WGBH
Myanmar’s Young Expats Consider Returning Home
As the world watches Myanmar’s fitful reforms, some of the country’s citizens living abroad are weighing a return home. Reporter Bruce Wallace talks with two Myanmar graduate students in New York City about their plans.
New Americans On What Citizenship Means to Them
A US Senate committee approved a large immigration bill on Tuesday. It’ll hit the Senate floor soon and then the House of Representatives. If it passes, the bill will offer 11 million immigrants living in the US illegally a path to citizenship.
Invisible Workforce: An Undocumented Immigrant Caregiver Shares Her Story
Nannies, housecleaners, caregivers—they are sometimes called the world’s most invisible workforce. In the US alone, it’s estimated that more than 2 million people do this type of work. Most are women and many are immigrants. And pressure is growing to address their working conditions. As part of our Global Nation coverage, The World’s Monica Campbell has our first piece in a series about domestic workers.
Chopping Chicken in Missouri: Immigrants–Not Locals–Still Fill the Processing Lines
Butchering chicken and meat. It’s dangerous, low-paying factory work–and it leans heavily on immigrant workers, sometimes illegally. Just like farm work, immigration reform could change this industry dramatically, from granting workers legal status to offering temporary work visas. At the same time, some immigrants are deciding to move on from such tough work. Anna Boiko-Weyrauch reports from Missouri.
11 Million and Growing: Breaking Down the Number of Undocumented Immigrants in the US
There’s one number in the news quite a bit recently—11 million. It’s the estimated number of immigrants living in the US illegally—and it’s the most cited statistic in the immigration reform debate. But how did we even get to that figure? Who are the 11 million? Is it even the best number to use? From the public radio collaboration Fronteras Desk, reporter Adrian Florido finds out.
In Mexico, Families Hope Immigration Reform Will Trigger Long-Awaited Reunions
Many Mexican families are tuned into news from Washington and whether Congress will change immigration laws. For years, families on both sides of the border have lived apart, with Mexicans in the US without papers afraid of visiting home and then being unable to cross back. But new laws could change this. From the public radio collaboration Fronteras Desk, Jude Joffe-Block reports from Mexico about families hoping for long-awaited reunions.
Karen Refugees from Myanmar Find a Foothold in North Carolina
Over the past year a democratic wave has swept Myanmar, also known as Burma. The changes have also included talks to end brutal clashes between the government and a rebel group led by the Karen, an ethnic minority. That war has forced hundreds of thousands of ethnic Karen from the country, first to refugee camps, and then on to resettle elsewhere. In the US, it turns out that North Carolina is home to a growing Karen community.
How Irish Immigrants in New York City See Immigration Reform
The immigration bill unveiled this week is already getting complaints from those on the left and right. The bipartisan group of senators who wrote it say that means they are doing something right. And while of the debate has centered on immigrants from Latin America, there is another group whose ranks have ebbed and flowed, especially in New York: Irish immigrants.
President Obama Condemns ‘Act of Terrorism’
President Barack Obama says the attack had been a “heinous and cowardly act,” but said it was not yet known who carried out the attack and why.
Students from the Afghan Youth Orchestra Perform for The World
Anne Smedinghoff, the 25-year-old American diplomat killed by a bomb while delivering textbooks to children in Afghanistan, was also involved in promoting a recent Afghan youth orchestra trip to the United States.
Finding Common Ground on the Soccer Field
In Phoenix, Arizona, there is a soccer club called Team Milan made up of kids—refugees—from all over the world: Burma, Congo, Iraq, Afghanistan. Turns out, Phoenix accepts more refugees than nearly any other American city. And the team’s coaches? They’ve resettled in the US too, but are undocumented immigrants from Mexico. But they find common ground on the field. Reporter Valeria Fernández of “Feet in 2 Worlds” reports this story.
Now at Law School, Veterans Work to Bring Those Left Behind to US
A network of Americans, including a growing number of veterans, are now helping those who have worked with America’s military get US visas. It is urgent work, especially as US troops prepare to leave Afghanistan and their interpreters behind, many of whom will live in danger for the work they have done. The World’s Monica Campbell reports.
A Soldier’s Promise and an Iraqi Family’s Journey to the US
Afghanis and Iraqis who work with American troops often place themselves and their families in great danger by affiliating themselves with the US. In exchange, a path to the US—and to safety—can be offered. At least that’s what’s supposed to happen.
Husband from the US, Wife Entered Illegally, Now Barred from Returning Home
Changes are being made to a 1996 immigration law that aimed to crack down on illegal immigration and thwart bogus marriages. In reality, it also ended up penalizing legitimate couples, forcing them to live apart. And even with a relaxation in the policy, set to take effect in March, many families will remain split. Reporter Amy Isackson, in collaboration with the California Report and Center for Public Integrity reporter Susan Ferriss, brings us one family’s story.
Intervention in Mali
The euphoria greeting French troops who entered Mali this month after Islamist militants threatened to invade the south of the country has given way to a wariness among some who wonder what will follow.
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