When she first came to the United States in 2001, Ewa Kern-Jedrychowska was neither Democrat nor Republican. It was more of her personal and economic concerns, like most immigrants, that drove her to leave her native Poland.
But early Monday morning, seven years later, Jedrychowska boarded the train bound for Manchester, New Hampshire. Although still non-partisan, her mission for now, at least, was to cover the January 8 primary elections there and report the issues that affect the Polish community in the New York region.
For the first time, Jedrychowska, a reporter for Nowy Dziennik, a Polish-language daily, and eight other ethnic journalists from New York – most of them are not even voters in the coming November presidential elections – witnessed the campaign rallies and debates across New Hampshire as well as had the chance to experience the behind-the-scenes of the actual primary elections across New Hampshire.
“This is so great – something that I have never experienced before in my life,” Jedrychowska, 31, said, wearing her press ID and a digital camera around her neck. “Working for a small ethnic newspaper, we have no financial capability to cover this kind of event.”
Because most of these ethnic publications are understaffed and have limited resources to carry out projects outside their region, like the New Hampshire primary, they relied mainly on news wire service, picking up stories that had already been printed in bigger publications and translating them into their own language.
As a result, according to New York Community Media Alliance, an umbrella organization of ethnic and community publications based in New York – which sponsored the travel and lodging expenses for the journalists – delayed access to information has prevented many immigrant readers, especially those who have limited English and have considered an ethnic publication as their major source of information, from participating in social and civic discourses as well as in policymaking process.
“Every day, my fellow immigrants have been watching on television the presidential campaigns. Unfortunately, most of immigrant issues have not been covered,” said Abu Taher, editor and reporter for Bangla Patrika, a Bangladeshi weekly based in Long Island City, NY. “I’m glad that I have this chance to be at New Hampshire primary. Perhaps, I could personally ask the candidates, if I may have the opportunity, questions that concern immigrant communities.”
Taher, who has been living in the United States for more than 15 years, added that to be in the actual site, where the rallies and elections were happening, made him feel that he was involved in the making of an American history. “I will write about this and share my experiences with Bangladeshi immigrants in New York and those Bangladeshis who read our publication across the United States and around the world.”
Telling their stories
While presidential hopefuls have been vocal about their plans on public education, housing, healthcare, immigration, and labor rights, the ethnic journalists feel that both Democratic and Republican candidates seldom discuss issues that specifically concern immigrant communities.
“They talk mostly mainstream stuff,” said Antoine Faisal, editor of Aramica, a bilingual Arab-American weekly. “I want to hear more and write about the Lebanese community in New Hampshire. I want to know how they feel about the primary elections.”
Faisal said that Manchester has a big Lebanese American population, so he wants to visit a mosque where they congregate and ask them about their opinion on the elections.
Mohammad Jehangir Khan, a reporter for Pakistan News, who flew from Florida Sunday evening to join his fellow ethnic journalists, also expressed the impact that his New Hampshire coverage would have on the Muslim community.
“This trip is very informative, helpful and insightful in reaching out to the members of my community. Many Pakistani immigrants don’t know much about how the U.S. elections. The first-hand information that I get from New Hampshire, I believe, will give them a better understanding of the elections and be part of the U.S society,” said Jehangir-Khan.
He added that he intends to write issues surrounding the war in Iraq, healthcare, immigration, and the recent assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, which has become a political concern on foreign policy among U.S. presidential hopefuls.
Peter McDermott, who has covered government and politics for The Irish Echo, admitted that just “by talking to folks here, I will get a better sense of the primary and I will find a lot about the elections.” He said that it would be interesting to get their thoughts and share them with Irish immigrants in the country.
For Ari Kagan, senior editor of Vecherniy New York, a Russian-language weekly, he hopes that, in his first primary election, he will meet Democratic candidate Barack Obama. “I want to meet him because he represents the new wave of American politics. He is highly unusual, and he has been able to attract young voters, independent voters, and new voters. He doesn’t speak conventional wisdom; he speaks from his heart.”
Kagan, who ran for New York State Assembly in 2006, but lost to another Russian immigrant candidate, said he is interested in focusing on how the Democrats and Republicans present their platform to the people, what campaign strategies they have to woo voters. “It will give my readers an idea how do these candidates operate.”
