What’s Your Story? 2013 Welcoming Stories Potluck and Screening
Sunday, April 21, 2013, 4:30-7:00pm
Location: Immigrant Movement International
Address: 108-59 Roosevelt Avenue, Queens, NY 11368
Transportation: 7 train to the 103rd and Roosevelt Avenue stop
Free & Open to All, Please RSVP at http://whatsyourstory2013.eventbrite.com

NEW YORK, NY, April 14, 2013—New York City’s 10th Annual Immigrant Heritage Week, organized by NYC Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, Immigrant Movement International and First Person American present What’s Your Story? 2013 Welcoming Stories Potluck and Screening—a community event screening 9 short films that explore personal narratives from immigrants about the people who welcomed them and changed their lives forever. Immigrant Movement International, located in Queens, New York, will host What’s Your Story? 2013 Welcoming Stories Potluck and Screening on Sunday, April 21, 2013 at 4:30 PM.

What’s Your Story? 2013 Welcoming Stories Potluck and Screening will start at 4:30 PM with a potluck style “welcoming dinner” where attendees can meet others in the New York community and welcome each other with favorite dishes from their home country.

With the office of Immigrant Movement International serving as the family room, What’s Your Story? 2013 Welcoming Stories Potluck and Screening will show the tremendous impact small acts of kindness had during several immigrants’ lives. The films were created as part of the Welcoming Stories pilot series and the Newcomers High School Welcoming Stories Workshop. What’s Your Story? 2013 Welcoming Stories Potluck and Screening will include Yasmany’s story of discovering his American “swag,” Nika’s story about overcoming the difficulties of the American classroom, and Leila’s escaping an arranged marriage to pursue her own American dream. Attendees will also see how Newcomers High School students transformed from story tellers to activists in the short film Behind the Scenes of Newcomer High School Welcoming Stories.

A local hub for the immigrant community in Queens, New York, Immigrant Movement International will become a stage for storytelling and activism. The event will be an opportunity for the New York community to come together and celebrate its diversity, but it will also give attendees the chance to learn how they can be more welcoming and promote a culture of understanding in their own neighborhoods.

Please RSVP at http://whatsyourstory2013.eventbrite.com

ABOUT FIRST PERSON AMERICAN
First Person American focuses on stories of modern immigrants in the US, and explores what it means to be American through the lens of the immigrant in an expressive, personal and narrative style. First Person American aims to change the public’s perception of immigrants and to interject a new voice through deep and poignant portraits of people who immigrated to America. The mission of First Person American is to have a transformative effect on individual immigrant and non-immigrant lives and communities. First Person American is a recipient of the 2010 Sappi Ideas That Matter Grant, the 2011 Design Ignites Change Grant, the 2012 Facing History and Ourselves Award, and the 2013 Citizens Committee of New York Grant. For more information, please visit www.firstpersonamerican.org, follow us on Twitter@FPAmerican, and like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/firstpersonamerican.

ABOUT THE 10th ANNUAL IMMIGRANT HERITAGE WEEK
Immigrant Heritage Week is a citywide celebration, organized by NYC Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, that honors the experiences and contributions of the millions of immigrants who have shaped New York City for generations. The 10th Annual Immigrant Heritage Week will be held in New York City from April 17t to April 24 2013. For more information, visit www.nyc.gov/nycihw

ABOUT THE 10th ANNUAL IMMIGRANT MOVEMENT INTERNATIONAL
Tania Bruguera’s concept for Immigrant Movement International was inspired by the civil unrest in the suburbs of Paris in 2005 led by immigrants. Immigrant Movement International (IM International) launched in March 2011 in Corona, Queens, New York. Queens is a borough known for its vibrant immigrant population, with more than 45% of the population being foreign born, and with approximately 138 languages spoken. For more information, visit http://immigrant-movement.us

The Queens Museum of Art and First Person American present What’s Your Story? Corona Plaza Welcoming Stories—a Community Event to Showcase short films that explore personal immigration narratives.

Location: Corona Plaza, Roosevelt Avenue between National and 104th Street, Corona, Queens
Transportation: 7 train to the 103rd and Roosevelt Avenue stop
Sunday, October 21, 2012, 5:30-9:00pm
Free & Open to All

NEW YORK, NY, October 15, 2012—The Queens Museum of Art and First Person American present What’s Your Story? Corona Plaza Welcoming Stories—a community event screening 9 short films that explore personal narratives from immigrants about the people who welcomed them and changed their lives forever. The Queens Museum of Art will host the What’s Your Story? Corona Plaza Welcoming Stories on Sunday, October 21, 2012 at 5:30pm in Corona Plaza located in Corona, Queens, NY.

What’s Your Story? Corona Welcoming Stories will start at 5:30 PM with a potluck style “welcoming dinner” where local residents can meet others in the community and “welcome” each other to the neighborhood with favorite dishes from their home country. The event will be fully bi-lingual in English and Spanish.

