IDS 101: Immigration Storytelling

1. New Mexico Storyteller                 2. Juglaria Cuentos (Minstral Tales)                                            3. Storyteller Figure, 100-800 AD, Jalisco, Mexico

The current political climate has set immigration matters at the center of public debate. Growing anti-immigrant narratives portrayed by the media and politicians attempt to threaten, dehumanize, and disempower non-citizens in the U.S. and around the globe. This course refocuses immigrant knowledge through the power of story. We study various forms of storytelling as a tool for understanding the political formation, identity and belonging, cultural and everyday immigrant experiences, including reasons for their displacement and connections in home and host countries. Through an interdisciplinary approach, students will examine storytelling methods, such as testimonios, comics, zines, creative writing, music, art, and digital media to understand the diversity of immigrant voices. Students will gain hands-on experiences in crafting and producing their own narrative projects. Along the way, students will also gain a thorough understanding of the laws and policies that govern immigration in the United States and their consequences.