WUWM: Race & Ethnicity Reporting

Before meeting Moshe Katz, I don’t know if I ever considered “American Jew” and “Jewish American” to be different identities. But Katz says Jewish people are often asked which label represents them. For him, he says the answer is both.

"There are days of the week, or hours of the day, or seconds I respond to something that says, 'I’m a Jewish American.' There are certain things that the way I live my life is 'Jewishly' as an American. There are also days where I live my life as an American, who happens to be Jewish," Katz explains.

Every year, there are thousands of evictions in Milwaukee County. A new exhibition based on the best-selling book Evicted brings the crisis to life.

The exhibition is in an event space called the Mobile Design Box on Milwaukee's near west side — minutes away from Marquette’s campus. When you walk through the doors, you're greeted by a bright yellow banner with the word "evicted" written across it.

The Fourth of July is a time when many people in the U.S. celebrate their patriotism in whatever fashion they see fit. But a new art exhibition in Milwaukee shows that not everybody shares that patriotic vision. It's aptly titled, This Is America.

The late Dr. Allen L. Herron set the pace for black physicians in Milwaukee, especially black men. He’s believed to be the first African American male doctor to practice here.

The latest installment of I’m An American tells the story of a Rohingya man. The series explores what it means to be an American for people from underrepresented groups. It also gives them the chance to share their stories about their racial and ethnic identities.

I met Anuwar Kasim on a chilly Sunday afternoon in Milwaukee. It was at the headquarters of the Burmese Rohingya Community of Wisconsin (BRCW) on Howell near Layton Boulevard.

For many Americans, when they mention Independence Day, they’re talking about when the forefathers signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776. But for African Americans, a different date signifies independence: June 19, 1865. 

The date has been referred to as Freedom Day, Black Independence Day, or most commonly, Juneteenth. 

The CNN documentary series United Shades of America is nearing the end of its fourth season, and the second to last episode is all about Milwaukee.

The Emmy Award-winning series follows host W. Kumau Bell, a black standup comedian, who travels across the country. He goes to places he says the audience may not expect him to go, places he’s never been, or where he feels like he can learn something new.

We're looking at the impact of using "loaded" words, such as labels that describe certain areas of Milwaukee, in our latest Beats Me. For example, "inner city" is a term that may ignite many thoughts.

In discussions about the health and safety of water, it’s typical to hear from experts, public health officials and government leaders. But you don't often get the opinions of younger people who are just beginning to learn and care about natural resources.

Young people working with Cream City Conservation Corps are having some real conversations about the environment. August Ball leads the discussion at the group’s regular Tuesday night meeting in the Silver City neighborhood on Milwaukee's south side.

Since the beginning of the year, our I’m An American series has featured the stories of Muslim, Hispanic and Hmong people, who’ve talked about how the label “American” fits into their identity. Now, we hear from a Native American man who offers another unique perspective.

I first met Michael Zimmerman at the Indian Community School in Franklin, where he was teaching a biweekly Ojibwe Language course.

Editor's note: This piece was originally published on March 5, 2019. 

When you’re in your local corner store or gas station, it may not cross your mind that companies are using tactics to push certain products to specific customers. In Milwaukee County, there's evidence that tobacco products are targeted toward low-income communities and neighborhoods of color.

The presence of Native American people in Wisconsin dates back thousands of years — before any of us knew America's Dairyland to be what it is today. But as the population decreased, so did the prevalence of its languages.

However, places like the Indian Community School (ICS) in Franklin, Wis., are continuing to move the culture forward and keep the languages current with biweekly language courses.

If you ask a group of people what it means to be an American, or whether they consider American to be part of their identity, the answer can vary. You may even run into someone who isn't quite sure how to answer.

That was the case for Ramiro Castillo — a Hispanic man in New Berlin who’s featured in the latest installment of our I'm An American series.

Husband. Father. Owner of his own construction company. Community activist. These are just a few of the words that I came to realize describe Ramiro Castillo.