This piece has received a fair amount of attention - and for good reason. This is a great piece of radio. An honest, personal account that cuts through the immigration bluster in a affecting, intimate way. Vera's situation is more complex than the black and white debate the immigration issue is often reduced to. And this nuance makes it an engaging and valuable listen.
There's a certain amount of bravery at work here - Vera has the guts to capture some very tense arguments with family members over how she should best approach her legal limbo. And she doesn't shy away from asking pointed questions.
The only thing I find lacking is a more definitive ending - the piece winds down quickly, and ultimately strikes a whimsical note that kind of threw me.
But overall I think PDs would be hard pressed not to find a reason to put this on the air - particularly if they're looking to cover immigration in a compelling, refreshing way.
Here's another excellent piece from the "Radio Rookies" in New York City. Veralyn, a native of Sierra Leone, has lived in the U.S. almost her entire life. And that's the hitch. She wasn't born here. Her parents never got around to filling out the proper paperwork to make her official in the eyes of the government. "I've lived in American nearly all my life but it feels like I don't exist," she says. So Veralyn, a feisty teen, begins questioning the adults in her life. Her Dad admits to being "really laid back" when it comes to helping her secure citizenship. Her uncle yells at her about exploring the topic on the radio: "You could get yourself deported. Do you understand that September 11 has changed the rules of the game?" Her siblings, all born in the U.S., shrug their shoulders. What's the big deal? Get the green card, they say. A programmer looking to put a personal face on the country's immigration debate should strongly consider airing this story. At just over 10 minutes long, it eats up a lot of airtime, but listeners love well-told personal stories and this is one of them.
WNYC's Radio Rookies recently accepted a Peabody Award for their work, and stories like Veralyn's 'Legal Status' show us why they deserve the recognition. This is a first-person feature about an immigrant teenager's struggle with the bureaucratic hurdles that stand between her and a green card. Through Veralyn's eyes, we learn not only about what it feels like to be a legal outsider as an undocumented immigrant, but also what it feels like to be in cultural conflict with one's own family elders.
Veralyn came to the US when she was a toddler --- it's the only home she knows. But her older family members seem to have trouble accepting her Americanized attitudes. Probably my favorite thing about this story is the intimacy of the very candid family arguments that Veralyn catches on tape. It's a rare thing to hear people butting heads with their loved ones in such an unmitigated and honest way. After hearing this piece, I feel like I've shared some very personal moments with a family I thought I'd have nothing in common with.
Comments for Legal Status
Produced by Reporter: Veralyn Williams, Producers: Czerina Patel, Miguel Macias
Other pieces by Radio Rookies
Rating Summary
3 comments
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Posted on August 03, 2007 at 10:05 AM | Permalink
Review of Legal Status
This piece has received a fair amount of attention - and for good reason. This is a great piece of radio. An honest, personal account that cuts through the immigration bluster in a affecting, intimate way. Vera's situation is more complex than the black and white debate the immigration issue is often reduced to. And this nuance makes it an engaging and valuable listen.
There's a certain amount of bravery at work here - Vera has the guts to capture some very tense arguments with family members over how she should best approach her legal limbo. And she doesn't shy away from asking pointed questions.
The only thing I find lacking is a more definitive ending - the piece winds down quickly, and ultimately strikes a whimsical note that kind of threw me.
But overall I think PDs would be hard pressed not to find a reason to put this on the air - particularly if they're looking to cover immigration in a compelling, refreshing way.
Todd Melby
Posted on July 18, 2006 at 05:37 AM | Permalink
Review of Legal Status
Here's another excellent piece from the "Radio Rookies" in New York City. Veralyn, a native of Sierra Leone, has lived in the U.S. almost her entire life. And that's the hitch. She wasn't born here. Her parents never got around to filling out the proper paperwork to make her official in the eyes of the government. "I've lived in American nearly all my life but it feels like I don't exist," she says. So Veralyn, a feisty teen, begins questioning the adults in her life. Her Dad admits to being "really laid back" when it comes to helping her secure citizenship. Her uncle yells at her about exploring the topic on the radio: "You could get yourself deported. Do you understand that September 11 has changed the rules of the game?" Her siblings, all born in the U.S., shrug their shoulders. What's the big deal? Get the green card, they say. A programmer looking to put a personal face on the country's immigration debate should strongly consider airing this story. At just over 10 minutes long, it eats up a lot of airtime, but listeners love well-told personal stories and this is one of them.
Aaron Henkin
Posted on July 13, 2006 at 12:29 PM | Permalink
Review of Legal Status
WNYC's Radio Rookies recently accepted a Peabody Award for their work, and stories like Veralyn's 'Legal Status' show us why they deserve the recognition. This is a first-person feature about an immigrant teenager's struggle with the bureaucratic hurdles that stand between her and a green card. Through Veralyn's eyes, we learn not only about what it feels like to be a legal outsider as an undocumented immigrant, but also what it feels like to be in cultural conflict with one's own family elders.
Veralyn came to the US when she was a toddler --- it's the only home she knows. But her older family members seem to have trouble accepting her Americanized attitudes. Probably my favorite thing about this story is the intimacy of the very candid family arguments that Veralyn catches on tape. It's a rare thing to hear people butting heads with their loved ones in such an unmitigated and honest way. After hearing this piece, I feel like I've shared some very personal moments with a family I thought I'd have nothing in common with.