With Corona Plaza serving as the family room, What’s Your Story? Corona Welcoming Stories will show the tremendous impact small acts of kindness had during several immigrants’ lives. The films were created as part of the Newcomers High School Welcoming Stories Workshop and the Welcoming Stories pilot series and include Yasmany’s story of discovering his American “swag”, Nika’s story about overcoming the difficulties of the American classroom, and Leila’s escaping an arranged marriage to pursue her own American dream. The community will also see how Newcomers High School students transformed from story tellers to activists in the short film Behind the Scenes of Newcomer High School Welcoming Stories.

After the screening Newcomers High School students will share their welcoming stories and how they became a welcoming person. First Person American will provide a welcoming guide and answer any questions about what it means to be welcoming in an effort to empower the audience to be more welcoming in their own communities. At the conclusion of the screening guest will have the opportunity to share their own welcoming stories at the First Person American Welcoming Stories video booth.

A local hub for the immigrant community in Corona, Corona Plaza will become a stage for storytelling and activism. The event will be an opportunity for the community to come together and celebrate its diversity, but it will also give attendees the chance to learn how they can be more welcoming and promote a culture of understanding in their neighborhood.

“After years of community activism, a coalition of elected officials, CBOs, and local residents have managed to create Corona Plaza as a new public pedestrian plaza as part of the NYC DOT Plaza Program at the end of August 2012. Queens Museum, its partners, and socially-engaged artists are now planning a series of events to explore the potential uses of the space and to welcome the community to use and engage this new public amenity. We believe this potluck and First Person American screening will provide a model for shared use and sense of ownership of the plaza, as well as set the stage for the incredibly diverse neighborhood of Corona, many of whom are recent immigrants themselves, to feel welcomed by their neighbors. All cultures have their own traditions of hospitality, but at the heart of most is the sharing food and stories.” says Prerana Reddy, Queens Museum of Art, Director of Public Events.

What’s Your Story? Corona Plaza Welcoming Stories
When: Sunday, October 21, 2012
Where: Corona Plaza, Roosevelt Avenue between National and 104th Street, Corona, Queens
Time: 5:30PM–9PM
Transportation: Guests can get to Corona plaza by taking the 7 train to the 103rd and Roosevelt Avenue stop.

Short Films (All films are in English with Spanish Subtitles):

• Dino shares his story of coming to America from Montenegro in 2010. Dino talks about having the opportunity to do something his father never did, the difficulty of leaving behind his younger brother, and his love of soccer. Now as the captain of the Newcomers High School soccer team, Dino reflects on how his coach, Mr. Llull, helped him on and off the field.
• Masuma talks about leaving Bangladesh with her family when she was 15. Masuma’s initial excitement about coming to the United States was quickly replaced by fear once she realized how little she could communicate. Masuma shares her gratitude for her best friend, Anjum, who helped Masuma learn English and overcome her fears.
• Yasmany shares his story of coming to the United States from Cuba in 2008. Yasmany’s wild imagination allowed him to create a glamorous vision of himself in the United States. He reveals his initial disappointment about arriving in Miami. Yasmany divulges that a move to New York, and becoming best friends with two other immigrant students, Mike and Yandoli, allowed him to finally discover his American “swag”.
• Nika shares her story of coming to America from Warsaw, Poland in 1989. Nika remembers how she felt in an American classroom before she spoke English and how her ESL teacher who helped her in the first months had a lasting influence on her life to this day.
• Leila talks about leaving Kenya as a teenager. At 17 Leila didn’t know exactly what she wanted, but she knew it wasn’t an arranged marriage in her native Kenya. Now a successful business owner, Leila remembers her ex-husband’s mother, who gave her the tools to build and realize her own American dream.
• Ilona talks about Yvette, a college friend who took a special interest in her and has since become a lifelong friend and a “sister”. Ilona doesn’t know if she would have survived here for as long without her friend’s good soul.
• David learned everything about the US from watching “The Jetsons” during his childhood in Iran. When his uncle summoned him to Chicago, he found that some Americans really do live “in the sky.” David shares how his uncle helped him in his early days in America and expresses the gratitude he feels towards his uncle’s generosity.
• Mona is a first-generation Indian-American born and raised in California. She shares her parents’ Welcoming Story of coming to the United States from Calcutta, India, in 1971. Her father’s best friend, Bishash, picked them up from the airport and made himself their new tour guide. Bishash’s enthusiasm and adventurous spirit encouraged Mona’s parents to discover a powerful bond that would help embrace their new American world.
• The students of Julie Mann’s Human Rights class reflect on their experience during the Welcoming Stories Workshop. They share why it was important to tell their story, what they learned during the workshop, and how telling their story has empowered them to become a welcoming person.

ABOUT FIRST PERSON AMERICAN
First Person American focuses on stories of modern immigrants in the US, and explores what it means to be American through the lens of the immigrant in an expressive, personal and narrative style. First Person American aims to change the public’s perception of immigrants and to interject a new voice through deep and poignant portraits of people who immigrated to America. The mission of First Person American is to have a transformative effect on individual immigrant and non-immigrant lives and communities. First Person American is a recipient of the 2010 Sappi Ideas That Matter Grant and the 2011 Design Ignites Change Grant. For more information, please visit www.firstpersonamerican.org, follow us on Twitter @FPAmerican, and like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/firstpersonamerican.

