The Homeland project is about hearing what our community has to say about immigration, and to get the community talking about immigration issues. To that end we decided to see what would happen if we invited a few members of our community to sit down and tell us what was on their minds about immigration, with a camera rolling.
So, five St. Louis area residents recently got together to discuss immigration at Schlafly’s Tap Room in downtown St. Louis. The Homeland team found some of them from KETC’s Public Insight Network, from an online discussion, and from our work in the community. Here is what the group had to say about the media’s portrayal of immigration issues.
The group includes: Jasha McQueen Gadberry, John Beidle, Rob Scharfenburg, Catherine Nolan and Tiffany Sonnier.
Nearly a month into the restoration of Metro service, some Metro riders have jumped back aboard while others are still waiting for their bus.
The June 28 restoration, which Metro called a “soft launch,” mainly increased frequency on MetroLink and the most crowded bus routes, said Jessica Mefford-Miller, Metro’s chief of planning and system development.
Most of the restoration — two-thirds of it — will come next month with a “major redesign of the system,” she said. The changes come thanks to a half-cent increase in the sales tax St. Louis County voters approved last November.
Language is interesting. We use it to communicate our needs and wants. We use it to tell people we like them (or not like them!). We use it to discuss our ideas and tell jokes and bond with friends. We use it to disagree with one another. Possibilities are endless with language.
But what if you can’t communicate because there are no common words. How do we feel when we are strangers in a strange country and cannot speak the native language? Should we try to learn the language in the countries we visit or move to or that our neighbor speaks? Talk to an immigrant, talk to a traveler, talk to a neighbor who comes from different parts of the globe and you might get some answers.
PIN source Mark Burgess answered a PIN query on language and his thoughts hit home. “Communications can only be improved, and understanding deepened, when we learn to speak the same language as our neighbors. We can appreciate their culture, and their way of thinking about the world from their language. Being able to speak their language gives you an opportunity to really meet and get to know them, since it is through language that culture is expressed.” I liked that a lot and his thinking led me to really appreciate what the next query responder, Anthony Dolce had to say.
The St. Louis Beacon online publication and KETC/Channel 9 invite you to share your knowledge, observations and expertise as a participant in the Public Insight Network (PIN).
We need the insights of people in our region to help inform our work as we address issues of concern and tell the stories of our community.
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KETC/Channel 9 is a nonprofit public media organization strengthening civic life through the resources of public television, a robust website, interactive online tools, and community engagement. Our mission is to bring St. Louis together as we connect our region to the world and the world to St. Louis. Our vision is a proud and confident community ignited by the spirit of possibility. www.ketc.org
ABOUT ST. LOUIS BEACON
The St. Louis Beacon is a non-profit, online publication dedicated to news that matters for people in our region. A beacon is a light to steer by. Our Beacon shines with quality reporting—frequently updated and featuring depth, context and continuity. We provide thoughtful discussion from many points of view and connect you with good sources of information elsewhere. www.stlbeacon.org
