Accents: Northeast Ohio's Identity Crisis?

Why They Came Here
Aired November 20, 2002.
The identity of northeast Ohio is constantly changing. Years ago, Cleveland and its surrounding communities were built by immigrants and migrants that provided the labor to support the area's economic legs. The region that once drew thousands to work in its industrial centers is now looking to redefine itself as a hot spot for entrepreneurs and technology. So how can we use our historic diversity to help plan for the future? We'll try to answer that question with Accents - our month-long examination of ethnicity and immigration in northeast Ohio. But before we can look to the future, it's important to understand our past. Accents begins today with this history lesson from ideastream's Renita Jablonski.
<---Read the story here--->

Where They Went
Aired November 21, 2002.
There was a time when what you did, dictated where you lived. That's why northeast Ohio's landscape is made up of places like Little Italy, Slavic Village, The Buckeye-Woodland Neighborhood, and countless others. As we continue Accents, our in-depth examination of immigration and ethnicity in the region, ideastream's Renita Jablonski looks back at a time when neighborhoods were necessary in order to make a living.
<---Read the story here--->

What They Faced
Aired November 22, 2002.
There's no feeling like buying that first car, or your first home. For many immigrants, that feeling was the promise of a new start in northeast Ohio more than a century ago. For some it was the hope of a new life, free from persecution. For others, it was the chance to make some good money and take it back home. We continue our in-depth examination of Northeast Ohio's immigrant culture through a special series called Accents. This morning, ideastream's David C. Barnett reports on how some of those dreams didn't quite match reality.
<---Read the story here--->

Cleveland Cultural Gardens - Story 1
Aired November 22, 2002.
You don't have to cross the Atlantic to visit the Old World. Tucked away on the east side of Cleveland is a series of gardens full of fountains, statues, and landscaped plots, all standing as monuments to the ethnic diversity of Cleveland's immigrant population. Today, and throughout the rest of Accents, we'll explore the Cultural Gardens with help from students at Cleveland State University. Brian Pfeiffer is a member of this semester's local history seminar examining the gardens significance. He has this report.
<---Listen to the story here--->

Immigrant Workers - Part 1
Aired November 25, 2002.
Cleveland's industrial might was built on the backs of its immigrant workers. They toiled in steel mills and factories doing jobs that others avoided. Today most immigrants come from Europe, but a growing number are from Latin America and Asia. Today we continue Accents, our in-depth examination of ethnicity and immigration in northeast Ohio. ideastream's Mike West has this report on the economic impact today's immigrant workers are having on our region.
<---Read the story here--->

Immigrant Workers - Part 2
Aired November 26, 2002.
Immigrants have always played an important role in filling low paying, un-skilled jobs in the United States. Now more American companies are also reaching across boarders to hire highly skilled professionals. Foreigners are being recruited to work in the medical, high-tech and education fields. It's a good thing for many industries, but some wonder why more Americans are not ready to fill these high paying jobs. Today we continue Accents, our in-depth examination of ethnicity and immigration in northeast Ohio. ideastream's Mike West has this report.
<---Read the story here--->

Cleveland Cultural Gardens - Story 2
Aired November 27, 2002.
When we talk about northeast Ohio's wide variety of ethnic foods, it's one way of talking about international issues without getting too serious. Cleveland's Cultural Gardens can have the same effect. Trees and flowers and light conversation. We continue our exploration of the Cultural Gardens with help from students taking a local history seminar at Cleveland State University. Class member Jessica Puerta explains that the symbols of peace and brotherhood rooted in the gardens often had deeper meanings.
<---Listen to the story here--->

Interview with Laura Taxel, Author of Cleveland Ethnic Eats
Aired November 27, 2002.
<---Listen to the interview here--->

Bilingual Education - Part 1
Aired December 4, 2002.
Here in Northeast Ohio, our history is one of new arrivals from all corners of the world speaking many languages. No matter how diverse the native backgrounds of immigrants, all share a common challenge - making their way in an English-speaking culture. Many first generation immigrants don't learn English, although that's probably less true today than in the past. But it falls to Ohio's public schools to make sure their kids do. As part of our series Accents, we take a two-part look at how we educate those with limited English skills. Today, 90.3's Bill Rice takes us to a western suburb for a firsthand peek at bilingual education in action.
<---Read the story here--->

Around Noon: Interview and Concert
Aired December 5, 2002.
Cleveland State University professor Mark Tebeau describes how he sent a group of student researchers into the community to explore the story behind Cleveland's Cultural Gardens. (You can hear the results each week in our Accents series.) We'll also treat you to the live stories and songs of Irish musician Sorca McGrath.
<---Listen to the show here--->

