Salvatore Fevola
Response 3 of 5
Sarah C. Bishop, “(Un)documented immigrant media makers and the search for connection online”
The continually rising power of the internet impacts every part of the modern day culture, thus it has affected communication as it has become the most powerful and versatile form of media. Sarah C.Bishop’s interview of twenty-five undocumented media makers, consisting of millennials, shows the internet’s power and versatility by giving voices to whoever chooses to speak.
Through the power of the internet and anonymity, “coming out” for undocumented immigrants has changed for the better. The confidence of being able to speak about personal experiences without the fear of being sent to jail or deported has been a boon for undocumented immigrants. Instead of conventional media speaking out against a broad group of “illegal immigrants” to dehumanize them, individuals get to tell their own stories. Its easy to dehumanize a group by broadly painting them with one brush stroke, buts its difficult to do the same to individuals when they speak about their hardships in life.
However, the problem with giving everyone an equal voice comes with malicious voices being just as loud as pleasant ones. Online abusers are quick to fling insults at people when they get to hide behind a computer screen. It isn’t hard to find examples such as Angy where she “has been called a leech and a cockroach, encouraged to commit suicide, and physically threatened” (12). But, despite the gravity of the words thrown at undocumented immigrants, the internet itself is prone to be inhabited by people who have no care for what they say to others. It isn’t so much just a problem for undocumented immigrants, it’s a problem that almost any content creator on the internet faces. And its also not like the hatred is new, as immigrants, even documented ones, have always faced hatred by natives. I would wager that if Americans had the internet in the 1800s, that the Irish would be pelted with the same vitriol that current immigrants get.
One tool of the internet is its versatility, which I feel wasn’t fully touched on in the essay. On traditional media, such as TV, you get the option to watch 1000 tv channels, which are all preset; whereas on the internet you have potentially limitless websites to surf through, all providing different experiences. One website, YouTube for example, has all the functionality of TV by itself, while still allowing for options than just preset channels. The internet gives power to the individual not just by giving them a voice, but by giving them freedom. One of the interviewees named Esther wanted to create documentary about her experience so she taught herself after having “spent three months on YouTube learning how to edit in Final Cut”(6). Within the branch of versatility comes a different way of storytelling that YouTube has helped to popularize: podcasting. You would never expect for anyone to watch a 3 hour tv show with two people talking, yet there are countless examples of well over 100,000 people watching these kinds of videos on YouTube. The power of the prosumer is easily shown through this as the content produced is simply the story that one has experienced, for others to consume and perhaps even ignite a few people to speak of their own experiences.
Overall, the Internet is a good thing for the integration of immigrants into America, and it improves the experience of immigrants trying to find others with similar experiences.
Questions:
- Is there an importance in the distinction between using the words undocumented immigrants vs using illegal immigrants?
- The internet has made finding likeminded people incredibly easy, but it has come at the price of diversity of thought. What effect has echo chambers had on modern day culture and society?
- The old saying of one bad apple ruining the whole bunch has negatively impacted undocumented immigrants, but have you ever thought bad of a group through the experience of one “bad apple?”
