This week, the U.S. is set to celebrate its 250th birthday. What did immigration look like 250 years ago, in 1776? That’s when the largest driver of immigration to this country was forced migration, or slavery. Our series looks at what happens when you take a long view of immigration, and include all our country’s history.

The World Cup started across the U.S., Mexico and Canada last week. In Milwaukee, a soccer program is working to close an access gap for Latina girls and provide a safe space for Latino families to come together and play.

A survey of low-cost childcare provider Head Start shows that families are keeping their children home as ICE enforcement ramps up. Kids who come to childcare are acting out and showing signs of stress.

Last week there was a shooting at San Diego’s Islamic Center. Three people were killed and the shooting is being investigated as a hate crime. A few days later in Milwaukee, there was a panel event celebrating the new book Muslims in Milwaukee, a deep study into the history, placemaking and challenges in Milwaukee’s Muslim community, which includes fighting Islamophobia.

Dr. Anisah Bagasra is an associate professor of psychology at Kennesaw State University in Georgia and she studies trends of anti-Muslim rhetoric. She talks about what happened in San Diego and what we should know about the rise of Islamophobia

During President Trump’s second term, the U.S. refugee program has been decimated. The number of new arrivals has plummeted, and refugees already in the country are now facing a freeze on green card processing and cuts to public benefits.
Last year, we talked with two brothers from Afghanistan about building a new life in Milwaukee, and how refugee resettlement providers have helped them.

We’re listening back to a conversation with one of Milwaukee’s celebrated labor leaders who fought for migrant workers’ rights: Jesus Salas. Salas co-founded Obreros Unidos (Workers United), which led a historic march in 1966, demanding lawmakers address violations of the state’s minimum wage laws and housing codes.

For Salas, defending migrant laborers and their rights is a personal call to action. He was a migrant worker alongside his family starting when he was 7 years old.

Paleteros, or traditional Mexican ice cream vendors, are a fixture on Milwaukee south side. Here's the story of one of the vendors, told by a local artist, Paula Lovo, who has a lifelong love of paleteros.

Artist Christie Tirado's life is defined by migration. Her parents moved from Mexico to the U.S. in search of better job opportunities. Growing up, Tirado frequently traveled to visit family in Mexico. On these trips, she became fascinated with how culture is passed down. That’s the subject of her art exhibit in Milwaukee. You can see some of Tirado’s work here.

In January, the Trump administration paused visa processing for people from 75 mainly African, Asian and Latin American countries. It left a lot of refugees already living in the U.S. in limbo. Some of their employers laid them off, wrongly thinking that they weren’t authorized to work.

Two young organizers, one undocumented and one not, share how their personal experiences led them to advocate for immigrant rights and immigration reform. They’re part of Comité Sin Fronteras, an advocacy group in Milwaukee.