Translation is an imaginative process that shapes meaning and expands perception. As values, experiences, and aspirations are shared through cultural and geographical space, new opportunities to understand our present and our future emerge. As of 2019, around 2 million immigrants from Africa were living in the United States — a number that has tripled since 2000. African immigrants account for around 30,000 people across the state of Iowa and the city of Cedar Rapids, in particular, is a hotspot for immigration. The ISLE storytellers documented families living in the Cedar Rapids, Iowa area who emigrated from multiple countries in Africa. In doing so, the storytellers discovered three key themes: family, faith and farming. From forging connections with religious communities in the area to establishing farming practices to fill a produce gap for African immigrants, these families have played a hand in irrevocably shaping Iowa’s culture.
