Andrea Grimaldi—2014 Fellow
Year: Class of 2016
Major: Anthropology and Linguistics
Organization: Centro – Senior Services Program
In my project, I focused mainly on working with senior immigrants who generally face various challenges integrating into the society. My work at Centro in Minneapolis allowed me to interact with Latino seniors in a way that enabled them to share with me their stories for ethnographic interviews, feel comfortable joining the activities at the center, and most importantly, sense their value and existence in the society. The Chuck Green experience opened my eyes to the reality of seniors: their racial and ethnic diversity, unique languages, cultures, religions, education levels, and socioeconomic status. While teaching the seniors English and dance, and taking them to medical appointments I have learned a lot from them about the complexity of social services and the value of giving back to the community.