ABOUT QUEENS MUSEUM OF ART
The Queens Museum of Art was established in 1972 to provide a vital cultural center in Flushing Meadows Corona Park for the borough’s unique, international population. Today it is home to the Panorama of the City of New York, a 9,335 square foot scale model of the five boroughs, and features temporary exhibitions of modern and contemporary art that reflect the cultural diversity of Queens, as well as a collection of Tiffany glass from the Neustadt Museum of Tiffany Art. The Museum provides valuable educational outreach through a number of programs geared toward schoolchildren, teens, families, seniors and individuals with physical and mental disabilities.

The Museum’s hours are: Wednesday–Sunday: 12:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m., Friday: 12:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m., closed Monday & Tuesday. Admission to the Museum is by suggested donation: $8 for adults, $4 for seniors, students and children, and free for members and children under 5. For general visitor information, please visit the Museum’s website www.queensmuseum.org or call 718.592.9700.

SUPPORT
Public Events in Corona Plaza are made possible with support from the Institute for Museum & Library Services, Surdna Foundation, the NYC Cultural Innovation Fund of the Rockefeller Foundation, and the Office of NYC Councilmember Julissa Ferreras. Additional organizational support provided by Queens Economic Development Corporation, Immigrant Movement International, and Corona CAN.

Welcoming Stories is developed in partnership with Active Voice with support from Sappi Ideas that Matter, Adobe Foundaton/Worldstudio Design Ignites Change, and Facing History and Ourselves. Additional organizational support provided by the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation Inc.

Media Contacts:
First Person American: Irina Lee, 347.443.8745, irina@firstpersonamerican.org
Queens Museum of Art: Diya Vij, 718-592-9700 x243, dvij@queensmuseum.org
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First Person American presents the What’s Your Story? 2012 Premiere – a collection of short films that explore personal immigration narratives from high school students

NEW YORK, NY, July 13, 2012—First Person American and the Human Rights class at Newcomers High School present What’s Your Story? 2012—a premiere showcasing short films that explore personal immigration narratives from high school students about the people that welcomed them and changed their lives forever. The National Park Service (NPS) will host the What’s Your Story? NYC Premiere on Friday, July 20, 2012 2–4pm, at the Ellis Island Immigration Museum, part of Statue of Liberty National Monument.

What’s Your Story? 2012 will premiere four short films: Welcoming Stories Behind the Scenes, a short film that shows how the students transformed from storyteller to activist, as well as three student-produced short films of Dino’s Welcoming Story, Masuma’s Welcoming Story, and Yasmany’s Welcoming Story. Additionally, Newcomers High School students will share how they became a welcoming person, and will give tips to guests on how to be more welcoming to immigrants in their local communities. Following the premiere, guests will be encouraged to stay and create a Welcoming Story with First Person American.

The films produced for What’s Your Story? 2012 were created as part of a Welcoming Stories Workshop that took place with Julie Mann’s Human Rights class at Newcomers High School—a 100% immigrant high school in Long Island City. The workshop was funded, in part, by the Facing History and Ourselves, Margot Stern Strom Teaching Award. Ms. Mann, the 2012 recipient of the Margot Stern Strom Teaching Award, has been a Facing History teacher for more than a decade, using the materials and pedagogies provided the organization.

The Welcoming Stories Workshop is an education outreach program created by First Person American that integrates storytelling, journalism, activism and video production to help immigrants gain a deeper understanding of immigrant assimilation. By partnering with the Human Rights class, First Person American gave students the opportunity to explore how sharing their immigration experiences can improve human rights for other immigrants. The Welcoming Stories Workshop culminated with a student assembly on June 1, 2012 at Newcomers High School.

With Ellis Island as a backdrop, What’s Your Story? 2012 will show the tremendous impact small acts of kindness had during Dino’s, Masuma’s, and Yasmany’s assimilation into American life and show how students transformed from storytellers to activists:

• Dino shares his story of coming to America from Montenegro in 2010.  Dino talks about having the opportunity to do something his father never did, the difficulty of leaving behind his younger brother, and his love of soccer.  Now as the captain of the Newcomers High School soccer team, Dino reflects on how his coach, Mr. Llull, helped him on and off the field.
• Masuma talks about leaving Bangladesh with her family when she was 15. Masuma’s initial excitement about coming to the United States was quickly replaced by fear once she realized how little she could communicate. Masuma shares her gratitude for her best friend, Anjum, who helped Masuma learn English and overcome her fears.
• Yasmany shares his story of coming to the United States from Cuba in 2008. Yasmany’s wild imagination allowed him to create a glamorous vision of himself in the United States. He reveals his initial disappointment about arriving in Miami. Yasmany divulges that a move to New York, and becoming best friends with two other immigrant students, Mike and Yandoli, allowed him to finally discover his American “swag”.
• The students of Julie Mann’s Human Rights class reflect on their experience during the Welcoming Stories Workshop. They share why it was important to tell their story, what they learned during the workshop, and how telling their story has empowered them to become a welcoming person.

