American Reflections: Young voices on an old promise

Lewiston, Maine, U.S.A. – In America’s 250^th year, Youth Journalism International students sought to find out how the promises of the Declaration of Independence – life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness – are serving young immigrants today.

Student reporters interviewed local immigrant youth and other young people who come from immigrant families to learn their stories.

Though many of those interviewed spoke of opportunity, each story is unique and interesting. All will be published here on the Youth Journalism International website. A collection of links leading to each article will be listed below.

In addition, some of the Youth Journalism International reporters who conducted the interviews elected to contribute to first-person commentary about their own feelings about America and lessons learned doing this work.

Reporters Amina Bashir of Auburn, Carlos Fra-Nero of Lewiston, Noga Segal of Israel and formerly of Lewiston and Samya Young of Union, Maine conducted interviews with young people with family roots in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Malawi, Somaliland, Angola, Djibouti, Tanzania and Peru.

Bashir, an Artist and Illustrator with Youth Journalism International, made the American Reflections logo.

Audio recordings of each of the individual stories are on the Youth Journalism International channel on SoundCloud.

Youth Journalism International held a special panel discussion about this project on Oct. 17 at the Maine MILL at 1 Beech St., Lewiston, Maine. While the event took place, the Maine MILL was displaying an original printing of the U.S. Declaration of Independence.

U.S. Sen. Angus King, an Independent from Maine, joined the YJI event remotely with remarks about journalism.

This project was made possible in part by a grant from the Maine Semiquincentennial Commission.

Founded in 1994, Youth Journalism International is an educational non-profit organization based in Maine with students worldwide. It has published the work of young people from every continent on Earth and has never charged a student to participate in its Global Classroom.

Articles from American Reflections: Young voices on an old promise will be added below as they are published:

Being American means ‘I can breathe, finally’

In America, ‘You can get recognized for being excellent’

America wasn’t what she expected, but it offers freedom and opportunities

Finding education and opportunity in America

Coming to the U.S. gave him ‘a better life, a better future’

Fleeing violence and finding a home in America

To a child of immigrants, to be American is to be human

Falling in love with America, one season at a time

Listening to immigrant stories gave me a new view of America