Countdown to Stories That Move Us: An Evening Celebrating Immigrant Women
In honor of Immigrant Heritage Month, New Women New Yorkers (NWNY) will host an evening to celebrate the stories of extraordinary immigrant women making New York City their home. On June 12, Stories That Move Us will feature the storytelling showcase of a group of graduates from our storytelling program in partnership with The Moth, a delicious, off-the-beaten-path dinner by Eat Offbeat and Vanessa’s Dumplings, an open bar, music and other surprises. Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs Bitta Mostofi will give opening remarks. Don’t miss it!
Our community of volunteers had the opportunity to enjoy a preview of the showcase on May 29 at NWNY’s monthly Community Mixer. Judging by the audience’s response, the 12 hours of training on how to craft and deliver a story in a compelling way have paid off. “We all have beautiful stories to tell. They can be funny or sad. Either way, it’s all about sharing unique real life tales, which make us connect as human beings,” said Arielle Kandel, NWNY’s founder and CEO. Nine women told stories about struggles and triumphs, some related to their immigration experience and others to their everyday life.
Storytellers & Arielle The audience, whose reactions ranged from laughs to emotion Tatiana, from Brazil, spoke about her bond with her sister Marzena, from Poland, shared a tale about childhood adventures Anastassiya, from Kazakhstan, made everyone laugh Sandra, from Colombia, shared her moving love story
The audience reacted in many ways, from bursts of laughs to emotion. Anastassiya, from Kazakhstan, made everyone laugh with her story about hoping to get a job at a McDonald’s when she arrived in the United States six years ago. “It was really interesting to see how everyone’s stories evolved during the workshop sessions,” she said. Sandra, a Colombian who graduated in 2018 from LEAD, NWNY’s workforce development program, shared a moving story about how she met her husband. Tatiana, from Brazil, told the audience how distance and time haven’t changed her connection to her sister, who now lives in London. Marzena, from Poland, shared a story about her relationship with her oldest brother and how she started to live close to him again in New York City after a long separation.
Many other real life tales followed – and now you’ll have the chance to see our storytellers perform at Stories That Move Us on June 12. Tickets cost $30 and all proceeds will support NWNY’s programs. See you there!
