The country I will be reporting on will Bolivia. I’ve decided Bolivia because it is currently going to a presidential election, however, due to the pandemic, there are delays. The previous president also recently resigned due to protests against him because of accusations of voter fraud by his party. My parents also migrated from Bolivia and nearly all my ancestors originate from there. It would be an interesting reporting on the views of Bolivian people still residing in Bolivia and many that live in New York at the time.
Although I am yet to find an estimate on how many Bolivians live in the tri-state area, according to the 2020 Census, Bolivians make up the 99,210 of the United States population.
In Bolivia, people mostly find jobs in Agriculture/Forestry, Mining, Banking/Financing, Tourism, Oil, Natural Gas, and Electricity. This is because a lot of people in Bolivia live on farms and in the mountains, focusing on agriculture. In Bolivia, its economy has always been dominated by mining, cattle, and sheep herding. In the U.S. jobs, Bolivians take vary as there are as many college graduates as there are students. Often immigrants from Bolivia take jobs in clerical and administrative works.
A lot of immigrants from Bolivia come to the U.S. to work as professionals. This is because Bolivia is one of the poorest nations in the world. Although this has been harming Bolivia and has stripped them and South America of educated workers.
Apart from organizations that have helped organize rallies against Bolivia’s corrupt previous president, the small community that my parents have knowledge of has connected with Bolivian immigrants from across New York City.
In Bolivia, the currency is “bolivianos” which 1/6.91 of a U.S. dollar. The GDP per capita in Bolivia is 3,552.1 USD as of 2019. It currently ranks 30th among 32 countries in the Americas region, begin well below world averages as well as regional. Major industries in Bolivia are mining, smelting, petroleum, food/beverages, tobacco, handcrafts, clothing, jewelry.
Political views across the Bolivian community in New York during the presidential election.
How the small Bolivian community in New York still follows traditions during the pandemic and how frequent business-traveling Bolivians are handling a sudden stop in air travel.
How COVID-19 devasted the Bolivian community and it’s a comparison to how communities in Bolivia are handling the pandemic.
Beat memos and community leader interviews are due today. Discuss any questions or issues that came up over the course of doing these. Who did you speak to? Was it useful? Are any of you reconsidering your beat for the semester? What’s the best way to approach a potential source for a story?
Upcoming Due Dates
Pitches for your first story will be due by class time next week, on Thursday, Sept. 17. We will workshop your ideas together as a class.
Your first story will be due on Thursday, October 8.
Story Guidelines
If you choose to do a print story, it should be 800 words and there should be at least one photo. You don’t have to check out a DSLR camera for this; your phone is perfectly fine. You just need some sort of visual to run with it. It can be a photo obtained by a source if necessary, as long as you credit them.
You may also choose to do a video. It should be a two- to three-minute video; whether narrated or non-narrated is up to you. You may also opt for a text “narration.” If you prefer to do something a little more broadcast (with a standup, for instance) and a little less web video, that’s fine.
If you choose to do a photography project, there should be 12-20 photos. This can be in slideshow form with strong, informative captions, or you can lay them out in a blog post where the photos are interspersed with text as you scroll down. Captions should be written in complete sentences, 1-4 sentences per image.
If you choose to do a radio story, it should be a three-to four-minute narrated package with sound bites from at least two separate interviews and one natural sound (plus ambi). Give yourself a sign-off: “For Baruch College, this is ____ _____ in ______.” Your scripted host intro can serve as your intro paragraph for the blog, and you should also include at least one photo.
Pitch Guidelines
You will send this pitch to me, but you will write it with a specific publication in mind. Find an editor contact at that publication and address it to them. Many outlets will list a public email address for pitches, but it’s usually better to identify the specific editor who handles the desk responsible for your beat/region and send it to them directly. It can help to name-drop mutual friends/contacts, especially if that’s how you got their contact info.
You can choose whichever medium you prefer for the story; make sure you address this in your pitch.
A good pitch accomplishes several things:
It tells the editor why the story is newsworthy and identifies your angle.
It shows that you have done your research and recognize that this story is a good fit for their publication. (Maybe you even butter them up a little by mentioning a story of theirs that you really admired.)
It tells them who you are and why you are the right person to deliver this story. Link to your website if you have one. (And if you don’t have one yet, you really should consider creating one if you plan to work in journalism.)
It is medium-specific. If you plan to do video, describe the treatment you have in mind. If it’s a radio piece, describe the scenes and the tape you have or anticipate getting, and write it in more of an ear-friendly style. Here’s an example of a treatment for a documentary: TreatmentResult
A lede hooks the reader. It can take many forms: anecdotal, straight news, teasing the reader by inverting expectations, etc.
A nut graph puts the story in context and tells readers why the story matters
“So what?” — it tells readers why they should care about the story
It provides a transition from the lede to the rest of the story
It often tells readers why the story is timely
It contains the story’s angle
The length of the pitch should also roughly be proportional to the length of the finished piece you have in mind. For instance, if you’re planning on writing a 6,000-word magazine piece, the pitch will be a lot longer than a pitch you’d write for an 800-word story you’re proposing (which realistically might be 250-300 words, not counting the small talk.)
Once you have a relationship with an editor, the pitch process doesn’t always need to be quite so formal. Here is an exchange I had with my editor at Mashable while following up with him and Accounts Receivable about a payment on my previous story:
Thanks, I really appreciate it! I know it’s not your fault!
Quick update about what I’m working on these days: Later on today I’m going to check out a story I’m pretty excited about—a Kenyan ice hockey league at the only ice rink in East Africa. From what I understand, it was started by expats about ten years ago but a good number of Kenyans have joined and are getting pretty good. Long-term, they hope to put together a national team.
Hoping my vision for an “African Cool Runnings” kind of story will prove to be apt, because I have a feeling hockey fans around the world will go nuts over it. They meet every Wednesday night and have told me I’m welcome to come tonight, so I’ll get some initial images and let you know what I find!
