It’s been one full year since I got to share this listening space with the city of Knoxville (literally right before the world shut down). In the days since, the need to listen and learn and love our neighbors hasn’t gone away (surprise).
“How Did We Get Here?” was a collective storytelling endeavor to bring attention to the varied experiences of immigrants, refugees, and international people living in the U.S. If you haven’t had a chance to hear some of the stories, they are all on my website here. (Each story is about three minutes long. Please go and have a listen!)
I share this, not to rest on old laurels, but to invite you (yep, you!) to come and learn with me. Over the past year, I have continued searching for and subscribing to additional resources that elevate immigrant, refugee, and international voices in American society and around the world—all with the driving hope to become a better ally and friend to those who experience the joys and triumphs and struggles and losses of making a life in a new country. Getting out of my own head and seeing from someone else’s perspective allows me to love and understand others more deeply and motivates me to join with them in pursuit of liberation.
Me & my sweet cuz, who drove down to see the show
Me and my friend, Marcia, who shared her story
Of course, relationships are by far the most enriching settings in which to learn a new perspective (hello, you gain a friend and get to be a friend!), but only if we are willing to listen.
In relationships, there are danger zones… if you’re not clear on what (true) friendship looks like, you might run the risk of treating a person like a textbook on the [insert culture] experience; only taking interest in them when you have a race question (Lord, help); or viewing them as a spokesperson for their entire race. In order to gain a more comprehensive view of the varied experiences within a community without exhausting the community, I highly suggest evaluating your sources of news, literature, music, etc. and diversifying them.
In this process of learning, I have found writers and organizations that are doing amazing work to embolden and equip people to share their stories. I have learned that I don’t necessarily have to align with 100% of a platform to learn something about the issues that immigrants face in the U.S. (Truly, if we have to agree on every single thing that someone else says, we will miss out on a lot).
So on this one year anniversary of “How Did We Get Here?”, I want to share a few resources that uplift immigrant, refugee, and international voices with you. Some of these resources focus on the effects of colonization in African or Central American countries, others shine a light on the immigrant experience in the United States. This is not a comprehensive list by any stretch of the imagination… just a few of my favorites. Also, I am still learning and constantly discovering, so if you have additional resources to share, please do!
Online Resources
The New York Times - “What Does Independence Look Like? Images From the Year of Africa”
United We Dream - Undocumented Under COVID
Books
Americanah - by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Hermanas - by Natalia Kohn Rivera, Noemi Vega Quiñones, and Kristy Garza Robinson
The Book of Unknown Americans - by Cristina Henríquez
Local
AKIN - Allies of Knoxville’s Immigrant Neighbors
UTK Students for Migrant Justice
Until Black and Brown people are no longer criminalized for their skin color 🖤