Friday Feature: City of Immigrants by Steve Earle

November 20, 2014 by Leave a Comment

City of Immigrants (one of my favorite songs from one of my favorite musicians) captures the commonality of the immigrant experience that the majority of people living in the US share.

Go back just a couple of generations for most people and the challenges facing newly arrived refugees are shared by their own family members. That can be a powerful connection to tap into when deepening employer relationships, supporting refugee integration into the culture of their workplace or helping them find a connection when they might not immediately see it in the midst of so many new experiences.

(This post was first published more than a year ago. The song’s stuck in my head today, so I’m sharing the love.)

 

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Friday Feature: Burma VJ (2007)

November 13, 2014 by Leave a Comment

burma vjThe Danish documentary film Burma VJ features live footage of 2007′s peaceful protests against the military dictatorship that turned violent. Things are changing there now, and the events documented in this film contributed.

It’s great background to current events and you’ll admire the ingenuity and bravery of the journalists who filmed and smuggled this footage out of the country as events were unfolding.

Click here to watch the entire documentary online for free.

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Friday Feature: Before Night Falls (2000)

October 30, 2014 by Leave a Comment

arenasBefore Night Falls is autobiographical fiction about the life of Cuban poet and novelist, Reinaldo Arenas (1943-1990). Arenas left Cuba for New York City in the Mariel boat-lift, a famous moment in the history of refugee resettlement, especially the Cuban population most of us work with to some extent.

It stars Javier Bardem and was directed by Julian Schnabel. It’s a bit intense and features adult themes you might not want to watch with children. You can read more here.

 

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Friday Feature: The Good Lie

October 23, 2014 by Leave a Comment
A Good Lie Film Still

Kuoth Wiel, left, as Abital and Ger Duany as Jeremiah in the drama “The Good Lie.” Bob Mahoney / Black Label Media

This current release featuring Reese Witherspoon was highlighted in a previous Friday Feature. (Click here to read that post.)

The actors who portray Sudanese clients are former refugees or asylees. The character played by Reese Witherspoon is a refugee employment specialist. How cool is that?

Here are several recent news stories about the film, our clients and colleagues. What will you do to take advantage of this opportunity to educate your community and employer partners?

  • Read what employment colleagues with the International Institute of Buffalo say about how well the film portrays our work in so many ways. Click here.
  • See great refugee facts and public awareness campaign designed by Voluntary Agency USCRI to coincide with the film release. Click here.
  • Learn what the Sudanese actors, including Voluntary Agency LIRS refugee leadership academy alumni Kuoth Wiel, say about the film’s portrayal of their experience. Click here.
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Friday Feature: Burmese Days by George Orwell

October 16, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Burmese daysDid you know that George Orwell spent five years from 1922 to 1927 as a police officer in the Indian Imperial Police force in British colonial Burma?

He wrote Burmese Days in 1934, more than 10 years before the much more famous Animal Farm and 1984.

The story features a corrupt official, teak merchants, romance, political intrigue and British colonial society. There are also a wide variety of racial stereotypes and attitudes throughout.

 

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Friday Feature: Desert Queen by Janet Wallach

October 9, 2014 by Leave a Comment

desert queenDesert Queen: The Extraordinary Life of Gertrude Bell: Adventurer, Adviser to Kings, Ally of Lawrence of Arabia by Janet Wallach will help you learn about the history of the modern Iraqi state from a western perspective. Iraqi colleagues had heard of Gertrude Bell and agree that she is considered important by Iraqis.

And, it’s a swashbuckling story with sheiks, intrigue, adventure and a real-life female protagonist. I liked it. Click here to read a more in-depth and objective review.

 

 

 

 

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Friday Feature: The Prince of Los Cocuyos: A Miami Childhood

October 2, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Working with LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered or questioning) clients presents unique challenges. The Prince of Los Cocuyos (2014) is a memoir written in an authentic Cuban voice you’ll recognize from many of our clients (sexual identity aside).

It’s a useful window on the role of cultural traditions of all kinds in family dynamics. The specifics are Cuban, but the generational differences first generation immigrants experience apply to all of our clients as younger family members grow up in the US. Click here to read a more thorough review.

(Every Friday we highlight one entertainment option related to our clients or some aspect of our work to help you celebrate the weekend and possibly recommend to employers and other community supporters in the following week.)

 

 

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Friday Feature: The Visitor (2007)

September 25, 2014 by Leave a Comment

The VisitorThe Visitor does a great job of getting to the human connections that enrich our lives no matter where you are or what country you called home in the past. Being open to accepting a different perspective adds to our lives in ways we can’t always expect.

This film doesn’t have a neat, processed ending, but it will leave you with lots to think about - and appreciate - about what refugees and immigrants add to our cultural and internal emotional lives.

(Every Friday we highlight one entertainment option related to our clients or some aspect of our work to help you celebrate the weekend and possibly recommend to employers and other community supporters in the following week.)

 

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Friday Feature: Who is Dayani Cristal? (2013)

September 18, 2014 by Leave a Comment

dayani cristalWho is Dayani Cristal? is powerful, hard to describe - and to watch. You’ll learn more than you may want to know about the gruesome mechanics of trying to discover the identities of thousands of human remains found along the Arizona-Mexico border so that the people who loved them can know their fate.

The dehumanizing volume of unidentified human remains combined with the very personal journey of one man who didn’t make it are a powerful combination. Go to the film’s website for a list of where you can see it. It will be worth it, but bring tissues.

Thanks to my colleague Folabi Olagbaju for screening it at LIRS as we all deal with the realities of how immigration issues affect our work on a daily basis.

(Every Friday we highlight one entertainment option related to our clients or some aspect of our work to help you celebrate the weekend and possibly recommend to employers and other community supporters in the following week.)

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Friday Feature: Heads in Beds by Jacob Tomsky

September 4, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Heads in Beds CoverHeads in Beds, a recent memoir by Jacob Tomsky gives an insiders view of what it’s like to work in a hotel.

Some of the terms he uses - like “heart of the house” are probably famliar to many of you already.

Other tricks and experiences may not be as familiar, but there’s lots to help you understand what refugees who work in hotels could learn and experience. It’s an entertaining glimpse into the cynical side of the hospitality industry.

(Every Friday we highlight one entertainment option related to our clients or some aspect of our work to help you celebrate the weekend and possibly recommend to employers and other community supporters in the following week.)

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