NextGenRadio @ USC Annenberg
March 2019
First Days in America is a set of non-narrated audio and digital stories that highlight the experiences of immigrants in a changing America.
Brazilian food bridges one woman’s memories of home and her new life in America
by Jessica Flores
Natalia Pereira, a black Brazilian immigrant, opened her restaurant Wood Spoon to create a sense of home as she struggled to find her community in Los Angeles.
Baseball helped a Japanese immigrant find his place in postwar America
by Hafsa Fathima
Charles Igawa did not have an easy time during his early days in the U.S. — he was hired and fired at various jobs, struggled to learn English and faced obstacles in getting an education. It took a few friends and America’s favorite pastime for him to feel at home.
A DREAMer reflects on both sides of his hyphenated life
by Megan Manata
Hyun-Gyum Shin is a Korean-American DREAMer who — even after developing a ‘distinctly American worldview’ growing up in American schools — describes his search for a community in America that respects his blended background.
The heartbreak of being left three times fuels this filmmaker’s career
by Sandy Chávez
Ligiah Villalobos was torn away from one parent and then the other and moved from Mexico City to a small town in Utah. This is the story of how her turbulent childhood shaped her life and career in Hollywood, eventually gaining her international acclaim.
An artist rediscovers and reconciles his painful past through art
by Stephanie Aceves
Sayon Syprasoeuth, a Cambodian refugee, makes art to process experiences of war and trauma among his community and others.
“I considered America my country now. Even though I was not born here.”
by Son Ly
What is the cost of being separated from your parents as a young girl and then reunited with them four years later in order to have a better future? Ana Garcia reflects on how her life was forever changed because of Operación Pedro Pan (Operation Peter Pan).
Our Reflections
For every project, we ask our students to share their thoughts on what they learned and how they grew. These are their reflections.
Next Generation Radio helped set me on a clearer path to succeed in my future career
In the past few days, I’ve learned so much from the Next Generation Radio project.
How NextGen Radio felt like a warm and welcoming radio family
From the moment of application to now, the final day of the week, it’s wild how fast everything happened.
The learning curve of audio storytelling
During my time NextGenRadio, I had an intensive look into the world of audio journalism, a facet that I had not explored.
Dear Sandy, a letter of perseverance
I wanted to write you a letter so in case you ever start to doubt yourself. You can remember how far you’ve come.
A week of learning, laughing and bagels with NextGen Radio
by Hafsa Fathima I am notorious for over-sharing the story of how I silently broke down during my first radio class. We had a news feature due, and I couldn’t figure out how to put the piece together. I was the only one who didn’t submit the assignment,...
Tips on how to survive Next Generation Radio
by Jessica Flores On my assignment this week, when I visited my story character’s restaurant, I moved around the kitchen taking photos, interviewing the staff while making sure I didn’t forget to ask a question. It was a long, stressful but extremely fun...