Kabul to Cleveland
Aired December 6, 2002
Every year Greater Cleveland absorbs thousands of new immigrants. Some come for economic opportunity. Others come because they have nowhere else to turn. Over the years, Cleveland Catholic Charities' Migrant and Refugee assistance program has resettled people from the Balkans, southeast Asia, and Africa. This year, the agency broke new ground by welcoming a handful of families from Afghanistan. This morning, we revisit their experience, with a story heard here first in August as ideastream's Accents series continues. While the Refugee assistance program has roots in Northeast Ohio's storied immigrant tradition, ideastream's April Baer reports, it's now paving the way for a different crop of newcomers.
<---Read the story here--->

Cleveland Cultural Gardens - Story 3
Aired December 6, 2002
The neighborhood surrounding Cleveland's Cultural Gardens is much different than when the first statues were erected in Rockefeller Park nearly eight decades ago. The area was once a destination for a variety of European immigrant groups. By the end of World War II, more and more of the city's white residents were heading to the suburbs. At the same time, southern blacks continued to arrive in large numbers, populating places like the Glenville neighborhood. As part of our examination of ethnicity and immigration in northeast Ohio, we've developed a unique partnership with Cleveland State University. Students in a local history seminar have researched a series of stories about the significance of the gardens. Today, as class member Tiffany Curtin reports, there's a plot of land that's waiting for an identity.
<---Listen to the story here--->

Russian Family
Aired December 11, 2002
If someone were to ask whether or not you are an American, you probably wouldn't hesitate to say yes. But, for many, that isn't an easy decision. Even in a city as ethnically diverse as Cleveland, a foreign accent can label you as an outsider. ideastream is conducting an in-depth examination of Northeast Ohio's immigrant culture through a special series of radio and television reports called Accents. This morning, David C. Barnett takes us to the home of a local family that's trying to establish a new identity.
<---Read the story here--->

Arabic Family
Aired December 12, 2002
For many area immigrants, it's a struggle to assume an American identity while maintaining their cultural heritage. Some local Muslim women were attacked or threatened in the days after September 11th, because their traditional garb suddenly became a symbol of the enemy for some Greater Clevelanders. ideastream is conducting in-depth examination of Northeast Ohio's immigrant culture through a special series of radio and television reports called Accents - Northeast Ohio's Identity Crisis? This morning, David C. Barnett takes us to a local home where the old world is blending with the new.
<---Read the story here--->

Cleveland Cultural Gardens - Story 4
Aired December 13, 2002
Northeast Ohio is made up of people from more than 70 nationalities. One of the largest symbols of the area's ethnicity is located within Rockefeller Park, on Cleveland's east side. But the Cleveland Cultural Gardens represents only 24 different ethnic groups. So what does it take to get a garden? A group of Cleveland State students taking a local history seminar explored that question this semester. As class member Ellen Shepherd reports, planting a garden can be a long process.
<---Listen to the story here--->

Bilingual Education - Part 2
Aired December 18, 2002
Several states have been battlegrounds over how best to educate non-English speaking public school students. Efforts to kill so-called bilingual education, where students are taught in both their native tongues and in English, have succeeded in California, Arizona and, most recently, Massachusetts. All three states favor what's called the "immersion approach," which requires students to leave their mother tongues at home and use only English at school. There's been no such movement here in Ohio, but a continual quest to find the best recipe for helping foreign-born students adjust and thrive is very much alive. As part of our series Accents, ideastream's Bill Rice looks at one school district's approach to bridging multiple language barriers.
<---Read the story here--->

Cleveland Cultural Gardens - Story 5
Aired December 18, 2002
The Cleveland Cultural Gardens represent the identity of two dozen different ethnic groups living in northeast Ohio. But these days the park is struggling to retain its identity as a whole. Throughout our Accents series, students in a local history seminar at Cleveland State University have taken us on a tour of the gardens and its history. In our final installment of stories on the gardens, class member Monica McMahon takes a look at what they can mean to northeast Ohio today and in the future.
<---Listen to the story here--->

Accents Wrap-up
Aired December 19, 2002
Cleveland ranks high when it comes to being one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the nation. That diversity is praised constantly by political and community leaders, but rarely has it been treated as a real tool to spur economic development and develop stronger ties between the area's communities and neighborhoods. Throughout the last five weeks, our Accents series has examined issues of ethnicity and immigration in northeast Ohio, ranging from its history to its implications in education, business, and our personal lives. Today, as we begin to wrap up our series, ideastream's Renita Jablonski considers what we have, and what we need to do to take full advantage of the region's multi-cultural assets.
<---Listen to the story here--->


