Immigrants’ Journeys: Challenges and Opportunities in Champaign-Urbana

Uni High, in collaboration with WILL, present the following documentary:

Immigrants’ Journeys: Challenges and Opportunities in Champaign-Urbana explores individual immigrants’ journeys to central Illinois as well as the journeys of people who came to be vocal advocates for immigrants’ rights. 

Hear the stories of Champaign-Urbana residents Lucia Maldonado and Ricardo Diaz from Mexico, Carmen Loor from El Salvador, Gloria Yen, whose father came from Taiwan, Susan Ogwal from Uganda, Anh Ha Ho from Vietnam, Faranak Miraftab from Iran, and Prosper Panumpabi from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Advocates stories from Mike Doyle, Bob Kirby, Ben Mueller, Father Tom Royer, Claire Szoke, Alexandra Van Doren, Ann Abbott and Gloria Yen.

Through these stories, listeners will better understand why people immigrate, the hardships and opportunities they may encounter in the process, and the transformative power of human connection beyond borders. These experiences can help us better understand the past and present of Champaign County, as well as its connection to large changes and conflicts in the wider world. 

Interviews with the subjects were conducted in 2018.