This piece is part of a series covering the work of the 2024 Emerging Journalist Fellows.
Student journalists at Los Medanos College in Pittsburg, California launched DEFINE AMERICAN, a four-part series and documentary film that highlight the perspectives and experiences of immigrants in Contra Costa County. Produced as part of California Humanities’ Emerging Journalist Fellowship program, the series explores why someone might leave their home country, the challenges they face when arriving somewhere new, the complexities of the immigration process, and the importance of maintaining cultural connections when making a new home in the United States.
Immigrants make up roughly a quarter of Contra Costa County’s population, but the Los Medanos College reporting team wanted to get beyond the statistics. With guidance from journalism professor Cindy McGrath and fellowship adviser Joaquin Alvarado, students Aliyah Ramirez, Gabbie Munoz, Jordan Suisala, Darcy Meadows, and Alexis Ramirez conducted in-depth interviews with five immigrants within the community, including Contra Costa Community College District administrators, faculty, and students, and researched the legal complexities of gaining citizenship in the United States.
To promote the series prior to publication in the campus newspaper, the Los Medanos College Experience, the team hosted an interactive activity during the first week of the semester where students and faculty were invited to connect and share their cultural roots by marking on a map their country of origin.
“The goal of this display was to showcase the diverse cultures that make up our community. Together, we were able to share our family’s stories dating back generations and how they came to America. Finding the similarities and differences within each of our stories. From these interactions, I realized no matter where you come from, we are all unique, but share an aspect of our identity that defines American.”
Aliyah Ramirez, 2024 Emerging Journalist Fellow, Los Medanos College
Accompanying the articles, the fellowship team produced a documentary video featuring the stories and perspectives of immigrants to Contra Costa County. The film is intended to address misconceptions about immigration and help redefine what it means to be American.
A panel and video screening of the project will be held Tuesday, November 12 from 9:30 to 11:30 am in the Student Union, with a short reception held afterward.
Emerging Journalist Fellowship
California Humanities’ Emerging Journalist Fellowship program provides student journalists at California community colleges financial and professional support to develop new skills and conduct in-depth local reporting projects. The program is designed to incorporate the insight and perspective of journalism and the context and inquiry of the humanities, to encourage media literacy and civic engagement, and to provide a springboard for California’s next generation of journalists.
First launched in 2019 as part of the national Democracy and the Informed Citizen initiative with support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation through the Federation of State Humanities Councils, this program has since grown to include partnerships with community college campuses throughout the state.
In 2024, California Humanities awarded $90,000 in fellowship funds in support of student journalists enrolled at nine community colleges. Working with journalism advisor Joaquin Alvarado, students conduct in-depth reporting projects on subjects and issues of importance to their campuses and communities.
