WHAT IS
WHY AMERICA?
More than a master's project
This podcast series was produced in lieu of an academic thesis by graduate student and freelance journalist Natalia V. Navarro at the University of Arizona School of Journalism. Navarro is following a professional track of study which allowed her to create this piece of publishable journalistic work as her graduate degree capstone.
Reporting Process
The data for this project was collected primarily through interviews cataloguing individuals’ experiences with the United States naturalization process. Additional qualitative data was collected in interviews with experts involved in the naturalization process such as immigration lawyers, governmental agency officials, and citizenship class teachers. Most interviewees live and work in Tucson, Arizona. To gather interviewees, Navarro approached immigrant resource groups, adult education programs, and individuals over social media networks. Navarro also met many new citizens at naturalization ceremonies in Tucson and Phoenix. Navarro took a concerted effort to interview a diverse group of immigrants and to accurately and compellingly report the experiences of the people she encountered.
The quantitative data in this project comes from the the Pew Research Center and the U.S. Department of Homeland security which aggregates data on immigration of all kinds and provides it digitally on their website.
Credits
Images
NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev.-- Members of Nellis Air Force Base and Las Vegas community recite the Oath of Allegiance during the Special Naturalization Ceremony at the Nellis Officer's Club, Nov. 12, 2010. People representing 12 different countries became United States citizens. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Airman 1st Class Jamie Nicley/Released)
Music
Episode 1
"A New Beginning" (Bensound.com)
Episode 2
"All That" (Bensound.com)
Citizen Stories
"Jarvic 8" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
"Castaway on Digital Ocean" by Lowther_and_Bryan (freesoundtrackmusic.com)
"Inspirational Acoustic" by AShamaluevMusic
(ashamaluevmusic.com)
"Tropical Falls" by Rick Dickert (freesoundtrackmusic.com)
The Inspiration
"Cinematic Piano Ambient" by AShamaluevMusic
(ashamaluevmusic.com)
Special thanks to...
​​​Celeste González de Bustamante, Sarah Gassen, Nancy Sharkey
and my interviewees:
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​​Tomas Sepulveda
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Ken Murray
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Roxana Vasquez
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Jacqui Oesterblad
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Christina Castillo Ochoa
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Students of the Woods Memorial
Library Citizenship Class
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Faraneh Amiry
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Eric Cohen
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Rachel Gansit
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Raquel Plascencia
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Maria Gudelia Tsosio
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Ariatna Hogate
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Laura Marquez
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Eileen Guo
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Reinout van Wagtendonk
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Ivette Ale
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Natasha Walsh
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Michael Harwin
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Gloria Goldman
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Dorlina Luna
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Luis Navarro