Still super sorry, it’s shitty it took them this damn long to get back to you. Also news to me that we pay net 30 now. Used to be 15 days.
I really really dig the ice hockey story! Let me know how it’s shaping up and send some images through when you check it out and I’ll see if I can find room in the budget.
No worries, I appreciate you stepping in! Cutting things close sometimes is part of the freelance deal. It’s just crucial to know how close in advance so I can minimize the damage. ????
Hockey night was awesome. There were five Kenyan guys there last night and they were really pretty good; I spoke with most of them and they’re totally fine with being interviewed/photographed.
The team was recently invited to Morocco for an African ice hockey tournament but they couldn’t raise the funds to go, so they’re trying to organize a similar event later this year and host it here in Nairobi. The hotel where the rink is located currently sponsors skating lessons for some Nairobi school kids, so I definitely plan to go one Sunday morning and get some images of that, because c’mon, little kids learning to ice skate!
I’m attaching a handful of images: Some of the players wear awesome hockey jerseys with the Kenyan flag and the letters “KH” for “Kenyan Hockey.” There’s also a room full of rental skates and other gear that had to be imported from Canada. It’s pretty dark in there so I’ll need to go back with a different lens and a flash to get some decent action shots.
But there’s potential for visuals beyond the rink as well. A couple of the guys I spoke with said they initially got their start playing roller hockey and invited me to come check it out—they play every Sunday in a parking lot. Street hockey out in the bright sun of Nairobi would help drive home that we’re on the equator and be a nice visual counterpoint to the darker, colder rink, which has alpine murals all over the walls.
Let me know what you think! And I’ll actually be in New York next week for a short visit. Would love to come by the office and say hello if you’ll be around!
Here’s a more formal pitch I sent to an editor I had worked with before but not recently.
Emily H. Johnson <[email protected]>
Attachments
Feb 8, 2017, 12:54 PM
to Jennifer
Hi Jennifer,
It’s been awhile! I hope you’re doing well. I recently returned from a reporting trip to Uganda with a story that I think is really important, and would be great for The World.
—
When most people think of the world’s biggest refugee crisis, they think of the people risking everything to reach Italy and Greece by sea—a crisis that is staggering in size. In all of 2016, there were over 360,000 boat arrivals in Europe.
They may be surprised to learn, however, that 445,000 refugees have crossed into northern Uganda just since July 2016 as they flee the brutal conflict in South Sudan.
“It has been unrelenting,” said Nasir Fernandes, UNHCR’s senior emergency coordinator overseeing the Uganda crisis. “It has been a massive scale emergency.”
Six months ago, the world’s second-largest refugee hosting site, Bidibidi settlement, was a sparsely populated expanse of scrubland. After topping a quarter of a million people in December, it was closed to new arrivals. A second camp, Palorinya, is already well on its way to being filled and UNHCR is preparing a third to accommodate the steady flow of people. About 2,000 are crossing the border on average per day, most of them on foot.
There has been very little coverage of this situation, which is hard to believe having just witnessed the scale of it. I spent a week reporting there at the end of January, and while the situation is desperate, there’s also cause for optimism. This is because of Uganda’s surprisingly humane refugee policy that relief workers are touting as a model for the rest of the world.
Refugees are given freedom of movement, the right to work, and plots of land to live on and to farm. The relief effort, though stretched, is nonetheless highly organized. And in this age of fear and suspicion toward migrants, Ugandans in the surrounding communities have been refreshingly welcoming toward the refugees. Many are former refugees themselves, and the influx of people has created business opportunities.
This feature will be sound-rich. I visited the border and recorded refugees crossing into Uganda on a squeaky, rickety wooden bridge as rebel soldiers watched from the other side. I went to Palorinya settlement area and recorded the sound of more than 3,000 people being herded onto buses and trucks and driven to an inhospitable patch of desert where they will make their new homes. I also have tape of women singing and drumming at a women’s center, and of dozens of children playing at a playground—a full 68 percent of the refugees in this crisis are under the age of 18.
I have interviews with quite a few recently-arrived refugees: For the story obviously we’ll have to pick only one or two to focus on, but we have options depending on the angle we want to take:
Some had terrifying accounts of watching their families and neighbors be killed by sadistic government soldiers, while others had happier tales of being reunited with loved ones once they arrived in Uganda. There’s also a 21-year-old girl who helped five orphaned children escape over the border. UNHCR’s Fernandes spoke to me at length about the scope of the situation and how Uganda’s progressive policy has helped the relief effort run immeasurably more smoothly. Finally, I interviewed Ugandans from the surrounding community about why they’ve been so welcoming to the South Sudanese. “You never know when this might happen to you,” said one.
I have images to accompany the story online; I’m attaching a handful to give you a sense of the visuals. Please let me know if you have any questions!
Nice to hear from you. We did do a digital story on this this week on PRI.org, but I would still be interested in a radio piece.
I’m especially interested in the part of your pitch about how the community in Uganda responds to the influx of refugees, and that Uganda has an unusually humane refugee policy. Perhaps we could choose one refugee, and one Ugandan to focus on.
What do you think?
Jennifer
Emily H. Johnson <[email protected]>
Mon, Feb 13, 2017, 9:51 AM
to Jennifer
Hi Jennifer,
Glad you want the story! Yes, I think that would work well structurally. There are a couple of pairings I’m thinking of that would work. I’ll go through my recordings and get started on a script today. When would you like to see that by?
There are a number of different, oft-overlapping factors that can make a story newsworthy. Most good stories have at least two or three of these.
Novelty: Is there an element of the unexpected? A twist of the usual narrative?
