Browse Items (11 total)

This interview was conducted by interviewer Alexandra Graham with interviewee Deacon Robert (Bob) Bridwell. The main focus of the interview is Deacon Bridwell’s responsibilities at St. Stephen Catholic Church. Much of his work in the church surrounds immigration services. He tells us about the services St. Stephen’s provides as well as what…

Abu Zaeem describes his position as the principal of Doris Henderson Newcomers School in Greensboro, North Carolina. He explains how the school serves immigrant and refugee students in grades three through twelve for one, two, or three semesters by helping them acclimate to English and the American school system before they are transitioned to…

Major Jamie Thomas is a member of the Sanford Police Department. Specifically, he is in charge of the U-Visa applications that this police department receives. The U visa is a United States visa for victims of crimes (and their immediate family members) who have suffered substantial mental or physical abuse and are willing to assist law enforcement…

Antonio Alanis serves as a community specialist and AmeriCorps member at El Centro Hispano, a non-profit organization based in Durham, North Carolina. Alanis discusses his role at El Centro Hispano and the work of the organization overall. He talks about his personal experience with El Centro Hispano as an immigrant growing up in Durham, North…

Jane Smith (pseudonym), speaks about her involvement with issues related to migration, and the broader landscape of student activism work related to immigration in North Carolina. She shares stories from her work with Students United for Immigrant Equality at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and her observations on the challenges of…

In Hetali Lodaya's interview with Ivan Parra, Parra discusses his background in community organizing beginning in Colombia, and his subsequent move to the United States. He tells how he applied community organizing techniques learned in Colombia to an AmeriCorps position at El Centro Hispano. They also discuss the value of relational community…

Robert Willis begins the interview by describing how he began his legal career working with migrant workers in Florida. He then explains the situation of farm workers in North Carolina, describing the conditions of labor camps. He has been working in North Carolina since 1982, so he describes the changes that he has and has not seen over the years…

The interview began with some background information about Manuel Rafael Gallegos Lerma and why he came to North Carolina. He talks about his interest in working with the Latino community in North Carolina because this population is growing and there are fewer resources compared to other cities in the United States. He then describes his current…

Officer Charlie Pardo is the Hispanic/Latino Liaison Officer in the Community Relations Unit of the Chapel Hill Police Department. Pardo has served with the Chapel Hill Police Department since 1998. He was born in New York City, but grew up in Puerto Rico and attended college in North Carolina. Pardo has been instrumental in fostering a positive…

Dr. Judith Blau is a professor of sociology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and chair of the Social and Economic Justice Undergraduate Minor. Blau is the founder and director of the Human Rights Center of Chapel Hill & Carrboro (HRC). Major topics of the interview center around the origins of the Human Rights Center of Chapel…