In our second unit, my class and I looked at the importance of storytelling as a form of empowerment as we examined the holocaust through Elie Wiesel’s memoir Night, Japanese internment at Manzanar, the United State’s hypocrisy during WW2, and the impact of listening to voices different than our own. We explored the New Americans Museum, watched short films about immigration, prison reform, and family separation, and interviewed 3rd-grade students about the narratives they created. Lastly, after exploring Storycorp and some strong examples of provocative podcasts, each of us investigated a question about a member of our community and gave voice to this story in a meticulously crafted and drafted podcast.
For my podcast, I interviewed my older sister. Coming from a Mexican background, families tend to always be very united with their extended family. Growing up every weekend, consisted of musica, carne asada, and playing loteria with my 7 uncles and all their families. However, due to family problems our families grew apart and now we all typically spend most of our time with our immediate family. For a very long time my sister and I have felt like the black sheep of them family when at family gatherings. Therefore, for my podcast I asked my sister, ""Why do you feel so different from the rest of our family? This project gave me the opportunity to further understand my sister and my family as a whole.