Timeliness: In breaking news, you’re quick or you’re dead. But it’s important to be first AND to be right. Timeliness is also relevant when it comes to something called a news peg. Have a story about climate change that you think is great but which has been rejected by multiple editors? Try pitching it ahead of the global climate change summit. Have a story about the public health crisis caused by open defecation in India? Wait until World Toilet Day rolls around, then pitch it.
Impact/Consequence: Is it about something that will have a direct effect on someone, especially the outlet’s readership/viewership? Contaminated water, public school funding, etc.
Proximity: The above mentioned contaminated water isn’t particularly big news to a small town newspaper in Connecticut if it’s happening in Ukraine, but if it’s happening right in their town, that’s huge news.
Conflict: This is why people often criticize “the media” for being so negative, but it’s unavoidable to some extent. The millions of people who don’t get murdered each day aren’t news. The few who do are. Conflict doesn’t have to be violent or super dramatic; it just means that tension has arisen between people who want different things. Lawsuits, NIMBYs getting mad about vendors in their local parks, etc.
Human interest: This is a little tricky to define, but generally speaking, people are interested in other people. Looking into someone else’s life as part of a well-told narrative appeals to human nature. Ideally, a human interest story will have some other news element to help it get some traction (a news peg of some sort). Some stories, like this one, are pegged to something that happened awhile ago but it was such a huge, news-cycle-dominating story when it happened that people remember it well and tend to prick up their ears when they see some sort of follow-up.
Prominence: Imagine this headline: “Area Woman Announces She’s Expecting Twins.” No one cares. Now try this: “Cardi B Announces She’s Expecting Twins.” Prominence is obviously a subjective thing, and it can sometimes be tricky when it comes to ethics because it plays into who is fair game as a public figure. That’s why this Gawker story was so controversial.
Country/corresponding immigrant community: Russia/Russian community
How many live in the US? In the tristate area? How many in the home country? According to the Institute of Modern Russia in 2011, the Russian American population is estimated to be 3.13 million. The New York Tri-State area has a population of 1.6 million Russian-Americans and 600,000 of them live in New York City. Russia 2020 population is estimated at 145,934,462 people at mid year according to UN data.
In the tristate area, where do they live? Brighton Beach, Brooklyn continues to be the most important demographic and cultural center for the Russian American experience. However, as Russian Americans have climbed in socioeconomic status, the diaspora from Russia and other former Soviet-bloc states has moved toward more affluent parts of the New York metropolitan area, notably Bergen County, New Jersey.
What jobs do a significant percentage of them have? Many Russian immigrants work in the tech industry. A large percentage of them also work in Business-related fields. Also many Russian-Americans work in the healthcare industry as well as pharma.
Why did they come? When? Facing religious persecution and poverty, millions of Russians immigrated to the United States at the turn of the 20th century. Widespread poverty and starvation cast a shadow over Russia during the late 1800s. … Unlike immigrants from other countries, few returned to Russia—America had become their homeland.
What are some major organizations/advocacy groups/resources in this community? Embassy of Russian Federation, Congress of Russian Americans, The Russian American Federation, The Russian Orthodox Church
Do they have local media house/s? If so, list them. RT TV, RT America, Sputnik
List/link the major media houses in the home country.
Sputnik, Russia-1, Gazeta
How strong are relationships with the home country? How significant are remittances to the home country’s economy? Relationships with the home country are varied depending on a individuals political views. As many interviews have shown that a large amount of Russian-Americans came to the U.S with the intention of “never looking back”. However, all Russian-Americans place an importance on family and values, and either try to bring their family here to the U.S or send money back/bring money back to the home country. Remittances however, are not very significant to the home country’s overall economy.
In the homeland what is the GDP per capita? Where does that rank in the world? What are the major industries? 11,288.87 USD (2018)
GDP rank
11th (nominal, 2019)
5th (PPP, 2020)
Russia relies on energy revenues to drive most of its growth. Russia has an abundance of oil, natural gas and precious metals, which make up a major share of Russia’s exports. As of 2012, the oil-and-gas sector accounted for 16% of GDP, 52% of federal budget revenues and over 70% of total exports.Russia is considered an “energy superpower”. It has the world’s largest proven natural gas reserves and is the largest exporter of natural gas. It is also the second-largest exporter of petroleum. Russia also has a significantly large Arms Industry.
What is the system of government? When did this system come into place? Was there a colonial power? (Or was it the colonial power?) Russia has a Federal semi-presidential constitutional republic. Russia is a colonial empire but persistently denies this.
Name of the NY consul general. How long has he/she been in the role?
Igor Leonidovich Golubovskiy
He has been in the role since 2017, when former consulate Sergei K. Ovsiannikov suspiciously died.
Give three potential story ideas. (Doesn’t need to be a fully fleshed-out pitch yet, but should be well thought-out.)
Why do so many Russian-Americans support U.S right-wing conservatives?
How has covid-19 affected the Russian-American community here in NY?
As the case of Russian-American collusion develops, what do Russian-Americans think about it? How does Russia seemingly maintain control over the minds of people that don’t reside there?
How many live in the US? In the tristate area? How many in the home country?
According to the US Census (2000), there are 8,977,235 Polish Americans in the US. In the tri-state area, there are approximately 1,846,886 Polish Americans. The current population of Poland in 2020 is 37,846,611 according to the United Nations data.
In the tristate area, where do they live?
According to Untapped, Greenpoint, Brooklyn is home to the second-largest concentration of Polish immigrants in the United States. In New York City Williamsburg, Maspeth, and Ridgewood are also home to Polish communities. While Wallington in Bergen County, New Jersey contains the state’s highest percentage of Polish Americans.
What jobs do a significant percentage of them have?
When Polish immigrants originally came to the United States the majority of them were taking opportunities in unskilled manual labor. Dominating fields such as mining, meatpacking, construction, and steelwork. Today the average incomes have increased from below average to above average while expanding into white-collar professional and managerial roles. While many still hold positions in blue-collar construction and trade jobs.