“The NPS is eager to tell the comprehensive story of American Immigration and Migration on Ellis Island,” said John Hnedak, Deputy Superintendent for Statue of Liberty NM and Ellis Island. “Having focused on the Ellis Island years (1892-1954) since we opened the island to the public in 1990, we are now poised to greatly expand the stories we tell. In partnership with the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, we recently opened “Before Ellis Island”—the first phase of the new “Peopling of America” exhibit. The final phase of the project will be completed within the next year and feature dynamic exhibits on modern immigration and the idea and ideals of citizenship. The stories of the students of Newcomers High School are wonderful illustrations of the concepts embodied in these exhibits and living testimony to the importance of diversity in the shaping of this nation.”

What’s Your Story? 2012 Premiere

When: Friday, July 20, 2012
Where: The Ellis Island Immigration Museum, Theater 2
Time: 2PM–4PM
Tickets: http://whatsyourstory2012.eventbrite.com/
Watch the Trailer:

ABOUT FIRST PERSON AMERICAN

First Person American focuses on stories of modern immigrants in the US, and explores what it means to be American through the lens of the immigrant in an expressive, personal and narrative style. First Person American aims to change the public’s perception of immigrants and to interject a new voice through deep and poignant portraits of people who immigrated to America. The mission of First Person American is to have a transformative effect on individual immigrant and non-immigrant lives and communities. First Person American is a recipient of the 2010 Sappi Ideas That Matter Grant and the 2011 Design Ignites Change Grant. For more information, please visit www.firstpersonamerican.org, follow us on Twitter @FPAmerican, and like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/firstpersonamerican.

ABOUT NEWCOMERS HIGH SCHOOL

Newcomers High School was created to provide immigrant students with an academic program geared to achieve excellence by responding to their unique needs. In accomplishing this goal, our school has designed a rigorous instructional program, while at the same time providing our students and their parents with a supportive environment in their new country. The school serves 915 students 9–12 grade and is located in Long Island City, NY.

ABOUT MS. JULIE MANN’S HUMAN RIGHTS CLASS

Julie Mann leads the Human Rights class at Newcomers High School. Students learn about human rights and how to help support these rights through their own tangible actions. Students learn about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and apply its principals to current situations. In recent years, the focus has been on human rights abuses against immigrants in the United States. Ms. Mann works in partnership with many human rights organizations such as Facing History and Ourselves, The Anti-Defamation League, Not in our Town, and most recently, First Person American. For more information, please visit www.niot.org/nios/newcomers and www.mannhumanrights.blogspot.com.

ABOUT FACING HISTORY AND OURSELVES

Facing History and Ourselves is an international educational and professional development organization whose mission is to engage students of diverse backgrounds in an examination of racism, prejudice, and antisemitism in order to promote the development of a more humane and informed citizenry. By studying the historical development of the Holocaust and other examples of genocide and mass violence, students make the essential connection between history and the moral choices they confront in their own lives. Facing History has provided in-depth seminars for more than 29,000 educators, and its active teacher network reaches nearly two million students annually. For more information, visit www.facinghistory.org.

ABOUT STATUE OF LIBERTY NATIONAL MONUMENT AND ELLIS ISLAND a

The Ellis Island Immigration Museum is part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument and is one of the country’s most popular historic sites.  Opened on January 1, 1892, Ellis Island became the nation’s premier federal immigration station. In operation until 1954, more than 12 million immigrants were processed at the station. The main building was restored after 30 years of abandonment and opened as a museum on September 10, 1990. It has been estimated that more than 40 percent of America’s population today can trace their ancestry through Ellis Island.

ABOUT THE STATUE OF LIBERTY-ELLIS FOUNDATION INC.

The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, Inc. is a non-profit organization founded in 1982 to raise funds for and oversee the historic restorations of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, working in partnership with the National Park Service/U.S. Department of the Interior. In addition to restoring the monuments, the Foundation created a museum in the Statue’s base and the world-class Ellis Island Immigration Museum, The American Immigrant Wall of Honor®, the American Family Immigration History Center® and its newest project The Peopling of America® Center scheduled for completion in 2013. Its endowment has funded over 200 projects at the islands.

First Person American and Active Voice in Partnership with Shelbyville Multimedia Present Welcoming Stories—Personal Narratives from Immigrants About People Who Welcomed Them And Changed Their Lives Forever

NEW YORK, NY, May 20, 2011—First Person American and Active Voice, in partnership with Shelbyville Multimedia, present Welcoming Stories, the series of five pilot episodes featuring immigrants telling their story of a person who helped them when they first came to America. Welcoming Stories aims to encourage Americans to become more welcoming, and to inspire other immigrants to share their own story about someone who made a big difference in their lives when they first arrived.

