Family Odysseys Project Underway

The Media Center received a grant from the Silicon Valley Community Foundation to develop a multi-media project that celebrates our family stories of coming to the U.S. We are tentatively calling it the "Family Odyssey Project", but we are open to better names if you leave us a suggestion.

The goal of this project is to reach out to all kinds of families throughout the Silicon Valley to celebrate those in our families who made a hero's quest to the U.S. - and the many contributions that immigrants make in our community. We will also coordinate live (as opposed to virtual) storytelling and entertainment events in later stages of the project.

If you are a member of a group that might like to participate, contact Elliot for more details. We will partner with communities of faith, writers' groups, historical associations, senior centers, libraries, immigrant groups, and schools throughout the area to bring in participants.

The first stories will focus on a particular family member - where she or he came from, why they left, when they arrived, what kind of work they found, and what surprises they encountered. The stories will be featured on a versatile web site that will be developed over the next two months. Participants can publish written stories with a photo of the person they celebrate, or upload video interviews and testimonies. We expect to see numerous stories from recent immigrants in the first person.

There will be ongoing opportunities and incentives to share additional stories, recipes, group dialogue, and more. Stay in touch!