Why did they come? When?
Polish immigrants came to the United States in a few different waves. The first and smallest taking place between 1800 to 1860 were Poles fleeing after the partitioning of their country. The second wave occurred between 1860 and WWI in which immigrants were in search of a better economic life. The second wave brought many Poles to industrial cities which allocates for the major of Polish immigrants working manual labor jobs. The third wave happened after WWI through the cold war which was comprised of political refugees. Currently, we are seeing a rising number of younger Polish immigrants fleeing Poland’s harsh right-wing government.
What are some major organizations/advocacy groups/resources in this community?
In Greenpoint, they have the Polish & Slavic Center which is a non-profit and cultural services organization founded in 1972. They pride themselves on serving the community without engaging itself politically. The center provides extended social services free of charge such as public housing, varying benefit programs, union pension, to name a few. The center also has recreation activity clubs and computer courses.
Do they have local media house/s? If so, list them.
There is the Nowy Dziennik which is a Polish-language daily newspaper that is published in NYC six days a week, they also have a website.
List/link the major media houses in the home country.
How strong are relationships with the home country? How significant are remittances to the home country’s economy?
According to the Congressional Research Service, the relationship between the United States and Poland have been typically close and cooperative. Remittances sent back to Poland have boosted their economy.
In the homeland what is the GDP per capita? Where does that rank in the world? What are the major industries?
According to US News, the GDP per capita of Poland is $32,005 with an overall rank of #34 in 2019. According to Industry Europe, the largest industries in Poland are agriculture, manufacturing, energy, and tourism industries.
What is the system of government? When did this system come into place? Was there a colonial power? (Or was it the colonial power?)
The Government of Poland is a unitary semi-presidential republic, meaning the President is head of state and the Prime minister is the head of the government. The current system of government is held in place by the 1997 constitution of Poland. Poland has never had any formal colonial territories or power.
Name of the NY consul general. How long has he/she been in the role?
Adrian Kubicki, I believe he has been in this role since 2018…
Give three potential story ideas. (Doesn’t need to be a fully fleshed-out pitch yet, but should be well-thought-out.)
I would like to do a photojournalism story on Greenpoint documenting how recent gentrification has pushed the original polish community out and shut down many businesses. I could interview business owners and members of the Polish community to identify how gentrification has affected them.
A feature piece on the Polish & Slavic Center and how they give back to the community. I also find it particularly interesting they are nonpolitical when Poland is run by such a strictly right-wing government so I would like to find out more about that.
A piece on what is happening to the LGBTQ+ community in Poland right now and the recent protests. I would like to interview Polish individuals in New York to get their opinions on how their government is handling it. I do know people with family in Poland so it would be interesting to also speak with individuals experiencing it first-hand.
Interview
I am currently still working on getting in contact with a Polish community leader. I would like to speak with someone from the Polish & Slavic center to find out more about the community in Greenpoint. I would also like to speak to one of the individuals who participated in the NYC protest outside the Polish consul in solidarity.
– Country/corresponding immigrant community: Korea
– How many live in the US? In the tristate area? How many in the home country?
According to the 2010 Census, 1.7 million people of Korean descent live in the United States.
– In the tristate area, where do they live?
The majority of Korean New Yorkers live in Queens. More than 60 % of the state’s Korean population reside in Bergen County, which is across the George Washington Bridge from New York City
– What jobs do a significant percentage of them have?
A significant percentage of Koreans own small businesses. The majority of earlier Korean immigrants who came to the states with the goal of making enough money resorted to businesses that do not require communication skills. Recent Korean immigrants who come to the states as permanent settlers take white-collar jobs in a variety of different fields.
– Why did they come? When?
In 1903, Korean immigrants came to Hawaii to work on pineapple and sugar plantations. As plantation owners in Hawaii needed cheap labor, they hired Chinese immigrants on their plantations. However, in 1882, the Chinese government banned the owners from hiring Chinese workers. For that reason, Korean workers were recruited to work on plantations and came to the states. During the Korean War, Koreans who were war brides or war orphans adopted by American families moved to the states. Many Christian families adopted Korean war orphans, and the War Bride Act of 1946 allowed many Korean wives of American soldiers into America.
Lastly, from 1976 to 1990, more Korean immigrants moved to the United States because of the high unemployment rate, political instability, and dictatorship. Their children who are called Korean Americans today form the Korean-American community.
– What are some major organizations/advocacy groups/resources in this community?
Korean American Coalition Los Angeles: a nonprofit organization established in 1983 to promote the civic and civil rights interests of the Korean American community
Korea Society: a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan, 501(c)(3) organization with individual and corporate members that is dedicated solely to the promotion of greater awareness, understanding, and cooperation between the people of the United States and Korea
Korean American Association of Greater New York: a nonprofit organization advocating for the welfare and protection of the rights and interests of over a half a million diasporic Koreans living in the Greater New York area
Liberty in North Korea: a nonprofit organization based out of Long Beach, California, United States, and Seoul, South Korea
– Do they have local media houses/s? If so, list them.
Korea Daily
The Korea Times
The Chosun Ilbo
NY Radio Korea (FM 87.7)
– List/link the major media houses in the home country.
KBS-1 and KBS-2 (public broadcast)
MBC (run as a public organization)
EBS (state-funded)
SBS (a commercial broadcaster)
– In the homeland what is the GDP per capita? Where does that rank in the world? What are the major industries?
GDP: $1.630 trillion (nominal, 2019 est.) $2,308 trillion (PPP, 2020 est.)
GDP rank: 12th
The major industries include textile, steel, car manufacturing, shipbuilding, and electronics. South Korea is the world’s largest producer of semiconductors
– What is the system of government? When did this system come into place? Was there a colonial power? (Or was it the colonial power?)
A centralized democratic republic with executive, legislative, and judicial branches
Korea was under Japanese rule from 1910 to 1945. Many women were raped during this period by Japanese soldiers, being called “comfort women.” Korean men were required to work in Japanese factories or in the army. After gaining freedom from Japan, Korea limited its contact with other countries to protect itself from invasions. However, starting from the late 19th century, Korea began to develop diplomatic relations with western cultures. When Chun Doo-hwan took office in 1979, he governed the country under strict martial law. Resisting the strict regime, Korean students led an armed uprising, which resulted in numerous deaths.
The persisting opposition to martial law resulted in a new constitution put in place in 1981. However, in 1987, Chun stepped down as the majority of people were dissatisfied with his regime. Roh Tae-Woo who won the country’s first free presidential election in 1987 granted more freedom to civilians and showed many efforts to eliminate corruption in the country.
The transition of military rule to democracy started, resulting in the government system that Korea has today.
– Name of the NY consul general. How long has he/she been in the role?
Ambassador Cho Hyun: He is the 26th Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations.
– Give three potential story ideas. (Doesn’t need to be a fully fleshed-out pitch yet, but should be well thought-out.)
1) When examined more closely, history is alive and has left its marks in people who lived through the time. One of the examples is my grandfather who lived through the Korean War. Separated from their family in the chaos of the war, he never had a day that went by without thinking about or missing them. Although more than 20,000 people met their long-lost loved ones in reunions between the North and South since 1988, a lot of people have fallen short of their expectations and are still on the waiting list. According to the New York Times, “Since 1988, more than 75,200 South Koreans who applied to attend the reunion have died without seeing their parents, siblings or children again. More than 56,000 South Koreans, the vast majority in their 80s and 90s, are waiting to be selected by lottery for the next round of reunions, which has yet to be scheduled.” As fate would have it, my grandfather is one of those people who gave up all hope to see his lost family members. Writing his story in the form of a feature article, I would like to retrace his memories, recount the history of psychological trauma, and see how Korean reunification can come about and at what cost.
2) Second, I would like to give an account of how Japanese colonial rule has still been affecting Korea. My grandparents, who lived through the time, still use a lot of Japanese words, and those words have been passed down through generations. This is more distinctly realized when my family — including myself — uses Japanese words even without noticing. According to Japan Time, “This anti-Japanese nationalism, now spread through school history textbooks as well as the mass media, is currently upheld by President Moon Jae-in’s Democratic Party government.” But the question still stands: Is this merely a hatred or a psychological scar from trauma left by Japan with no apology? In this particular piece, I would like to focus on the comfort women issue whose facts have been distorted but still live among us.
3) Lastly, I would like to write an immigrant story. I will delve into the stories of earlier Korean immigrants who left the country. Although they might not be at the center of most stories, first-generation immigrants contributed to reshaping and diversifying the American workforce by raising their kids and filling labor-intensive jobs. In this piece, I would like to choose one Korean immigrant and write about his or her challenges in the United States and also connect their story to the history of Korean immigration of America.
* I interviewed a pastor at a Korean church located in Manhattan
I’ve taken the relevant questions and adjusted them for my beat.
Why did they come? When?
Argentina’s population is as melty of a melting pot as New York, with palpable influences from a veritable medley of cultures. Argentina’s economy was booming in the 1920s, spurring a large wave of migration from Italy, Spain, and the Ottoman Empire. Later on, World War 2 and ensuing Cold War-adjacent conflict prompted waves of immigration from Germany, Jewish populations in Europe, China, and Korea.
What are some major organizations/advocacy groups/resources in this community? I’ll be
List/link the major media houses in the home country.
La Nacion – La Nacion is the largest newspaper in Buenos Aires. It has a significant bias towards the Juntos por el Cambio political party, a pro-business/center right coalition.
Pagina12 – Pagina12 is the de facto mouthpiece of the Frente de Todos political party, a center-left coalition of which the president, Alberto Fernandez is a part.
In the homeland what is the GDP per capita? Where does that rank in the world? What are the major industries?
GDP per capita in Argentina is low, about usd$10,006. A sharp decline from 2017, in which it was usd$14,581. While numbers are often deceptive, that precipitous drop is absolutely illustrative of the recent economic crisis experienced here. Abolition of capital controls by the previous government caused widespread capital flight and severely devalued the currency. Now Argentina is experiencing yearly inflation of ~50%, one of the highest values in the world.
Major industry in Argentina revolves, like many Latin American countries, around exports. A large swath of the country is covered by the pampas, incredibly fertile lowland so perfect for bovines that it is the only place the beasts have ever gone feral. Over the past 20 years, this rich agricultural land has served as a source of vast amounts of soybean exports, particularly to China. Soy takes after the deep Argentine tradition of agricultural exports, a practice that saw it’s economy become one of the riches in the world up until the 1930s.
Argentina’s position as an exporter has long been internally debated. Home to the godfather of development economics, Raúl Prébisch, Argentina has tried to develop it’s economy using Import Substitution Industrialization. This practice goes back to the 50s, and has resulted in a political economic system that is deeply protectionist. The steep tariffs, strict capital controls, and generally isolationist policies have resulted in a very unique economy that’s earned its distinction of being the butt of one the favorite jokes of economic professors everywhere – that there are only four types of economies: developed, undeveloped, Japan, and Argentina.
is the system of government? When did this system come into place? Was there a colonial power? (Or was it the colonial power?)
Argentina has a federal representative democracy. Much like the US, executive power is vested in the president, legislative in the National Congress, and Judicial in an independent court system. The democratic system has been in place since ’83, the year that Argentina emerged out of a deeply dark period of liberal military dictatorship. The influence of the dictatorship runs deep, with memorials to the many thousands killed scattered around the country.
Give three potential story ideas. (Doesn’t need to be a fully fleshed-out pitch yet, but should be well thought-out.)