Why They Came Here Aired November 20, 2002. The identity of northeast Ohio is constantly changing. Years ago, Cleveland and its surrounding communities were built by immigrants and migrants that provided the labor to support the area's economic legs. The region that once drew thousands to work in its industrial centers is now looking to redefine itself as a hot spot for entrepreneurs and technology. So how can we use our historic diversity to help plan for the future? We'll try to answer that question with Accents - our month-long examination of ethnicity and immigration in northeast Ohio. But before we can look to the future, it's important to understand our past. Accents begins today with this history lesson from ideastream's Renita Jablonski. <---Read the story here---> Where They Went Aired November 21, 2002. There was a time when what you did, dictated where you lived. That's why northeast Ohio's landscape is made up of places like Little Italy, Slavic Village, The Buckeye-Woodland Neighborhood, and countless others. As we continue Accents, our in-depth examination of immigration and ethnicity in the region, ideastream's Renita Jablonski looks back at a time when neighborhoods were necessary in order to make a living. <---Read the story here---> What They Faced Aired November 22, 2002. There's no feeling like buying that first car, or your first home. For many immigrants, that feeling was the promise of a new start in northeast Ohio more than a century ago. For some it was the hope of a new life, free from persecution. For others, it was the chance to make some good money and take it back home. We continue our in-depth examination of Northeast Ohio's immigrant culture through a special series called Accents. This morning, ideastream's David C. Barnett reports on how some of those dreams didn't quite match reality. <---Read the story here---> Cleveland Cultural Gardens - Story 1 Aired November 22, 2002. You don't have to cross the Atlantic to visit the Old World. Tucked away on the east side of Cleveland is a series of gardens full of fountains, statues, and landscaped plots, all standing as monuments to the ethnic diversity of Cleveland's immigrant population. Today, and throughout the rest of Accents, we'll explore the Cultural Gardens with help from students at Cleveland State University. Brian Pfeiffer is a member of this semester's local history seminar examining the gardens significance. He has this report. <---Listen to the story here---> Immigrant Workers - Part 1 Aired November 25, 2002. Cleveland's industrial might was built on the backs of its immigrant workers. They toiled in steel mills and factories doing jobs that others avoided. Today most immigrants come from Europe, but a growing number are from Latin America and Asia. Today we continue Accents, our in-depth examination of ethnicity and immigration in northeast Ohio. ideastream's Mike West has this report on the economic impact today's immigrant workers are having on our region. <---Read the story here---> Immigrant Workers - Part 2 Aired November 26, 2002. Immigrants have always played an important role in filling low paying, un-skilled jobs in the United States. Now more American companies are also reaching across boarders to hire highly skilled professionals. Foreigners are being recruited to work in the medical, high-tech and education fields. It's a good thing for many industries, but some wonder why more Americans are not ready to fill these high paying jobs. Today we continue Accents, our in-depth examination of ethnicity and immigration in northeast Ohio. ideastream's Mike West has this report. <---Read the story here---> Cleveland Cultural Gardens - Story 2 Aired November 27, 2002. When we talk about northeast Ohio's wide variety of ethnic foods, it's one way of talking about international issues without getting too serious. Cleveland's Cultural Gardens can have the same effect. Trees and flowers and light conversation. We continue our exploration of the Cultural Gardens with help from students taking a local history seminar at Cleveland State University. Class member Jessica Puerta explains that the symbols of peace and brotherhood rooted in the gardens often had deeper meanings. <---Listen to the story here---> Interview with Laura Taxel, Author of Cleveland Ethnic Eats Aired November 27, 2002. <---Listen to the interview here---> Bilingual Education - Part 1 Aired December 4, 2002. Here in Northeast Ohio, our history is one of new arrivals from all corners of the world speaking many languages. No matter how diverse the native backgrounds of immigrants, all share a common challenge - making their way in an English-speaking culture. Many first generation immigrants don't learn English, although that's probably less true today than in the past. But it falls to Ohio's public schools to make sure their kids do. As part of our series Accents, we take a two-part look at how we educate those with limited English skills. Today, 90.3's Bill Rice takes us to a western suburb for a firsthand peek at bilingual education in action. <---Read the story here---> Around Noon: Interview and Concert Aired December 5, 2002. Cleveland State University professor Mark Tebeau describes how he sent a group of student researchers into the community to explore the story behind Cleveland's Cultural Gardens. (You can hear the results each week in our Accents series.) We'll also treat you to the live stories and songs of Irish musician Sorca McGrath. <---Listen to the show here---> Kabul to Cleveland Aired December 6, 2002 Every year Greater Cleveland absorbs thousands of new immigrants. Some come for economic