The pilot episodes, directed and produced by Irina Lee, are available to view online. This series of five pilot episodes was developed alongside a documentary, called Welcome to Shelbyville, which will premiere nationwide on PBS on May 24, 2011 at 10:00 PM EST (please check local listings.) After watching the Welcoming Stories series, viewers can submit their own videos, photos and written stories to adriana@activevoice.net. For videos submissions, viewers can upload their story to a personal YouTube or Vimeo account, name the file “Welcoming Stories – [Your First Name] in [Location],” and email the URL to adriana@activevoice.net. Approved videos will be embedded and shared on the Welcoming Stories blog and social media.

“Welcoming Stories is a way to spark public interest and engage the community in something that is traditionally taken for granted,” said Irina Lee, founder of First Person American, “I want people to walk in the storytellers’ shoes, and experience a small epiphany about how one individual can make a huge difference in another’s life. These pilot episodes are especially important in a city like New York, where so much of its energy is fueled by cultural diversity and immigrant communities,” she said.

These stories bring together small acts of kindness, big-hearted moments, and simple, life-changing connections through five unique story-tellers:

Nika shares her story of coming to America from Warsaw, Poland in 1989. Nika remembers how she felt in an American classroom before she spoke English and how her ESL teacher who helped her in the first months had a lasting influence on her life to this day.

Welcoming Stories: “Leila” from Active Voice on Vimeo.

Leila talks about leaving Kenya as a teenager. At 17 Leila didn’t know exactly what she wanted, but she knew it wasn’t an arranged marriage in her native Kenya. Now a successful business owner, Leila remembers her ex-husband’s mother, who gave her the tools to build and realize her own American dream.

David learned everything about the US from watching “The Jetsons” during his childhood in Iran. When his uncle summoned him to Chicago, he found that some Americans really do live “in the sky.” David shares how his uncle helped him in his early days in America and expresses the gratitude he feels towards his uncle’s generosity.

Welcoming Stories: “Mona” from Active Voice on Vimeo.

Mona is a first-generation Indian-American born and raised in California. She shares her parents’ Welcoming Story of coming to the United States from Calcutta, India, in 1971. Her father’s best friend, Bishash, picked them up from the airport and made himself their new tour guide. Bishash’s enthusiasm and adventurous spirit encouraged Mona’s parents to discover a powerful bond that would help embrace their new American world.

Welcoming Stories: “Ilona” from Active Voice on Vimeo.

Ilona came alone to the United States from St. Petersburg, Russia at age 18. She talks about Yvette, a college friend who took a special interest in her and has since become a lifelong friend and a “sister”. Ilona doesn’t know if she would have survived here for as long without her friend’s good soul.

“While we were developing Shelbyville Multimedia, I started asking friends and colleagues: ‘Who welcomed you?’” said Ellen Schneider, executive director of Active Voice and executive producer of Welcoming Stories, “I got an earful. It made me realize that even simple acts of ‘welcoming’ can be life-changing, both for the newcomer and the ‘welcomer.’ We don’t talk about that very much, but we should. Welcoming Stories is one small way to get the ball rolling,” she added.

For more information and to view or share your own Welcoming Story, please visit http://www.shelbyvillemultimedia.org/get-involved/welcoming-stories/

About Welcoming Stories
Welcoming Stories is produced by First Person American, and executive produced by Active Voice. Welcoming Stories is a series of episodes that tell the stories of immigrants whose lives were transformed by a simple act of welcoming. We hope to bring together these small acts of kindness, big-hearted moments and simple but life-changing connections and offer them back to you. Irina Lee directed and produced the Welcoming Stories pilot episodes. For more information, please visit http://www.firstpersonamerican.org/stories_welcoming.html or http://www.shelbyvillemultimedia.org/get-involved/welcoming-stories/

About First Person American
First Person American focuses on stories of modern immigrants in the US, and explores what it means to be American through the lens of the immigrant in an expressive, personal and narrative style. First Person American aims to change the public’s perception of immigrants and to interject a new voice through deep and poignant portraits of people who immigrated to America. The mission of First Person American is to have a transformative effect on individual immigrant and non-immigrant lives and communities. First Person American is a recipient of the 2010 Sappi Ideas That Matter Grant and the 2011 Design Ignites Change Grant. For more information, please visit www.firstpersonamerican.org and follow on Twitter @FPAmerican.

About “Welcome to Shelbyville”
“Welcome to Shelbyville” is a new documentary about how residents in a small Tennessee town have worked to understand, challenge, and accept new immigrants in their community. Set against the backdrop of a shaky economy during the 2008 Presidential election, “Welcome to Shelbyville” takes an intimate look at a southern town as its residents – comprised of Whites, African-Americans, Latinos and Somalis – grapple with their beliefs, their histories and their evolving ways of life. For more information, please visit http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/welcome-to-shelbyville/

About Shelbyville Multimedia
Shelbyville Multimedia introduces you to the cast of “Welcome to Shelbyville”, a handful of straight-talking people in rural Tennessee who are taking immigration into their own hands – by welcoming newcomers. Developed by Active Voice, Shelbyville Multimedia is a platform to promote community-building and harmony between native-born Americans, immigrants and refugees nationwide. www.ShelbyvilleMultimedia.org and http://www.facebook.com/ShelbyvilleMultimedia

About Active Voice
Active Voice uses film, television and multimedia to spark social change from grassroots to grass tops. For more information, please visit www.activevoice.net and follow on Twitter @active_voice.

