Find a facilitator
Every conversation is led by a trained facilitator. So, the first step is identifying who that will be!
Is there someone you know who could be trained to lead the conversation? Maybe it’s a librarian, a religious leader, or really anyone who is interested in getting the FREE, 120-minute training from Local Voices Network. Maybe it’s you! If you don’t have anyone in mind, we can also provide a facilitator.
Step 2: Organize your group
Conversation groups are made up of 4-8 participants (including you!). The participants can be anyone. In fact, it is great to have a group of people with different backgrounds, professions, and experiences. But it doesn’t have to be complicated. If you have a few friends who are ready to participate, we’ll create the “event” on the Local Voices Network and help you spread the word so more people can “sign up!”
I want to be trained to facilitate conversations!
No prior experience or familiarity with the Immigrant Journeys stories needed.
The Local Voices Network holds free training sessions on the first and third Thursday of every month. The training takes 2 hours. We are usually able to schedule another training at your convenience if these times don’t work fo you.
In the training, you can expect to:
- learn to use the Immigrant Journeys facilitator guide. This simple prompt provides a script for the conversation, from start to finish, including questions to provoke reflection and sharing
- learn more about the Local Voices Network model, including how the conversations become part of the LVN archive and are used with policymakers, journalists, and the general public.
Madison, Dane County
Organizer: Wisconsin Humanities
Date: November 23, 2020
Time: 1:00PM - 2:30PM
Rice Lake, Barron County
Organizer: UW-Eau Claire – Barron County
Date: December 8, 2020
Time: 4:30PM - 6:00PM