opportunity. Others come because they have nowhere else to turn. Over the years, Cleveland Catholic Charities' Migrant and Refugee assistance program has resettled people from the Balkans, southeast Asia, and Africa. This year, the agency broke new ground by welcoming a handful of families from Afghanistan. This morning, we revisit their experience, with a story heard here first in August as ideastream's Accents series continues. While the Refugee assistance program has roots in Northeast Ohio's storied immigrant tradition, ideastream's April Baer reports, it's now paving the way for a different crop of newcomers. <---Read the story here---> Cleveland Cultural Gardens - Story 3 Aired December 6, 2002 The neighborhood surrounding Cleveland's Cultural Gardens is much different than when the first statues were erected in Rockefeller Park nearly eight decades ago. The area was once a destination for a variety of European immigrant groups. By the end of World War II, more and more of the city's white residents were heading to the suburbs. At the same time, southern blacks continued to arrive in large numbers, populating places like the Glenville neighborhood. As part of our examination of ethnicity and immigration in northeast Ohio, we've developed a unique partnership with Cleveland State University. Students in a local history seminar have researched a series of stories about the significance of the gardens. Today, as class member Tiffany Curtin reports, there's a plot of land that's waiting for an identity. <---Listen to the story here---> Russian Family Aired December 11, 2002 If someone were to ask whether or not you are an American, you probably wouldn't hesitate to say yes. But, for many, that isn't an easy decision. Even in a city as ethnically diverse as Cleveland, a foreign accent can label you as an outsider. ideastream is conducting an in-depth examination of Northeast Ohio's immigrant culture through a special series of radio and television reports called Accents. This morning, David C. Barnett takes us to the home of a local family that's trying to establish a new identity. <---Read the story here---> Arabic Family Aired December 12, 2002 For many area immigrants, it's a struggle to assume an American identity while maintaining their cultural heritage. Some local Muslim women were attacked or threatened in the days after September 11th, because their traditional garb suddenly became a symbol of the enemy for some Greater Clevelanders. ideastream is conducting in-depth examination of Northeast Ohio's immigrant culture through a special series of radio and television reports called Accents - Northeast Ohio's Identity Crisis? This morning, David C. Barnett takes us to a local home where the old world is blending with the new. <---Read the story here---> Cleveland Cultural Gardens - Story 4 Aired December 13, 2002 Northeast Ohio is made up of people from more than 70 nationalities. One of the largest symbols of the area's ethnicity is located within Rockefeller Park, on Cleveland's east side. But the Cleveland Cultural Gardens represents only 24 different ethnic groups. So what does it take to get a garden? A group of Cleveland State students taking a local history seminar explored that question this semester. As class member Ellen Shepherd reports, planting a garden can be a long process. <---Listen to the story here---> Bilingual Education - Part 2 Aired December 18, 2002 Several states have been battlegrounds over how best to educate non-English speaking public school students. Efforts to kill so-called bilingual education, where students are taught in both their native tongues and in English, have succeeded in California, Arizona and, most recently, Massachusetts. All three states favor what's called the "immersion approach," which requires students to leave their mother tongues at home and use only English at school. There's been no such movement here in Ohio, but a continual quest to find the best recipe for helping foreign-born students adjust and thrive is very much alive. As part of our series Accents, ideastream's Bill Rice looks at one school district's approach to bridging multiple language barriers. <---Read the story here---> Cleveland Cultural Gardens - Story 5 Aired December 18, 2002 The Cleveland Cultural Gardens represent the identity of two dozen different ethnic groups living in northeast Ohio. But these days the park is struggling to retain its identity as a whole. Throughout our Accents series, students in a local history seminar at Cleveland State University have taken us on a tour of the gardens and its history. In our final installment of stories on the gardens, class member Monica McMahon takes a look at what they can mean to northeast Ohio today and in the future. <---Listen to the story here---> Accents Wrap-up Aired December 19, 2002 Cleveland ranks high when it comes to being one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the nation. That diversity is praised constantly by political and community leaders, but rarely has it been treated as a real tool to spur economic development and develop stronger ties between the area's communities and neighborhoods. Throughout the last five weeks, our Accents series has examined issues of ethnicity and immigration in northeast Ohio, ranging from its history to its implications in education, business, and our personal lives. Today, as we begin to wrap up our series, ideastream's Renita Jablonski considers what we have, and what we need to do to take full advantage of the region's multi-cultural assets. <---Listen to the story here--->
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