Rebecca Kreiser
Reflection 4/5
(Un)documented Immigrant Media Makers and the Search for Online Connection- Sarah C. Bishop
The anonymity of NYC can be viewed as an extraordinarily contradictory social construct. For those who want to escape their past, the City offers a fresh start where nobody cares where an individual comes from. On the other hand, for those looking to connect with others like themselves, NYC can be a place of total isolation. Here, it is only the openness of the internet that enables the possibility of connection.
Undocumented immigrants face such an extreme amount of prejudice that it is not surprising that many choose to keep their identities a secret. In this sense, the social norms of NYC are a blessing. Not every city offers people as many options when it comes to their identity. Furthermore, by establishing an ambivalent attitude towards people’s past, the City treats all equally. In a certain sense, this equality can be seen as inclusivity.
But what happens if an undocumented immigrant wants to meet people with the same background? Today, the internet is their best bet. According to Bishop, ” Though many undocumented immigrants do not have opportunities to connect with each other in offline contexts, they are still likely to encounter mediated portrayals of undocumented immigration.” This means that unless undocumented immigrants come out online and tell their stories, they will only be portrayed by media which tends to stereotype them.
This fact is the motivation behind many undocumented immigrants’ decision to come out online. Freddy, who came to the US when he was two years old, told Bishop that he was more interested in being featured in a digital article because the internet “is open to everyone…[whereas] TV is focused on popularity.” Essentially, the internet is the only place that can rise above the problems that people create for themselves.
New York’s anonymity may be somewhat inclusive, but ultimately, we are only fooling ourselves if we think that we live in a city where people feel included.
- Do you find NYC’s anonymity to be inclusive?
- Do you enjoy internet articles more than TV? If yes, did you ever attribute it to the internet’s greater openness?
