Migration is a Shared Human Experience
The Mannella family (Marisa’s grandmother’s family). They were Italian Immigrants that immigrated through Ellis Island in 1919.
by Marisa Nathan and Amy Melik
Have you ever asked yourself what people experience as they move from one place to another? You most likely have had an experience of moving from one place to another, whether it be to a new house in a close neighborhood, to a neighboring state, or possibly even another country. I’m guessing that our experiences have all differed and may have been negative or positive as we migrate from one place to another. Even though we have different migration experiences and feelings associated with it, we can all agree that migration is a unifying condition.
We all have our own personal biases and assumptions around the idea of migration. The current state of our country has lent itself to the idea of migration being a negative experience. When you think about what is happening at the United States’ borders, including but not limited to the way human beings are being treated inhumanely in detention centers, this could fuel a negative view on migration and create injustice. This type of situation feeds into stereotypes that are unhealthy and unjust for our human race.
However, the human experience intertwines itself with migration throughout history. There are many reasons why we move to new locations. We may relocate because we found a new job. We may be reuniting with family. We also may have to move, because of no choice of our own, and have been expulsed from our place of origin due to civil unrest, famine, or natural disasters. All of these conditions can cause stress and difficulty as we think about whether or not to assimilate and acculturate to a new home.
How individuals and families make their migration varies. Some may travel by airplane, by car, by boat, or by foot. For example, in the 1970’s thousands of Vietnamese refugees had to flee their country due to war. They fled by boat and foot landing in many countries around the world. See these pictures below taken at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington D.C. The first shows the pattern of the migration of Vietnamese people around the globe and the second shows the image of Vietnamese “Boat People” that were forced to leave their homes due to the Vietnam War.
Tiffany Chung, Reconstructing the Exodus History: flight routes from camps and of ODP cases 2017
Tiffany Chung, The Vietnam Exodus Learning Project: the exodus, the camps and the half lived lives, 2017
As we think about the identity of self, migration lends itself to many implications. When we move to a new place, we may or may not, have a choice whether to assimilate and acculturate into a new culture or not. This new culture may include learning how to get around a new city using public transportation, understanding the systems of school, learning a new language, and/or getting accustomed to new and different foods, among many other cultural aspects of life in a new place. How similar is the culture of our new home to what we already know? Whether we have support in our new home or are forced to figure our new home out for ourselves can also affect our identity. These types of implications may affect our self image and how we see the world around us. These experiences may help us grow but may also cause us to question who we are.
Ask yourself, where are you authentically in regards to your experiences with migration?
Where do you consider “home”?
Do you feel comfortable in your new home?
Do you still see yourself in your last home?
Are you expected to code switch between two cultures?
Do you ask yourself where your culture fits into this change?
How does public perception play a role in this?
As we think about how migration unites us and as we act as ambassadors of migration, we can bring these conversations into our systems, schools, and classrooms by using some of the following ideas in order to create rich discussions with our school leaders, teachers and students:
Through narratives
Through analyzing poems like the New Colossus by Emma Lazerus
Through personal stories of migration of family and friends
Through analyzing art, images and pictures
The Exodus of Egypt-Dutch War
As we work for justice during this important time during history and bring the idea of migration as a unifying condition for the human race, we encourage you to reflect and ask yourself this final question:
How does my migration story affect my identity, and what does it mean to me, my community, my nation, and the world?
To Further Your Learning
The Ecology of Adjustment resource compilation
Lowell High School’s We are America compilation
Tenement Museum’s “Explore” tab
Culturally Responsive Teaching Checklist from Re-imagining Migration