Spreading Awareness through Teen Perspectives with Immigrant Learning Center’s Annual Essay Contest

By Lauryne Jean Joseph

MHS Blue and Gold

The Malden-based Immigrant Learning Center (The ILC) created different topics and prompts relating to immigration for its annual Teen Perspectives on Immigration essay contest. The submission deadline has passed for the prizewinners. Anyone who applied before the deadline has been notified who placed as winners. A celebration will be held on Thursday, April 17 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at Arts Collaborative Medford, 162 Mystic Ave., Medford.

Those eligible to participate in this essay contest were grades 9-12 students from Malden, Everett, and Medford High School. However, what is eye-catching are the prizes after winning the contest as a whole: the first-place winner receives $300, second place receives $200, third place receives $100, and honorable mentions receive $50 each.

When The ILC first started, their main goal was to “increase awareness of the benefits” and to “shift the narrative about immigration away from fear and mistrust to one of compassion and understanding,” said Ariana Moir, the Education Program Manager.

This contest began in 2022, and the only school eligible to join at the time was Malden High School. Later, when the Malden-based ILC expanded to surrounding communities, the nonprofit encouraged students from other schools like Medford High and Everett High School to share their experiences as immigrants in America.

This year’s topic is “The Cultural Impact of Immigrants on American Society.” This topic ranged from personal experiences to family members’ experiences and anything else the teens can conjure up.

Students used these questions to guide their writing:

—What cultures and traditions do immigrants bring to your school, community and/or the United States?

—How do these cultures and traditions make America a better place?

—How do immigrants keep their traditions and share them with others while also learning American ways of life?

—How does sharing immigrant cultures help make America special?

There were different ways to submit work, including essays that must have up to 1,000 words, artwork and videos. “We accept(ed) art and video submissions in addition to essays,” Moir stated.

Trini Le and Jason Juan are both sophomores at Malden High School who entered this contest. They both submitted original artwork that fits this year’s theme. “My piece focused on immigrants who work in the agriculture industry and wake up before dawn in order to provide for their families,” Le explained.

Juan emphasized that it is important to “show how the country is built on immigrants and thrives because of them. It can represent the deep connection between America’s identity and the diverse cultures that shape it.”

Both Le and Juan mention that to them, immigration means “searching for opportunity” and “seeking refuge and a better life for themselves and their families.”

During these years, they have posted magazines that feature different contestants discussing the year’s prompts. Last year, in 2024, the magazine posted 39 pieces on the topic of “What immigration means to me,” which shows life as an immigrant in America in many different and creative ways.

While scrolling through these different types of submissions, ranging from essays to artwork, one can see different experiences relating to immigration.

All are welcome to attend the celebration to be held on Thursday, April 17 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at Arts Collaborative Medford, 162 Mystic Ave.