Fall 2026 priority deadline for transfer and graduate studies is January 5.

Fall 2026 priority deadline for transfer and graduate studies is January 5.

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Fall 2026 priority deadline for transfer and graduate studies is January 5.

SVA MFA Design

Program

Our vision

Curriculum →

Mission →

Community

Who we celebrate

Faculty →

Chair →

Staff →

Students →

Work

We strive for

Recent Work →

Ventures →

News →

FAQs →

Apply Now →

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A screenshot of the First Person American website displaying a headline that reads "STORIES OF PEOPLE COMING TO AMERICA," accompanied by a photo of a man in a suit and an article about someone's experience growing up in Koza and their journey to Idaho.

First Person American

First Person American

Winter Sun

Winter Sun

Project Description

Project Description

First Person American explores personal stories of people who came from other countries and now live in America. First Person American is a content-driven website for established immigrants and native-born citizens to open up a dialogue of what it means to be an American through the immigrants’ point of view. It explores the modern immigrant identity through video, personal narrative, visual documentation and interactive media.

Links

Links

A screenshot of a First Person American website displays a headline reading “STORIES OF PEOPLE COMING TO AMERICA” above a photo of a man in a suit. Below the headline, a short article titled “Growing up in Koza, my favorite movie was ‘My Own Private Idaho.’ So when I had a chance to come to the United States for the first time, I just picked Idaho.” is accompanied by a photo of a woman’s face. The page includes navigation links, a sidebar with additional content, and social media icons at the bottom.

A screenshot of the First Person American website shows a news page with a headline "STORIES" and a large image of a person in a library setting. The page includes sections for "STORY FILE," "NAME," "YEAR," "HOUR," "AMOUNT," "ADDING," and "FOUND," with corresponding dates and locations listed below. A "FILTER BY/TAGS" section is also visible on the right side. The website's navigation bar at the top includes tabs like "STORIES," "TOP 5," "BE A FIRST PERSON," "BLOG," and "ABOUT."

A screenshot of a First Person American website shows a black and white photo of Soo Yun Yun, a Korean-American actress, displayed prominently on the homepage. The page includes a "Become a Featured Interview" banner, a "Roadstops" section with a map, and a "Insider Tips" section with article links. The website's navigation bar includes tabs like "Featured First Person," "Latest Videos," and "Insider Tips." The overall design is clean and minimalist.

A screenshot of a First Person American website displays a white background with black text and images. The top banner reads “firstpersonamerican.com” and “TOP 5”. Below are several articles and sections including “My Favorite British Writers,” “First Person American’s Top 5,” “My Favorite Persian Food,” “Television Entries,” and “Culture.” Each section includes text, images, and navigation links.

A screenshot of the First Person American website shows the "TOP 5'S" section. The page displays "My Favorite Persian Food" and "Popular Iranian Superstitions," with tags including "All Cuisines," "All Countries," "All Cultures," and "All Nations." A small image of jewelry is visible below the titles. The date and time are displayed as "March 29, 2010."

A screenshot of the First Person American website shows a navigation bar at the top with tabs including "STORES," "TOPS," "BE A FIRST PERSON," "YOU'RE AN IMMIGRANT," "YOU'RE NOT AN IMMIGRANT," and "IT'S COMPLICATED." Below, a yellow box displays a quote: "Clue Ragaz! Clue Ragaz! Clue Ragaz! Where’s the good stuff? Clue Ragaz! Clue Ragaz! Clue Ragaz! Where’s the good stuff?" The main content area includes text fields for personal information and a "TELL ON YOUR STORY" prompt. At the bottom, a "FIRST PERSON PEOPLE" section lists names under "Collections."

A screenshot of a First Person American website displays a section titled “BE A FIRST PERSON,” with options for “YOU ARE ALL INCONGRUENT,” “YOU’RE NOT AN INMIGRANT,” and “IT’S COMPLICATED.” Below this, a “CALLING ALL HYPHEN-AMERICANS” section prompts users to input their name, address, and top five tips. A “SUGGESTED TOP 5$” section lists popular food items like avocado toast, fried chicken, and fried potatoes. A “BAND” button is visible, and a “SEND” button is at the bottom.

A screenshot of a webpage titled “Hello: What is Lunar New Year?” dated February 2, 2020, displays a Chinese dragon image and a brief article about the holiday. The article includes sections on categories, recent posts, and Twitter feed. The page is categorized under “International Arrivals” and includes navigation links for events, profiles, and news.

A screenshot of a First Person American website displays a black-and-white image of a woman wearing a hat, looking to the right. The headline reads "HOW MY MOM CROSSED US OVER ILLEGALLY IS NOTHING SHORT OF AMAZING." The article is written by Diana Perez and includes an interview by Diana Lee. The website interface shows tabs for "READ OUR BLOG" and "RECENT TOP 5s."

Two people are standing close together. The person on the left wears a bright blue t-shirt with a light blue design that includes quotation marks and stylized symbols. The person on the right wears a dark blue t-shirt with the words “first person american” printed on the back. The background shows a cityscape with tall buildings.

Two people are holding large white tote bags. The bag on the left has red text reading “WHAT’S YOUR STORY?” The bag on the right has a blue design of quotation marks. The bags are held in front of their lower bodies, obscuring their clothing. The background includes a gray wall and part of a staircase. The ground is covered with small stones or gravel.

The image shows a collection of buttons on a light gray fabric background. Each button has a white text label and a distinct color. The labels include "I'm Italian", "I'm Korean", "First Generation", "Third Generation", "Fourth Generation", "Second Generation", "American", "Lybian", "Black", and "Orange". Some buttons have multiple labels. The buttons are arranged in a somewhat organized pattern, though not in a strict grid.

A large, colorful poster or advertisement featuring four faces—two women and two men—is displayed on a wall. The faces are arranged side by side, with each person shown in a close-up view. The poster includes text in red, green, and purple, arranged in horizontal panels below the faces. A blurred figure of a person in a brown shirt is visible to the left of the poster. The image is primarily in black and white, with the colorful elements providing contrast.

The image displays the text "What's your story?" in black font against a light gray background. The words are centered and enclosed within quotation marks, with the word "story" emphasized in a larger font size compared to the rest of the text.

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Accepting applications for Fall 2026

Accepting applications for Fall 2026

310 East 22nd St - 5th Floor

New York, NY 10010

310 East 22nd St - 5th Floor

New York, NY 10010

310 East 22nd St - 5th Floor

New York, NY 10010

(212) 592-2600

mfadesign@sva.edu

(212) 592-2600

mfadesign@sva.edu

(212) 592-2600

mfadesign@sva.edu

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