Race Series: Migration and the World Recap

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This past Saturday marked the first event in DNDA’s Let’s Talk Race Series: Migration and the World. Two youth from the Young Women Empowered organization, Rosario Lopez and Ha’aheo Dekker, facilitated the event, as well as adult facilitator, filmmaker and educator Christina A. Wallace. Participants were led on a journey through the history of American immigration and migration, and explored their own understandings of migration and how it has affected their relationships to their country and one another.

Participants began by mapping their family’s migration history on a large map of the globe and wrote definitions of what it meant to have culture, to be an undocumented immigrant, to be a refugee, to migrate, and offered their personal definitions of race. Individuals played a game of Migration Bingo and told the story of their own names and lived histories. Participants then journeyed through a timeline to see where they fit on the long history of events that have shaped the American story, and used the restorative justice practice of peace circle to debrief their experiences and give validation to each other’s stories and perspectives.

A portion of Wallace’s film With Wings and Roots was shown, charting migration, identity and racism for immigrants in both Germany and New York. The day wrapped up with a community dinner where participants shared a warm meal and reflected on the day, their place and role in the community, and what next steps could be taken to share a more collective story of immigration in this country.

DNDA would like to give thanks to our sponsors; the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods and United Way of King County, and to our partners for this event; Young Women Empowered, Casa Latina, West Seattle Timebank and others. Special thanks to all of our volunteers who made the day possible, and to our community in their efforts to strengthen ties in the community, and connect people to different cultures within the diverse and beautiful Delridge corridor.

If you would like to learn more about Christina’s film please visit:http://withwingsandrootsfilm.com

Check out more photos of the event here.