This week on February 22nd, The Immigrant Story published its 125th story! In celebration of this exciting milestone, we want to take a moment to share how much we’ve grown as a nonprofit over the past three years.
When The Immigrant Story began in 2017, we couldn’t have anticipated the diversity of experiences or the sheer number of awe-inspiring stories we would be privileged to document. Over the past two years, we have published stories about individuals from 54 different countries, the majority of whom were immigrants (42%) and refugees (31%) seeking new lives in the United States.
We couldn’t have made it to 125 stories if not for the passion and hard work of our volunteers. Thirty-two writers and 8 editors reported and shaped these stories. Twelve photographers created the imagery that illustrates our web pages.
Additionally, our most experienced writers and editors mentored 21 college students and one high school student in the science of journalism. Thus, we have become a successful launching pad for a new generation of ambitious and hungry journalists and storytellers.
The support we received was universal. Our readership, global. Several of our stories attracted more than 50,000 readers.
We are so humbled and honored by the trust our readership has placed in us and our work. We do not take that trust for granted. We have much more work to do. The 2020 election is looming, and we are working harder than ever to create new and compelling content that documents the lives and struggles of the immigrants and refugees who come to these shores — and who become our neighbors.
We believe that we are telling stories that can change the world — one person at a time!