Illinois Humanities Hosts Showcase About Immigration in Illinois and the American Dream

The series kicks off with 80 Minutes Around the World — Six Stories About Immigration, July 31 at Haymarket House

CHICAGO, JULY 25, 2024 — Illinois Humanities and Nestor "the Boss" Gomez will present 80 Minutes Around the World, a storytelling show featuring the stories of six immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, their descendants, and allies sharing their experiences of the American Dream and belonging on July 31, from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. CT at Haymarket House.

“There are few issues as historically - and currently - relevant to Chicago and our state as immigration. Headlines in the news only capture a fragment of the immigrant experience and what it means to find belonging in this country.” Illinois Humanities Executive Director Garbrielle Lyon shared. “The dynamic stories in 80 Minutes Around the World make and protect space for us to look deeper, listen to voices we don’t often hear from, and reflect on our own experience of the American Dream at this moment in our history.”

80 Minutes Around the World: Immigration Stories was originally created by Gomez — a winner of 79 Moth Slams wins and the winner of the 2022 National Storytelling Network Grand Slam  —  who also serves as producer, curator, and host. The event features a diverse lineup of seasoned storytellers, including:

• Archy Jamjun, two-time winner of the Moth GrandSLAM and co-curator of Outspoken LBGTQ Stories at Sidetrack in Chicago, 
• Eliana La Casa, winner of the 2021 Chicago Reader Best Stand-Up Comedian who has been featured on Comedy Central Latinoamérica and BBC Radio 4 London’s “Welcome to Wherever You Are,” 
• Maritza, an intern with Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights and aspiring bilingual educator, 
• Kory May, a seventeen-year member of Toastmasters and past winner of the Moth GrandSLAM, and 
• Alina Serban, the Chief of Staff at Embrace Living Communities with a background in TV journalism and experience that has ranged from The Moth StorySLAM to Eurovision.

The performance will be followed by a Q&A and discussion and guests will be invited to share their responses to the questions: What is your American Dream? and What does belonging mean to you?

80 Minutes Around the World is just one of Illinois Humanities’ upcoming events exploring the theme of belonging. In September, they will host three interactive workshops and group discussions centered on storytelling, photography, and zine-making reflecting the multitude of  immigrant experiences.

“Today it can seem like our dreams of America and for America are fractured beyond repair.,” Lyon said. “I don’t believe that. Sparking conversations that strengthen our communities is what we do at Illinois Humanities. Now is a perfect time to ignite our imaginations and dream anew together.A videotaped version of the performance will be made available via YouTube with closed captioning and English to Spanish closed captioning. 

Learn more at https://ilhumanities.org/events/80-minutes-around-the-world. 

80 Minutes Around the World: Immigration Stories is made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom.