This project provides you a platform on which to tell your story in these times of state-sponsored discrimination. Our region, in and around Utica NY, has a long vibrant history of various immigrant communities that have contributed to the fabric of our culture, and we don't want our history rewritten by nativists. We are collecting stories to celebrate and highlight the role of the immigrant in Utica’s history and culture, as well as for preservation and posterity. Your story will be an important part of our history when people look back on these times.
We invite you to a conversation in which you tell us about how you got here, the obstacles you faced, and what you like or dislike about your new home. We will record your answer. You are free to remove your consent and stop the recording at any time.
In addition to your recorded voice, we ask to take a photograph that represents you in some way. If you do not want your portrait published, then we can take a photograph of something that is meaningful to you and your story in some way.
Participants in this project are given the option to remain anonymous, and we will take care to protect your identity if that is your choice. We are happy to provide options if you do not want your voice or image to be identifiable.
Photographs and recordings will be presented to the public in art exhibitions, and on our project website to extend access to the stories. We will ask for your consent before we publish or display your story and image.