Tell Us Your Immigrant Experience
Share Your Story For A Special Collection
Immigrants in Sonoma County are invited to submit a written story or tell us verbally about their Immigrant Experience. We are seeking stories from immigrants who have come from EVERYWHERE, and at this time we can translate stories submitted in English or Spanish. The deadline for all story submissions is: September 30, 2022.
The Topic: Share your story about leaving your home country and seeking your future in the United States. What did you do and feel? What did you give up? What did you gain? Stories should reflect the voice of the writer. There is no need for “perfection” or rigid writing rules. Stories MUST be on the theme of Immigrant Experiences to be included in this collection.
The Project: The California Humanities Library Innovation Lab in partnership with the Sonoma County Library Adult Literacy Program are creating an anthology entitled: Arrivals and Departures. This collection will feature stories of immigrants throughout Sonoma County and highlight their experience in their own words. This special collection will be available in print in Winter and will be distributed to all participants. Arrivals and Departures will also be available to check-out by all residents through the Sonoma County Library.
This project was made possible with support from California Humanities, a non-profit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Visit www.calhum.org.
Two FREE author events to kick off this project:
(you do not need to attend to submit a story)
August 27, 2022 — 10:30am - 11:30am
Virtual Author Talk by Francisco Jiménez on his experience growing up in a family of migrant workers. He will describe his process used in writing his four-book memoirs series - The Circuit, Breaking Through and Reaching Out, Taking Hold and explain why he writes.
September 3, 2022 — 1:30pm - 4:30pm
In-person Author Talk and Writing Workshop with Reyna Grande on writing your stories. An immigrant herself, Reyna Grande is the author of the memoirs The Distance Between Us and A Dream Called Home, and the novels Across a Hundred Mountains, Dancing With Butterflies, and A Ballad of Love and Glory.
Location: Central Santa Rosa Library Forum Room
211 E Street Santa Rosa, CA 95404
DEADLINE to Submit your Immigrant Experience: September 30, 2022
Stories received by this date will be accepted in the following formats:
- In writing (hard copies, email attachments in Word, hand-written or typed submission accepted)
- To tell your Immigrant Experience story to a staff member verbally (English/Spanish), call 707-544-2722 to set up an appointment.
Release required: All submissions must include a signed release (permission) form. This form allows us to include your story in the printed collection and notify you when your copy of Arrivals and Departures is available. Please fill it out completely this release form and send or email it in with your story submission by September 30, 2022.
Jovanna Ayala, Adult Literacy Services, 211 E Street, Santa Rosa, CA 95404
Email: literacy@sonomalibrary.org
Phone: 707-544-2622
