Immigration is a very hot topic. From American politicians (or pseudo-politicians) advocating a ban on Muslims from entering the United States to European leaders closing their boarders to Middle Eastern refugees from war-torn countries, there is a lot of concern regarding immigrants. Most of the soundbites come from influential people in power. The immigrants, many of whom come legally for educational or employment reasons, rarely get an opportunity to give their perspective. That’s why it’s refreshing to watch “Opening Doors“, a StoryCenter video created by Tahira Hussain, a student from Pakistan. She carries the responsibility of being the first person in her family to go to college. For this critique, I judged the digital story on the following assessment traits (as established by Jason Ohler in his book Digital Storytelling in the Classroom):
- Story – Hussain draws the viewer in by telling her story first-hand. She gives a glimpse into the cultural traditions of her community in Pakistan, including the staggering difference between how a family is treated when a daughter, rather than a son, leaves for college. Even before she got accepted into a college, she admitted she was “too scared to apply.” She also comments that she could not go to the local doctor by herself because she was “not allowed to go out without a man.” By the end of the story however, Hussain seems more confident after completing her studies. In addition, she remarks how she has inspired other women in her Pakistani village to get an education.
- Originality, voice and creativity – If Hussain had told this story in her native language, there might have been a greater emotional undercurrent in her voice, but she does a solid job of unfolding the timeline of events in English. She includes a number of personal photographs from her childhood in Pakistan as well as her schooling in the United States, including photos of her creating banners in support of environmental causes. There are also a couple of images, including a video clip of rippling water, that add abstract emotional layers to the story.
- Media grammar – It’s fairly evident that this was Hussain’s first time creating a digital story. Some of the photos were scanned at lower resolutions and the audio level of the narration varies throughout the video. Still, it’s not bad for a first effort.
As a tutor at the Community College of Denver, I often work with students from far-off places in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. I sometimes wonder if each of these students have their own story to tell about leaving the world they were born into then and the world they live in now. Even loud-mouth politicians could learn a thing or two from them.