Culture
From technology and art and from music to lifestyle, several News21 projects explored a range of culturally relevant topics, especially Northwestern's "Shift" coverage.
- California's Tribal Cleansing
A growing number of California tribes are setting a grim precedent by purging their own members. At stake is who controls both the nation’s richest Indian gaming industry and a powerful new state lobby. Those who have been kicked out are fighting back, but is anyone listening? - Children of Immigrants Face Struggle
The children of immigrants in California carry the legacy of their parents’ sacrifices and the promise of a better future for themselves and the state. But breaking free from cycles of poverty is a debilitating struggle. Latino youth in both Los Angeles and the iconic farm worker city of Delano face rigid barriers to social ascension. - Tribeless: A California Indian Fights to Get In
Mark Lucero found a kind of salvation in his Native American heritage, but when he tried to rejoin the tribe to which his family belonged, he was denied membership. Later, his entire extended family was kicked out after their ancestral legitimacy was challenged. Lucero represents a growing number of California Indians who, once displaced by the dominant white culture, are now being displaced by other Native Americans. - What's In a School Name? Potential in New Orleans
In New Orleans, charter schools are replacing more than the old, brick and mortar school buildings wrecked by the storm. New schools trumpet new missions, colors, songs, mascots and names. Where some are skeptical about re-branding what was familiar and sentimental, others welcome scrapping the failing, decrepit institutions for something completely new. - Money 101: Financial Literacy Courses Take Root
Much can be learned from a crisis. In classrooms around the country, first-graders learn from Sammy Rabbit that saving is a habit. Middle-schoolers manage bank accounts and high-schoolers develop personal financial plans. In New Jersey, education officials are vetting changes in the K-12 core curriculum, to require more comprehensive instruction of financial-literacy concepts. - Newark Schools Fight Back Against Charters
Challenged by a growing number of high-performing charter schools within its bounds, the Newark, N.J., public school district announced an ambitious plan to turn around its schools to create a system that is bolder, more accountable, more transparent and more innovative. - The New Town Square
Explore with resident from three Northern California towns as they struggle to define community in an increasingly suburbanized landscape. This short introductory video blends old techniques (stop motion animation) with the digital platform. Other elements in the package include an interactive map illustrating how these three towns have grown and changed over the last century, and a series of maps where residents describe the places where they find their community. - Virgin Tour: Mexican Religious Icon Goes Global
The Traveling Virgin traces the rise of the Virgin of Guadalupe from Mexican religious figure to cultural icon. The Virgin’s image is found on lowrider cars in Japan, sweat shirts in Brazil, paintings in the Philippines and key chains and tattoos in the U.S. Presented in an unusual multiple format with photos, video, slideshows, audio, text, animation and photo illustration. - Crossing Lines: Staring Down Death in the Desert
Crossing Lines is a three-part narrative that tells the stories of people in Mexico who are trying to build their own economic opportunities so their children won’t feel compelled to leave. Photos and video are imbedded in the text to add to the narrative at key points. - Community: A Diverse Generation Explores its Choices
Young people, from artists to activists, organize themselves around shared experiences or values to connect with each another. - Gay Rights Fight in Conservative California
Proposition 8, the law banning same-sex marriages, generates strong feelings in California's most conservative counties. - BARThood: 4 Bay-Area Neighborhoods Up Close
This project focuses on four neighborhoods, visualizing demographic data of ridership and aggregating content and news about each area. Includes interactive charts and graphs, slide shows and custom feeds that combine up-to-the-minute Google blogs, Google News, Twitter and Yelp posts specific to each station. - Gay in America:
When culture and sexuality collide: At some point, nearly everyone grapples with their identity – faith, family, sexual orientation. But it can be even more difficult for minorities or immigrants struggling to sort through their sexuality. Video, timeline, text. - Bollywood, the American Way:
One young woman, hooked on Indian cinema on a long plane ride, turned her obsession into a full-time project and created, The Bollywood Ticket. Video, text. - Sibling Dynamics in Immigrant Families
This series, through the voices of several adult children of immigrants, explores what happens when the next generation’s culture and values collide. Video, text, photos. - Like Mother, Like Daughter:
Three cultures. Two generations. One bond. This series delves into the lives of mothers who came to the United States from other countries and the daughters they have raised here, focusing on career, family and cultural perspectives. Video, text. - For the Love: Professional Passions of Six Adults
A half-century ago it was a white picket fence, 2.5 kids and a secure job to support them. Today it encompasses the hopes of a constantly changing America, and what constitutes a successful life is a definition that’s just as volatile. Ask five young people what they hope to accomplish as adults, and you’ll likely get five very different answers. Video, text. - Gay Veterans honored
Veterans from World War II sat side-by-side in Chicago’s Daley Plaza with veterans from the Gulf War during a salute to gay servicemen and women. Chicago is the only city to proclaim such a day. Video, text.
