"When I participated as a member of the audience for the first time it was very moving because you realize that you are not the only person going through this situation and you hear other people, all with different stories."
--a Colombian immigrant
 
Immigrant Stories shows have taken place in ESL classes; Head Start centers; schools; community centers; camps for migrant laborers' children; conferences for Hispanic mothers and daughters; and more.
 
We are interested in hearing from immigrant groups who would like to host or attend a performance. Please call Jo Salas at 845 255 7716 or by writing to her at
 
 
Thanks to the generous support of the Dyson Foundation, HRPT provides performances without cost to the agency or participants. We ask the organizing agency to provide a venue; outreach to audience members; childcare for children under 7; and refreshments if possible.

Olivia: Vine aquí para ayudar a mi familia en México. En mi país estaba muy difícil, sin trabajo no había nada que pudiéramos hacer. Vine hace 18 años. Este país me ha dado mucho y lo valoro.
Cristina: Para mí esto está siendo muy bueno, porque la situación en México es muy difícil, en cambio la situación en EE.UU. es mejor para mí y mi familia.
Pero como ya han mencionado, uno sufre sentimentalmente, se extraña la familia y las amistades, pero en otro sentido ha sido mejor.
Cesar: Para hacer algo en nuestro país, ayudar a la familia que se queda allá.
 
Living in a new country
Fidela: It's sometimes very difficult here because of transportation, even to do something simple like get food.
Karina: A lot of people don't understand why we come here. I saw in a magazine where people said "If they want to come here, why don't they come legally?" They don't understand how hard it is, how much money it takes. I feel frustrated and I wish I could help them understand.
Jorge: We try so hard to be included in American society and culture.
 
Viviendo en un país nuevo
Fidela: A veces se hace difícil porque en este lugar no hay cómo trasladarse fácilmente.
No hay forma de salir a comprar los alimentos.
Karina: Mucha gente no entiende por qué venimos aquí. Vi una revista donde la gente decía "¿ Si quieren venir aquí, por qué no vienen legalmente?" No entienden cuán difícil es, cuánto dinero se necesita. Me siento frustrada y me gustaría poder ayudarlos a entender.
Jorge: Nos esforzamos mucho por ser incluídos en la sociedad y cultura americana.
 
Work
Marina: We talk about all the bad things, but it's a price we have to pay for being in this beautiful country. In my country there's nothing good. I needed to leave. I have had to learn the language, I have to work hard, in order to be here. There's always discrimination, there are always problems, but it's worth it. Vale la pena. I'm thankful.
Calista: We have to work so hard. So hard. My husband works all the time. He's a carpenter, and he works by himself. I'm home with the children. There are five of us, and we have to pay a high rent. We can't manage in just one room any more. If he doesn't work so hard we don't eat. 
 
Trabajo
Marina: Hablamos de todas las cosas malas, pero es el precio que tenemos que pagar al estar aquí en este hermoso país. En mi país no hay nada bueno. Yo tenía que partir. He tenido que aprender el idioma. He tenido que trabajar duro, para poder estar aquí. Hay siempre discriminación hay siempre problemas, pero vale la pena. ¡Vale la pena! Yo estoy agradecida.
Calista: Tenemos que estar trabajando y trabajando para pagar la renta, la comida, para los niños. Mi esposo tiene que trabajar muy duro. El es carpintero, y trabaja por su cuenta. Yo estoy en casa con los niños. Somos cinco y tenemos que pagar una renta muy cara. Ya no podemos arreglarnos en un cuarto. Si él no trabajara tan duro no comeríamos.

VOICES FROM THE IMMIGRANT
STORIES PROJECT:
 
Stories from the first series are collected in the bilingual book,
 
Here are some excerpts:
 
All names are changed and photos do not show the people whose words are quoted.
 
Why we came
Olivia: I came here to help my family in Mexico. In my country it was difficult, no work, nothing we could do. I came 18 years ago. This country gives me a lot and I appreciate it.
Cristina: For me it's been very good, because the situation here has been better. One suffers emotionally for your family and friends that you've left behind, but in other aspects it's better.
Cesar: I wanted to come here so that I could help the ones who stayed behind.
 
Por qué vinimos

Our hopes for the future
Marta: I want my son to study well and have a good education.
Marcela: I hope some day the government will change the laws so that we can visit our country. I've been here 13 years and I've only been able to go home once and my husband not even once yet. There are people in my family at home who are sick. I would like to have my papers so I could visit my family.
Raquel: I think a lot of people were afraid to go to the immigrants' rights demonstration because of what might happen to them. But if we go and we're all there, together we can make change. I went, and I felt good to be there.
 
Nuestra esperanza en el futuro 
Marta: Quiero que mi hijo estudie bien y tenga una buena educación.
Marcela: Yo deseo que algún día el gobierno nos dé la oportunidad de arreglar papeles para estar legal y no estar así. Llevamos trece años aquí. Yo tuve la oportunidad de ir hace 2 años pero mi esposo aún no ha ido. Tenemos familiares enfermos que nos gustaría ver. Yo quisiera los papeles para poder visitar a mi familia.
Raquel: Yo pienso que mucha gente tiene temor de ir a las manifestaciones para los derechos de inmigrantes por lo que podría pasarles. Pero si todos vamos y estamos todos allí, juntos podemos lograr un cambio. Yo fui y me sentí bien de estar allí.

THE IMMIGRANT STORIES PROJECT
 
In 2004 Hudson River Playback Theatre began a project called "Immigrant Stories", a series of bilingual performances, funded by the Dyson Foundation, for groups of immigrants living in the Mid-Hudson Valley. In over fifty performances so far, audience members have told stories about many different aspects of their lives as immigrants. A native Spanish-speaker provides translation at each show.
 
Participants welcome the opportunity to tell and watch their stories, gaining a public voice and enabling non-immigrants who are present to better understand their experience.