Featurey piece on the human impact of inflation and other results of international finance decisions.
Story on the informal economy. Community workers, unpaid and unorganized, and bearing the brunt of the fight against the pandemic. As an effort to expand the tax base and offer labor protections, the Peronist government is aiming to offer informal workers monthly salaries and documentation.
How are agricultural advocacy organizations responding to the massive transition to soybean production over the past two decades? What human impact has this had? What are the reactions to the possibility of massive pork production for China?
Possible ramifications of Argentina joining the BRI.
I haven’t nailed down my interview yet, I have scheduling conflicts with my source. That said, I have a contact who’s involved in the Union de Trabajadores de la Tierra, a labor union of landless farm workers that advocates for agricultural workers and climate-friendly policy. Hoping to interview them next week!
How many live in the US? In the tristate area? How many in the home country?
According to Pew Research Center, an estimated 2.1 million Dominicans lived in the United States in 2017 and that number has surely risen since then. Dominicans are the fifth-largest hispanic population living in the U.S. In New York City specifically, persons of Dominican origins make up about 29% of the city’s estimated 2.5 million Latinos. In 2017, Dominicans displaced Puerto Ricans are New York’s largest Latino group. Back at home, the population of the Dominican Republic is estimated to be around 10.8 million.
In the tristate area, where do they live?
The largest concentration of Dominicans in New York City is in Washington Heights/Inwood with 46% of Dominican immigrants inhabiting the neighborhood. Nevertheless, in recent years, older Dominican populations seem to be declining in Washington Heights/Inwood as a result of gentrification and many are making their way uptown to the Bronx, where almost 40% of Dominican peoples residing in New York live.
What jobs do a significant percentage of them have?
In 2016, nearly 66% of Dominicans over the age of 16 were in the civilian labor force, which is higher than the average for native-born American citizens. Dominicans tend to be employed in service occupations; a 2013 Pew Research statistical profile found that Dominicans are also highly employed in trade and transportation.
Why did they come? When?
According to the Migration Policy Institute, Dominicans largely fled to the United States in order to escape political turmoil and seek economic stability after the assassination of Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo in 1961; his assassination led to U.S. intervention in the country and political unrest. This first wave of Dominicans was largely composed of well-off, upper class Dominicans and political exiles. The second wave of immigration, sparked by the Latin American debt crisis, came in the 1980s; this wave was composed of the very poor and the professional class. Nowadays, many Dominicans migrate to the states through family reunification.
What are some major organizations/advocacy groups/resources in this community?
Community Association of Progressive Dominicans (ACDP)
Juan Pablo Duarte Foundation
Dominicanos USA
Dominican Women’s Development Center
Do they have local media house/s? If so, list them.
I do not believe so; if they do exist I was not able to find them. I do, however, know of a blog called Mixta that highlights stories of Dominican women, which I used to work with! Some other local Latinx media publications are: Remezcla, Emperifollá, ¡Hola! USA, Mitú, and Latino USA.
List/link the major media houses in the home country.
How strong are relationships with the home country? How significant are remittances to the home country’s economy?
According to the U.S. Department of State, U.S. relations with the Dominican Republic are complex. The two countries are engaged in trade––the U.S. is the Dominican Republic’s most important trading partner––and often work together to combat illegal drug and human trafficking as well as illegal immigration. The Dominican Republic has the second-largest economy in the Caribbean after Cuba, making it an important partner to the states. In 2019, the country received $7.42 billion in remittances, with 77.4% of remittances coming from the United States. Remittances are really important to the economy; they make up about 8.14% of the GDP.
In the homeland what is the GDP per capita? Where does that rank in the world? What are the major industries?
The GDP totals at $88.9 million USD with a per capita average of $8,282 USD according to The World Bank. The country ranks number 68 out of 196 countries. The major industries in the Dominican Republic are agriculture (11% of GDP), mining (2% of GDP), and tourism.
What is the system of government? When did this system come into place? Was there a colonial power? (Or was it the colonial power?)
The Dominican Republic is a democratic republic. The country recently elected a new president, Luis Abinader of the PRM, but from 2012 until 2020 President Danilo Medina and the PLD ran the executive branch of government. The Congress consists of two houses, the senate and a Chamber of Deputies. The legal system is derived from Napoleonic code meaning it follows civil law and cases are decided by a judge rather than a jury. The new democratic government emerged after the assassination of dictator Trujillo.
The country was colonized by Christopher Columbus and Spanish conquistadors in 1496 and was annexed by Haiti in 1822. The country gained its independence from Haiti in 1844, was recolonized by Spain soon after, and regained independence in 1865.
Name of the NY consul general. How long has he/she been in the role?
According to Diario Libre, Eligio Jáquez assumed the role of consul general in New York last month taking the place of the previous consul general, Carlos Castillo.
Give three potential story ideas. (Doesn’t need to be a fully fleshed-out pitch yet, but should be well thought-out.)
In February of this year, Dominicans both at home and in the city took to the streets to protest what they call a ‘threat to democracy.’ These protests were a result of the cancellation of municipal elections set to take place on Sunday, February 16. The JCE, or Central Electoral Board, cited issues with the polling machines as their reason for cancelling the election three hours after they began. Protestors demanded that the leaders of the JCE resign and accused the board of committing fraud alongside the PLD; many who did get a chance to vote the first time around reported not receiving complete ballots. Dominicans worried that the country was headed towards dictatorship as the Party for the Dominican Liberation (PLD) held power for over 18 years. It was only recently that another party, the Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM), took over office. I am interested in interviewing Dominicans about their opinions on the country’s government, and if they think it is headed in the right direction with the election of Luis Abinader of the PRM.
