The New Americans

The New Americans is a groundbreaking seven-part documentary series that was released by Kartemquin Educational Films in 2003. This series takes a deep, intimate, and focused look at the topical issue of immigration, examining its diverse dimensions through the personal stories of different individuals. The production provides a daring and deeply personal window into the lives of immigrants and refugees who leave their home countries, including Nigeria, the Dominican Republic, the Palestinian territories, India, and Mexico, to start a new life in America.

The New Americans begins by going through the painstaking process of individuals attempting to immigrate to the United States. It exposes their trials and tribulations, their triumphs and disappointments, right from the application process, through their season of waiting for approval, to the moment of their departure. It is not just about the move, but also an exploration of the realities surrounding immigration laws, policies, and the proverbial American Dream.

While the philosophy and logistics of immigration form a physical subtext for this series, The New Americans is primarily a series of human stories. We get to see the individuals, meet their families, their friends, understand their history, their cultural background, their hopes, and their fears. The documentary series does an exceptional job of giving a face and voice to statistics and individualizes the concept of immigration that is often generalized or politicized.

Each episode approaches the canon of immigration with unique themes and different perspectives. The production team spent considerable time crafting these stories, sometimes more than two years, following the immigrants from their home countries to their new home in America. They capture their struggles, setbacks, and small victories that punctuate their American Journey.

The New Americans is not only about the immigrant's journey, but also about what they meet at the end of it. They confront their expectations of the American dream with the reality of living it. The series touches on how immigrants adjust and adapt to their new environments, from learning to speak English, to finding a job, from dealing with homesickness to negotiating cultural barriers, and from building relationships to establishing themselves in the American society.

What sets The New Americans apart is how well it explores the intricacies of the American immigrant experience encompassing a broad range and depth of experiences. From high school sports stars to political refugees, from farm laborers to hip-hop artists, the series presents the immigrant experience in all its diversity and complexity. Here we see the collision of cultures, the mix of expectation and reality, and above all, the universal human experience of striving for a better life, told through an immigrant lens.

Visually, The New Americans is remarkable in its documentary style. Long shots, street views, close-ups, panoramic views, interviews, and candid moments caught on camera all contribute to a multi-layered, rich visual language that matches the thematic complexity of the show. There is a palpable rawness and intimacy inherent in the cinematography that pulls the viewer into the immigrants' lives, making their journey our journey.

This production by Kartemquin Educational Films is culturally sensitive, politically relevant, and extremely personal. The New Americans is more than just a documentary on immigration. It is a study on humanity, exploring universal themes of struggle, hope, ambition, family, identity, and change. It encourages viewers to ask questions about the reality of immigration, challenge stereotypes, and most importantly, empathize with the people who brave the odds to make America their new home.

The New Americans is an excellent resource for understanding the United States' cultural landscape, invaluable for educators, students, policy makers, and anyone interested in understanding the immigrant experience. It reveals a diverse nation, bonded by a shared journey to a common destination, and paints a picture, bold and raw, of the transformative potential and the pluralistic fabric that encompasses the modern American narrative.

In conclusion, The New Americans doesn't just document the journey and struggle of newcomers in the United States; it encapsulates their dreams and aspirations, their grit and resilience. The series invites us to look beyond the headlines and politicized rhetoric, to the human faces and personal stories. Stirring, candid, and enlightening, The New Americans serves as a powerful reminder that America is, indeed, a nation of immigrants.