Media Contacts:
Welcoming Stories: Adriana Dakin, 707.272.0066, adriana@activevoice.net
First Person American: Irina Lee, 347.443.8745, irina@firstpersonamerican.org
Active Voice: Ellen Schneider, 415.487.2000, ellen@activevoice.net

The 30th Annual Korean Festival & Parade will be held this Saturday, October 2, 1010. The parade will be held from 12 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. from 38th Street to 27th Street along 6th Avenue.

You can also check out the festivities at the outdoor market from 9am to 6pm, on 32nd St btwn 5th & Broadway, with food, a singing contest, Korean drumming, a breakdancing competition, and a music festival starting at 1pm. See live Korean dance performances, taekwondo (Korean martial arts) demonstrations, and cultural exhibits of Korean artifacts and memorabilia. Taste a savory, mouth-watering sampling of Korean cuisine, including favorites such as kalbi (BBQ shortribs), bibim gooksoo (spicy mixed noodles), and kim chi fried rice. Listen to the sound of sogochum (Korean drum dance) and live singers performing traditional and popular Korean songs.

Date: October 2, 2010 (Saturday)
Time: 09:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Korean Festival Venue: 32nd Street between 5th Avenue and Broadway

The Korean Festival & Parade is an annual event run by the Korean American Association of Greater New York, in partnership with hundreds of community organizations and businesses, and hundreds of volunteers. The purpose of the Korean Festival & Parade is to share, promote, and raise awareness of Korean culture in the community. Additionally, proceeds from the Festival are used to fund service projects and ventures which benefit the Korean and larger community in New York, including an annual scholarship fund for outstanding, civic-minded students entering or currently enrolled in college.

The Korean Festival & Parade presents a unique, authentic taste of Korean culture through food, dance, art, music, and entertainment. The program of festival events varies from year to year, but past Festivals have included performances such as taekwondo (Korean martial arts) demonstration, a coming-of-age traditional tea ceremony, and Korean fan and drum dances.

The festival will provide interactive activities, such as Korean cooking lessons from talented chefs from the community, Korean youth singing competitions, and even a Kim Chi making demonstration. Visitors have enjoyed perusing through the various unique products and services available in the product tent, and, of course, savored their favorite Korean food, such as kalbi (BBQ shortribs), bibimbap (mixed rice and vegetables), and kim chi fried rice.

Limón died of cancer in 1972, but his company continued, becoming the first modern dance company to survive its founder’s death. Now led by Carla Maxwell, who worked closely with Limón before becoming artistic director in 1978, the company celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2006. The company expanded its reach during the 1980’s and 1990’s. In 1985, the Limón Institute was formed as a component of the José Limón Dance Foundation to oversee the licensing of Limón dances and to offer classes in Limón Technique. In 1994, the company established a formal presence in San Jose, California, performing annually and conducting education and outreach activities. When on tour, the company conducts programs including master classes teaching Limón style and repertory, workshops, lectures and pre and post performance talks that educate participants in Limón history and tradition. The achievements of the Limón Dance Foundation include inaugurating the U.S. State Department’s International Exchange Program with a tour to South America in 1954. The company became the first dance company to perform at Lincoln Center, in Philharmonic Hall. In 2008, the José Limón Foundation received the National Medal of Arts, and was recognized for its innovative contributions to American modern dance for over half a century.

Jose Limon Celebration Day
Monday, September 27, 2010
Experience the life of one of America’s greatest choreographers, Mexican-born José Arcadio Limón . The day includes an interactive telling of Limon’s life story developed specifically for young audiences, a repeated biographical film showing, and participating workshops that highlight his unique dance vocabulary and techniques.
www.flushingtownhall.org
Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Boulevard, 2-5 p.m., free

Reading Carlos Monsiváis in New York
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Carlos Monsiváis was one of Mexico’s most important public intellectuals. For more than 40 years, he served as an indispensable chronicler of Mexican arts, culture and politics. When he died on June 19, 2010, he left an enormous legacy as a writer, critic and patron of popular arts. This homage to Monsiváis will feature a round table discussion with Rafael Barajas “El Fisgón” (Cartoonist for La Jornada), Jean Franco (Professor Emeritus, Columbia University), Rubén Gallo (Professor, Princeton University), Carmen Boullosa (New York-based Mexican Writer). This event will be in Spanish and followed by a reception. This presentation is co-sponsored by Fordham University’s Latin American and Latino Studies Institute (LALSI).
http://www.fordham.edu
Fordham University, Lincoln Center Campus, 113 W 60th St, 7 p.m., free admission, email mahieux@fordham.edu

