Returning to our Roots with City of Possibility

City of Possibility is a multimedia series that asks: what do immigrants imagine is possible for themselves and their city’s future?

Dear Feet in 2 Worlds Community,

In the first days of fall, the energy of New York City feels far from the magic of a Knicks championship win back in June, when blue and orange cloaked the streets. It feels distant, too, from the excitement of old and new World Cup allegiances and rivalries forming in bars and bodegas across the city — a moment that once again cemented New York’s legacy as a city built by, inhabited by, and shaped by immigrants.

Still, as we enter into October, a certain energy pulses, regardless of whatever global event is capturing the city’s attention. As I walk around Sunset Park, the vibrancy of the neighborhood makes itself known. Kids leap and jostle for points on the basketball court. Elders sit on stoops and gossip. A group of middle-aged women circle up for synchronized dancing. A gravelly voice in the distance hollers out a chorus on a karaoke machine.

In 2026, as xenophobic attitudes, policies, and attacks continue to bear down upon immigrant communities, New York City is choosing a different path. Feet in 2 Worlds’ newest series, City of Possibility, aims to document this moment.

What does it mean to be an immigrant in the city in 2026? How do immigrants sustain themselves through the changes New York is experiencing right now? In some ways, our series returns to Feet in 2 Worlds’ roots: it’s an investment in hyper-local reporting that highlights how immigrants are demonstrating resilience and innovation.

The challenges are daunting. Immigrant New Yorkers face the ongoing risk of mass deportation, the loss of legal status, a challenging job market, and a high cost of living. They are also navigating intense climate change — from heat waves to flooding to poor air quality — as certain workers toil outside with few protections. Some are living on the margins as they continue to shape their city’s cultural heartbeat and fuel its economic engine.

But immigrants — especially as New Yorkers — aren’t suffering in silence without a fight. From a Maya Guatemalan healer providing alternative medicine to a Chinese Venezuelan urban farmer fighting for hazard pay, these stories put immigrants at the center and position them with agency. Our reporting captures how despite the challenges, immigrants continue to build their own community spaces, develop economic opportunities, and create moments of joy and celebration. In City of Possibility, we’ll ask: what do immigrants imagine is possible for themselves and their city’s future?

Feet in 2 Worlds is supported by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, The Ford Foundation, the Fernandez Pave the Way Foundation, the Ralph E. Ogden Foundation, the Elizabeth Bond Davis Foundation, an anonymous donor, and contributors to our annual NewsMatch campaign.