The Perfect American tells the stories of immigrants detained by ICE. Every episode is centered around a different detainee. Each with a different story, a different perspective, and a different relationship with America. In this country, where not everyone qualifies as American, these people deserve a chance to be heard. A chance to prove themselves, to show who they are outside of what the media spews about them. These are the Perfect Americans, the people who strive to be a part of a nation that doesn’t want them.
Our America: We Grieve, and Then We Mobilize
25 years ago, we created Girls Write Now to mentor and amplify disempowered and systemically under-represented voices. The stories in this collection show that while we continue to face incredible obstacles in our endeavors, we are fostering a community of dedicated writers and activists who are prepared to take them on. These are the stories of a generation who refuse to be defined by anything other than their own words. These are the stories of those who grieve... and then mobilize.
Embrace It
When creating this piece, I wanted to embrace a little piece of cultural diversity in the U.S., but also show that historically, diversity hasn’t been welcome here. The piece is a reminder that just because we get along better now, there are still societal problems that aren’t solved.