Tambuco Percussion Ensemble
Thursday, September 30, 2010
This avant-garde drumming group, and a three-time Grammy nominee, Tambuco is renowned for its wide-ranging repertoire and creative interpretations, spanning structuralist percussion music, drumming, and avant-garde sound interpretation. Formed in 1993 by four musicians, Tambuco has recorded and performed with the Kronos Quartet, Michael Nyman, Orquesta Filarmónica de la Ciudad de México, and many others.
http://www.symphonyspace.org
Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway at 94th, 7:30 p.m., $15-34

The Parade is an annual celebration of the great achievements of German immigrants in the United States, and German-American culture and traditions. It is named in honor of General Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben, a Prussian officer who was sent to the US in 1777 to assist the newly formed Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War against the British. Von Steuben met with General George Washington in Valley Forge, PA, in 1778, trained the troops and helped lead them to victory, thus winning independence for the U.S. After the war von Steuben retired to New York, until his death in 1794.

For more than 50 years, the German-American Steuben Parade has grown into a colorful and fun annual event with hundreds of music and dance groups, Karneval groups, folks in Tracht (the traditional, historic garb worn in many German regions), the marksmen and all the other marchers on Fifth Avenue.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is in New York for the General Assembly of the United Nations, will kick off 2010 Steuben Parade. The parade will pay tribute to children’s book author, Dr. Seuss, as well as German-American Yankee legends “Babe” Ruth and Lou Gehrig. It will also remember the late Yankee owner George Steinbrenner, a proud German-American and former Grand Marshal of the parade. This year’s Grand Marshals are German-Americans “Dr. Ruth” Westheimer and Dr. Michael Möller, CEO of the world-famous Hofbräuhaus in München/Germany

After the Parade, all are invited to celebrate Oktoberfest in Central Park. This biggest Oktoberfest in New York City features German beer, food and entertainment from Germany and the United States. This year’s lineup includes music by Alpine Squeeze, entertainment by the music and dance groups from the Parade, a special performance by MELINA, and an appearance by Miss German America Stephanie Russell-Kraft. You can try your hand at “stein holding” in honor of Masskrugstemmen (the national championship of stein holding) that will take place around 5 PM. The winner of this nationwide Bavarian strong-man contest will win a trip to Munich.

So, bring your friends and family and enjoy a great Steuben Parade weekend celebrating German-American heritage, history, tradition and friendship.

Steuben Parade Day
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Mass: 9:30 AM at St. Patrick´s Cathedral held by Archbishop Timothy Dolan in German and English
Parade: Noon on Fifth Avenue and 68th Street
Oktoberfest: starts immediately after the parade in Central Park

For more information on the German-American Steuben parade, visit www.germanparadenyc.org

This year it began on September 16, and will end this Sunday, September 26, 2010. The festivities run every day from noon to midnight, with a Grand Procession parade at 2 p.m. on Saturday, September 25, and the closing ceremonies including a celebratory High Mass and a religious procession on Sunday, September 26 (The official Feast Day). The closing procession will carry the shrine to San Gennaro through the streets of Little Italy.

The festival spans eight blocks, from Houston Street to Canal Street, and features food indigenous to Campania, Italy, including zeppole (dough fritters dipped in powdered sugar), sausages served with peppers and onions, braccioli (pork or beef, wrapped around an herbed cheese filling), grilled sweetbreads (thymus gland), and various Italian-American pastas and pizzas.

“This Feast of San Gennaro holds a special place in the place of Italian people everywhere,” says Joseph Mattone, President of Figli di San Gennaro, Inc. “It is a festive period of faith and redemption, a time for remembrance and reconciliation, and a time for celebration. The delicious food, the free musical entertainment that reflects Italian-American culture and heritage are all there. The Feast brings the world to Little Italy and Little Italy to the world.”

So if you’re in the city this weekend, go to the San Gennaro festival in Little Italy and mangia, mangia!

For more information on the Feast of San Gennaro, visit http://sangennaro.org/

Hispanic Heritage Month was started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage week, which was approved by President Lyndon Johnson. In 1988, the week’s celebration was expanded into a month and enacted into law. The law states that September 15 was chosen as the first day of Hispanic Heritage Month because it coincided with the anniversary of independence day of five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua, which all declared independence in 1821.

Keep checking back with us as we will be bringing you the highlights of National Hispanic Heritage Month throughout the city. Here is some of our picks for this week:

New York Authentic Mexican Restaurant Week
Ongoing, Sept 16–29
There are way too many Mexican restaurants in New York to sample in one lifetime, so set aside this week to taste prix-fixe menus at 24 of the City’s best, including Mercadito, Toloache and Hecho en Dumbo. See the complete list of participating restaurants on the Celebrate Mexico Now site. For more info on menus (and tequila pairings), contact your restaurant of choice directly.

