As a sample I will be working with LYLYA (Lesbians and Latinas and Allies) a community based organization out of Watsonville. (I have decided for my final project to focus on interviews with people applying for asylum, that have been granted asylum or who are thinking about applying for asylum based on their sexuality.) However, for this model I will be doing interviews with queer Latinas and queer Latina immigrant women, who compose LYLYA’s community. With this prototype I want to test how will the participants relate to my project, if they feel engaged and what can facilitate this interaction. Since one of the most problematic things of my proposal is my website component, I want to develop a simple website as a “testimonial site” and have the participants interact with it. I want to develop this model as a workshop that I will develop with the participants in which they can learn how to use a camera or a voice recording device and record their stories dealing with immigration, identity and sexuality and then upload them to the website.
With this I will test how can participants relate to the website, what is their interest in engaging with this website, what do they get out of it and in what ways I can develop a website that is accessible, engaging and interesting to them.
Before going into the community I have to develop the website. Therefore, in terms of technical skills my needs are aquiring comfortability with dreamweaver, flash and/or other programs that you think are helpful.
For the model/prototype of my project for this quarter I want to do at least three interviews with LGBTQ people applying for asylum or that have been granted asylum in San Francisco through the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR). Then I will translate and edit short clips with the outcome of this interviews and I will develop a simple website were this clips will be available. As a navigating threat for the website I will write a narrative of my own process of asylum.
With this prototype I want to achieve the following goals: 1. Get in contact with people that have applied for asylum or are in the process. In this way I can follow their cases and continue to be in communication with them in order to incorporate these stories more in depth.
2. I will test out the idea of a website. I can also do follow ups with the people I interview and ask them what is their reaction to the website and to seeing their stories online.
3. This project and the information provided by the interviewees will give me a starting place where to start to map out my installation project. It will also help me think about the form and mediums that I want my final project to take.
If I am not able to solidify these preliminary interviews through the NCLR I will then do interviews with queer Latina immigrants that are part of LYLYA (Latinas y Lesbianas y Aliadas) who I have already contacted.
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