The tuberculosis shot that many Dominican get in order to protect themselves from the disease, which is endemic in the island, is an unlikely symbol of Dominican identity. When the tuberculosis shot is administered to people in the Dominican Republic it often leaves a scar that stays with them for life. I am interested in doing a photo essay on this unique marker of community and identity. I want to get personal accounts from Dominican immigrants about the shot, what the scar means to them, and how they’ve used this marker to recognize and connect with other Dominicans. This is a story I can work on at home as my parents and other family members have this mark, pictured here.
On June 7th, Alberto shot a photo during a BLM protest in Washington Heights that sparked a lot of subsequent conversation and controversy. The controversy stems from conflicting Haitian and Dominican relations and long held antihaitianismo in the country. Cardi B even had to defend herself after reposting the emblematic image on her personal social media accounts; she retorted on Instagram Live, ‘You wanna know why people were marching in Washington Heights, the Dominicans and Haitians? Because we want peace, we want unity. Come to this country and you’ll see how you’ll get treated […] So they say [I] don’t know the history. I know, oh, I know. But it’s enough already. It happened already, and it’s time to treat our brothers and sisters like people.’ I want to profile the photographer who took the photo that broke the internet; I want to speak with him about his feelings regarding the varied response, what the recognition means to him, on documenting New York City, and what his goals are for his career as a photographer.
How many live in the US? In the tristate area? How many in the home country?
The estimated population of Caribbean/West Indian immigrants residing in the United States are about 13 million, in comparison as of 2019 approximately 44.42 million total continue to remain in their home country.
In the tri state areas, where do they live?
As for the tri-state areas with the most populated groups include New York, New Jersey, and Florida. The estimated amount ranges between 4-8 million in these areas. The majority reside in New York City between Brooklyn and Queens in the neighborhood areas of Crown Heights, Flatbush, Canarsie, Richmond Hill, Liberty Ave, and Jamaica Ave.
What jobs do a significant percentage of them have?
The outcome of their working arrangements are not as recognized, yet it doesn’t objectify how they help the communities. According to experience within the culture, the significant percentage of West Indians have jobs within the Medical field, Banking, Real Estate, Construction, Technicians, and owning Restaurants.
Why did they come? When?
Caribbean/West Indians settled in the United States during the 1800s-present. This was after the colonizations between England, France, the Netherlands and Spain. Although some of the islands were still at war to fight for Independence, they established in unifying their different cultures to gain prosperity in reference to “living the American dream.” The American dream to them is considered finding better opportunities for themselves to survive in a world that is dominated by their opponents. Their idea of coming to America is to find a job, make a living, and form a family to expand their family tree and legacies.
What are some major organizations/advocacy groups/resources in the community?
According to research, the West Indian community has a Center of Carribean Americans of New York that are aiding those in these drastic times during COVID-19. Another recognition and association is the West Indian American Day Carnival Association. This helps the community to have people join our parades and donate back to their home countries.
How strong are relationships with the home country? How significant are remittances to the home country’s economy?
The West Indies have a strong relationship with their home countries since they give back to their families especially during COVID-19 and find ways to donate whenever disasters or struggling experiences occur. However it’s always said their countries are poor and yet they are just more than being labeled as “poor.”
In the homeland what is the GDP per capita? Where does that rank in the world? What are the major industries?
According to https://www.caribjournal.com as of 2014 the richest country in the Caribbean ranked as their number 1 GDP per capita is the Bahamas of $21,280. Followed by Puerto Rico of around $18,000, Trinidad and Tobago of $14,400, St. Kitts and Nevis of $13,300 and so on. As of 2019 the Bahamas amounted to 32,934 U.S. dollars ranked number 4 in their most recent year. https://www.data.worldbank.org
What is the system of government? When did this system come into place? Was there a colonial power? (Or was it the colonial power.)
According to https://getawaytips.azcentral.com the types of government in the Caribbean are Constitutional Monarchy of the British colonizations during the Queen Elizabethan era of the Golden Age which resulted in the islands becoming independent in the 20th century. Parliamentary Democracy of the European colonizations which consists of a president, a prime minister, a cabinet and a house assembly. In their cases the president holds fewer power while the prime minister has the most. The cabinet is appointed by the president from the advantage of the prime minister. Lastly the house of assembly holds 30 members voted into office by the public. Communist of Cuba being the only region that adopted communism in 1959 led by Fidel Castro. After his reign the country’s government is led by the president. Lastly American Territory of the island’s citizens that have American citizenship, but it’s not an American state. They have semi-independent territory led by a governor.
Name of the NY consul general. How long has he/she been in the role?
There are several consulate generals for each island in power so there is no particular person that represents all of them, unless in the future that can change.
Give three potential story ideas. (Doesn’t need to be a fully flashed-out pitch yet, but should be well thought-out.)
1). My first idea I would like to interview more community leaders that can discuss what makes the islands more significant and if they could, what changes would they like to make that isn’t recognized by the United States or isn’t mentioned for people to be more familiar with and not just from the obvious.
2). My second idea is I want to try and reach out to the Caribbean news channel representatives that can discuss opportunities of spreading worldly news towards the U.S. channels and they give their sides of the stories compared to how the U.S. interprets or not share enough of their stories. It would help make more names for themselves and to be recognized.
3). And lastly I want to discuss my plans for working with Law Officer Kawal P. Totaram, whom I plan to interview since we made some appointments, to show how attentive he is to the Caribbean community which he quoted “it’s recognized little by little.” In this case he would also help me connect to more people outside the U.S. if possible.
And finally conduct an interview with a community leader.
Currently as of now Mr. Totaram as I mentioned earlier is out of his office, but will return to me as soon as possible to conduct a one on one interview. Hopefully once all goes well then I can officially update this story.
How many live in the US? In the tristate area? How many in the home country?
In the US: 37 Million; In the tristate area: Estimated at 600,000; In Mexico: 126.2 million
In the tristate area, where do they live?
Most Mexican people in New York live in Brooklyn and Queens. The neighborhoods of Sunset Park, Flatbush, Brighton Beach, and Bushwick have the highest rates of Mexican residents.
