This coming March 29, 30, and 31 (postponed from September), PBS will be airing a three-part documentary series called "The New Americans." The series captures the stories of a diverse group of contemporary immigrants and refugees from Nigeria, India, the Dominican Republic, the Israeli-occupied West Bank, and Mexico. These stories raise issues both about the immigrant experience and about what it means to be an "American."

Several educational resources will be available to support discussion of the film, including an NELRC-developed resource kit of discussion activities for community forums and adult education settings, a video clip reel for use in classrooms, a new National Issues Forum guide for discussing immigration, and a web site of supplementary activities and resources. Although the entire documentary is seven hours, special attention has been given to creating resources that address the contextual reality of limited class time. The resource guide, for example, provides support for viewing and discussing short segments or single scenes.

For more information about "The New Americans" and its companion resources, visit www.itvs.org/outreach/newamericans/resources.html.

Andy Nash is the civic participation coordinator for the New England Literacy Resource Center. She can be reached at: anash@worlded.org