Getting Creative: How One Newhouse Student Told A Story Of Immigration From Home
For the final project of my spring semester of graduate school, I struggled with finding a story to tell. Pre-covid, my final project was going to cover on how one Syracuse restaurant managed to gain global attention after CNN named it as one of the world’s best new restaurants for 2020 .
Forced to return to my home in Toronto, Canada, I had to get creative and find a new story to base my final project on. The short story covers the successful immigration of a family seeking new opportunity and a better life. Albeit, the restaurant I was originally going to cover was started by immigrants from Eritrea. My new story, “The Road to Italian Citizenship” documents the journey of my family from Italy to Canada. In an effort to gain a better life, my grandparents immigrated to Canada in 1962.
My dad did a great job sharing his family’s journey and I think his discussion of seeking a better life is something that many of us can relate to. I am grateful to have been able to use the storytelling skills I learned at Newhouse to pivot my project in the midst of this unprecedented situation. With the help of a few old family photos and footage from past trips, I was able to tell a compelling story from the comfort of my own home.