What jobs do a significant percentage of them have?
Mexican-Americans who are uneducated work in unskilled jobs like food service, manufacturing, construction, and manual labor. According to a 2003 Columbia study, 42% of Mexican males were employed in the food retail industry. https://www.tc.columbia.edu/articles/2003/september/mexicans-are-now-new-york-citys-fastest-growing-ethnic-grou/
Why did they come? When?
Mexicans come to America for better opportunities. Before 1942, Mexicans usually crossed over to America to be hired for cheap labor.
What are some major organizations/advocacy groups/resources in this community?
I do know some organizations who held fundraisers and social events before the Covid-19 Pandemic hit. They usually help their town that is in the state of Puebla, Mexico. However, they also supported the NYC Mexican community at large.
Do they have local media house/s? If so, list them.
The organizations I know of do not have media houses, but I can reach the people responsible for them.
List/link the major media houses in the home country.
This site details the media in Mexico: https://www.mexperience.com/mexico-essentials/media-in-mexico/
How strong are relationships with the home country? How significant are remittances to the home country’s economy?
Mexican-Americans are usually very proud of their home country, and they usually visit Mexico on a yearly basis. Many send money back to their families in Mexico.
In the homeland what is the GDP per capita? Where does that rank in the world? What are the major industries?
$10,118 according to a 2019 survey. It ranks 15th in the world. Main industries are food, tobacco, beverages, clothing, iron and steel, and tourism. Mexico often exports fruits, silver, vegetables, cotton, coffee, and oil.
What is the system of government? When did this system come into place? Was there a colonial power? (Or was it the colonial power?)
Mexico is a federal republic. It gained independence in 1810 from Spain. The Mexican constitution was declared in 1917. Mexico was colonized by Spain in the past.
Name of the NY consul general. How long has he/she been in the role?
The name of the NY consul general is José Evaristo Ramón Xilotl Ramírez. According to online sources, he has been in the role since 2014 at least.
Give three potential story ideas. (Doesn’t need to be a fully fleshed-out pitch yet, but should be well thought-out.)
The first Idea I have could be how Covid-19 devastated the Mexican community of New York City. I saw some of my own relatives die from Covid-19, so this is a very relevant story idea.
How Coivd-19 affected education for young Mexican-Americans. Kids had to do online schooling, while their parents may not have been home because the parents worked long hours. This could explore how the pandemic affected the family dynamic.
Many Mexican-Americans I knew were essential workers during the peak of the pandemic. I could get information on how they lived and how they felt about being essential workers during this time.
And finally: Conduct an interview with a community leader. This initial interview should help you get a sense of what some of the issues are in the community, and help you get some story ideas flowing. Perhaps this community leader can recommend some other contacts for you to reach out to. You may use quotes or sound bites from this interview in one of your major story assignments this semester if it ends up being relevant.
I have a few people in mind who I can interview for upcoming projects. They were leaders and essential members of their groups that give back to the Mexican community, and their home town in Puebla, Mexico.
How many live in China? In the tristate area? How many in the home country?
China has the most populations in the world. According to the national census on January 17th 2020, Chinese who lived in as permanent citizens are one billion four hundred and five million. The three major cities in China is held the largest numbers of people which is Beijing is twenty-one million five hundred and thirty thousand; Shanghai is twenty-four million two hundred and eighty thousand and Guangdong is fifteen million and three hundred thousand. My hometown Shenyang is a provincial capital in Liao Ning province with eight million and six hundred thousand.
In the tristate area, where do they live?
Most people in the major city of China usually live in city but not rural. The countryside is only a small amount of people and rural around the city as the policy of China has been enforced since the country established in 1949.
What jobs do a significant percentage of them have?
People who lived in Shenyang worked in various jobs such as business, technology, marketing and services. In lately years, the seniors have been increasing rapidly because over sixty years old were retired. They have much recreational time to spend in park and spa. However, many young people are looking for a job with good compensation and insurance. They prefer to go other provinces or go abroad to pursue a better life.
What are some major organizations/ advocacy groups/ resources in this community?
The community counsel is a major organization in very community. With my project that I would like to interview the community leader who in charged my house area. She knows the economy policy during the COVID-19 very well. If she wouldn’t be recorded, I could quote her phrases. Another part is interviewing a stall on street. There are so many private stalls sell food on the street. Clothes sellers working in the morning and food seller in the evening.
How strong are relationships with the home country? How significant are remittances to the home country’s economy?
Basically, every provincial capital held the superior position that leads economy strong in order to connect a good relationship with other city in the province. People move to the provincial capital for better personal income. Older people return to peripheral cities retire so that remittances in provincial capital like Shenyang are always higher than other cities.
In the homeland what is the GDP per capita?
In 2019, the GDP of Shenyang is six hundred and forty-seven billion. Increasing three million in 2018. To evaluate the general GDP in China, it is average above others.
The city where I would like to report named Shen Yang with eight million six hundred populations. The state enterprises are more than private company. In recent years, rural population move to the city for opening private business. The retailers keep increasing and fully covered the major city. When COVID-19 suddenly outbreak in China, Shen Yang as a major big city that shut down the economy immediately. After three months later, the virus slowly spread and almost under control. The government made a new plan in order to cover the loss for those private retailers. I would like to interview a street stall owner to get specific information about the new policy for private business. I may use photographs in report to present it vividly. I also have a plan to interview the community leader. If she didn’t want to be recorded, I would phrase and quoted what she said then use it appropriately.
Interviewing community leader about the new economy policy and if it is stimulated economy might resurge to the last year.
To general introduce the background of marketing and compare pervious years. Make a contrast the difference between the normal economy and COVID-19 period.
Taking photos of street stalls. Recording their working moments and interview one of stall owner to get more details about new policy worked for private business.
