Alumni Memory: Anita Li, MJ ’11
An International Experience
My favourite memory of j-school was the time I spent working on my Master’s Research Project in my final year. Carleton gave me a scholarship to offset travel costs to China, where I conducted research and reporting for my MRP about the African diaspora in Beijing, specifically looking at the experiences of newcomers who immigrated due to the economic and academic ties between China and the continent. I interviewed sources from Nigeria, Tanzania, Cameroon, South Africa, Niger and Ghana about the strong ethnic nationalism they witnessed in China, which stems from the country’s history of foreign invasion.
During my month-long trip in July 2010, I also worked as a research assistant for Evan Osnos who was The New Yorker’s Beijing correspondent at the time, and studied Mandarin at Hutong School, a local Chinese-language school.
In this photo, I’m pictured (wearing a New York Yankees hat) with my Hutong School classmates who came from all over the world; we’re posing on the Great Wall of China at Mutianyu. I’m still in touch with the friends I made there, and will always look back at this time as an illuminating, unforgettable experience that kick-started my career in journalism. – Anita Li, MJ ’11
Alumni Memories are part of Carleton Journalism’s 75th Anniversary.
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Monday, October 19, 2020 in 75th Anniversary - Alumni Memory
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