The 340-mile Operation Gatekeeper fence is perhaps the most obvious symbol of illegal immigration in this country. Two related exhibits at the Center for Documentary Studies, Nuestras Historias, Nuestros Suenos and Border Stories, put a human dimension to this controversial, political issue.
Duke students played contributing roles, donating their images, words and artifacts from their journeys in North Carolina and along the Mexican-U.S. border near Tucson.
One exhibit, Nuestras Historias, Nuestros Suenos, is a body of student projects that focus on the experiences and educational aspirations of Mexican immigrants now living in the Carolinas. The idea came about four years ago when the organization Student Action with Farmworkers partnered with CDS on a project aiming to send a message about farmworker immigrants to the general public.
"[Americans] have a lot to learn about the lives of immigrants," said SAF Assistant Director Tony Macias. "The things that people believe are very hurtful and can be best countered by hearing the stories of immigrants in their own words."
Lynn McKnight, associate director for programs and communications at CDS, describes Nuestras Historias as "a project that would contribute to the public record in a creative fashion." The showcase features photographs and excerpts from interviews with immigrants that amplify the voices of their families, revealing the cultural barriers and legal challenges that hinder their pursuit for higher education.
Portraits of hopeful immigrants accompany brief personal narratives and bilingual audio clips. Despite the setbacks that these families face, the aspirations of students such as Adriana, who wants to someday work for the United Nations, depict the determination of these persevering individuals that define the American Dream.
Border Stories, the second exhibit, documents the experiences of North Carolinian working immigrants and unveils the larger story behind immigration across the U.S.-Mexican border. It is interpreted through the lens of students in past CDS classes, some of whom also participated in a related DukeEngage program in Tucson, Ariz.
Through emotive digital color photographs, powerful quotes and a collection of retrieved objects that had been left behind by immigrants crossing into the United States, Border Stories sheds light on the agonizing experiences of many Mexican immigrants, both alive and dead.
In addition to collaborating with activist organizations doing advocacy work, the group in Arizona and Mexico also walked in the immigrants' shoes, spending time in factories and migrant shelters as well as trekking through the same barren desert that some of the immigrants have endured.
Junior Viviana Santiago, a DukeEngage participant, said the project humanized the abstractions of immigration.
"We're trying to raise awareness of what is actually happening on the border," she said. "It's always talked about in terms of numbers, but we want to bring the human aspect to it."
Nuestras Historias, Nuestros Suenos and Border Stories are on display through Jan. 4 at the Center for Documentary Studies, 1317 W. Pettigrew St. in Durham.
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