Young immigrants launch film about their experiences in Ireland

4 November 2011

Making Ireland Home 

One hundred and fifty people attended the premiere of Making Ireland Home, a film exploring the experiences of young immigrants last night in the Film Base, Temple Bar.

The film, produced by eleven immigrants between the ages of 18 and 25 from MRCI's mPower Youth Project, reveals experiences of isolation, racism, barriers in education and in accessing residency and citizenship whilst exploring identity and sharing hopes for the future.

Some statements by young immigrants in the film:

"It's kind of difficult to know my place. Am I equal or am I an outsider?"
"I kind of just start hating myself and wished I was white."
"You have to establish your rights at every point of the ladder."
"I think Ireland is changing and it's going to be a new Ireland and I am part of that."

One of the young film makers, Nally Silva, originally from Brazil now in 1st year nursing in UCC said, "By getting involved in the film I found that I wasn't alone and that other young people shared similar experiences of coming to Ireland. This film captures our hopes, dreams and aspirations for a future we all see in Ireland."

According to Mary Cunningham, director of the National Youth Council of Ireland who officially launched the film, "Making Ireland Home highlights important issues not only for youth workers and youth work organisations but for all of Irish society. It reminds us that in a multicultural Ireland young people have different experiences of growing up in this country. It also reminds us of how powerful and insightful the voices of young people can be in offering hope, ideas and solutions that need to be heard."

Helen Lowry, Community Work Coordinator of the MRCI said, "These stories, shared with humour and honesty, give insight into some of the problems young immigrants face in Ireland where they have put down roots. Their stories challenge us to strive for an Ireland where all young people can realise their hopes and aspirations."

The mPower Youth Project is funded under the European Integration Fund.

Background:
MPower is a migrant youth empowerment project initiated by MRCI. It brings together young people to share their stories and experiences of making Ireland their home, through film.

The film explores contemporary themes such as identity, problems in accessing citizenship and residency, experiences of racism, difficulties accessing third level education and hopes, dreams and aspirations for their future in Ireland.
What all of these dynamic and inspiring young people share in common is that, while they were all born outside Ireland, they have all made Ireland their home.


             
    
This project is co-financed by the European Commission under the European Integration Fund and is supported by the Office for the Promotion of Migrant Integration in the Department of Justice and Equality and Pobal.