Hispanic Heritage Month Festival
Saturday, September 18, 2010
People Magazine en Español takes its fifth annual Hispanic Heritage Month festival indoors in Times Square. The all-day event features performances by Mexican pop singer Dulce Maria , New York Dominicana Kat DeLuna, the Mariachi Academy of New York and merengue star Sergio Vargas.
http://www.peopleenespanol.com/pespanol/festival/
1 p.m.– 9 p.m. New York Marriott Marquis, 1535 Broadway. Free.

Natalia Lafourcade
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Part of the next generation of Mexican female singer-songwriters, singer-songwriter Natalia Lafourcade started out as the lead singer of Natalia y la Fourquetina and went on to win a Latin Grammy in 2006 for their album, Casa. Come listen to her own brand of alternative rock fused with the rich and enchanting sounds of bossa nova and folk.
http://www.joespub.com/
8 p.m., Joe’s Pub, 425 Lafayette St. $25.

Moona Luna
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Families can jam to a concert by the Spanish-speaking children’s band Moona Luna, a new bilingual musical project for children by Sandra Lilia Velázquez, front woman for local ranchera-rock band Pistolera. The bilingual group plays family-friendly songs and provides educational and catchy songs that both parents and kids will enjoy.
http://www.elmuseo.org/en/calendar/date_all_all
Noon, El Museo del Barrio, Fifth Ave. at 104th St. Free.

Emtomo-Cuisine: An Insect Pairing Dinner
Saturday, September 18, 2010
You read this right: a four-course dinner based on worms grown by artist Monica Martinez, and prepared by visual artist and chef Philip Ross. The meal is paired with Mezcal San Honesto and accompanied by salsas by La Fundidora. As part of the dinner, Martinez will discuss her Worms project, on view at Eyelevel BQE Gallery, and the producers of Mezcal San Honesto will explain their artisanal process.
RSVP: eyelevelbqe@gmail.com
6 p.m., Brooklyn Kitchen, 100 Frost St., Brooklyn. $85.

Check back next week, and follow us on Twitter, for more happenings.

South Asian Street Festival in Queens, NY. (Photo: Cristina DC Pastor)

NEW YORK–Under the arching branches of a maple tree, Asian musicians sung indigenous songs, as vendors and activists sold a motley of merchandise and promoted an array of political causes.

At the July 25 South Asian Arts and Activism street fair in Queens, immigrants from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bhutan gathered to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Chhaya, a grassroots organization for South Asian communities with immigration and housing concerns.  New York’s dynamic South Asian community is estimated to be around 280,000 strong, representing more than 30 percent of the city’s total Asian population.

Amid the ear-splitting music, the aroma of curry-puff samosas, and a rainbow of sari scarves fluttering from a clothing kiosk, South Asians found themselves relishing their shared culture.

“It’s all about having fun,” beamed a relaxed looking Seema Agnani, executive director and founder of Chhaya. Her group advocates for low-income South Asian homeowners facing foreclosures and mortgage troubles. This is the group’s first time to celebrate, she told Fi2W. “Hopefully, we’ll be around another 10 years.”

Fair-goers occupied one block of 77th Street in Jackson Heights strolling, watching the musical program, or making small talk with fellow immigrants from the Indian subcontinent while they sipped from cans of ice-cold coconut juice.

Tibetan musicans performing at the South Asian Street Festival in Queens, NY. (Photo: Cristina DC Pastor)

“I’m here with a couple of friends, just checking out the music – and the food,” chortled student Nikita Dass.

An Ecuadoran father and daughter were on their way home, but got lured by the blaring music and the red and yellow balloons. They took a detour to a table serving watermelon chunks and enjoyed a classic summer moment.

But some of the booths were manned by organizers who were there to talk about issues more serious than good food. Student Tenzing Sherpa was standing behind a booth for Adhikaar, a non-profit for Nepali immigrants.

“Many of the people we serve are domestic workers,” he told Fi2W and others who dropped by for a leaflet or a quick question. “Nepali immigrants also come to us for English classes and other services.”

Turning Point, an organization serving South Asian victims of domestic violence. (Photo: Cristina DC Pastor)

The battle against domestic violence was front and center with booths run by Turning Point for Women and Families and the New York Asian Women’s Center (NYAWC).

“Violence against Muslim women is on the rise, unfortunately,” declared Turning Point volunteer Rabya Rafiq. “We’re here to let the community know that help is available.” The group offers counseling, crisis intervention, and support groups for abused women.

Fronthy Nguyen, outreach coordinator of the NYAWC, said some battered Asian women are culturally hindered from seeking help due to feelings of shame. But she said NYAWC has confidential hotlines women can call, and emergency centers that offer a safe place when lives are threatened.

The Bangladeshi band, Grammyo, played country music with a spiritual theme, and was followed by a Tibetan duo singing in their native language.  Costumed women performed a traditional dance, young men showed off their breakdancing skills, and a much-awaited Bollywood dance number courtesy of SALGA (South Asian Lesbian & Gay Association) pumped up the crowd. At one point, the crowd suddenly erupted into a bhangra dancing mass, and 77th Street was transformed into a scene out of Slumdog Millionaire.