About the Project
v i s u a l i z i n g i m m i g r a n t P h o e n i x
Our research team of undergraduates at Arizona State University engages in ethnographic
fieldwork in metro Phoenix in order to visually document immigrants’ imprint upon the cityscape. Taken together, this website’s compilation of
researchers’ digital imaging, short ethnographic narratives, and mini-interviews richly demonstrate that, although flying below the radar of official planning instruments and public acknowledgement, migrants are busily
transforming our collective urban environment.
Project dates: August 2016 - May 2018
How do we do it?
Research team members work on projects both collaboratively and individually, documenting immigrant activities and neighborhoods. Each dedicates an average of a few hours a week. We practice beyond-the-classroom learning, engaging in visual documentation and qualitative ethnography in the urban laboratory of our city. We use census data to identify areas in the city with a high proportion of immigrants, and explore these areas as well as our own neighborhoods and others where we find intriguing prospects to explore. Researchers’ visualization and ethnographic research skills vary according to their major, ethnicity, language proficiency, and experiences in Phoenix communities. The resultant interdisciplinary, inter-ethnic synergies work to the project’s advantage, enriching students’ perspectives and resultant creative visualizations. Mentoring comes not only from project director Prof. Koptiuch, but also from peers on the team. Researchers share image sets, critique each other's visualizations, and collaborate in curating collections of our most evocative images for the exhibition. They each create their own photo essays about site visits and mini-interviews accompanied by short analytical text, as well as curate photo sets, all of which are addressed to our local communities and a worldwide audience through this website.
Research TeamS
Spring 2018
Team:
- Yerena Hernandez, Political Science
- Sanhareb Nano, Communications
- Megan Reder, Global Logistics Management
- Nina Rocket, Psychology
- Jonnathan Flores, Social & Behavioral Sciences
Research Assistant
- Argenis Hurtado Moreno, Social & Behavioral Sciences
Spring 2017
Team:
- Jose Grijalva, Forensics
- Argenis Hurtado Moreno, Social & Behavioral Sciences
- Hussein Mohamed, Interdisciplinary Arts & Performance
- Ileen Younan, English
Research Assistants
- Cynthia Canez, Psychology
- Crystal Cespedes, Psychology
Fall 2016:
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Cynthia Canez, Psychology
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Crystal Cespedes, Psychology
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Christen Garden, Social & Behavioral
Sciences
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Patrick Ingham, History
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Chrystin Sanchez , History
a n d o t h e r S p i n o f f s
See us in the news, other publications, and more, as word gets out about our project.
WE INVITE YOU TO EXPLORE OUR SITE--HOPE YOU ENJOY IT!
Send us comments!
© 2016-18 Kristin Koptiuch and individual authors. Please give credit to authors when citing. Viewpoints expressed are those of the authors and do not represent views of the project director or ASU. All photos taken by team members unless otherwise indicated. Please contact us if you have questions, comments, suggestions.