This: “Human migration isn’t a crisis because it exists. It is a crisis because the United States and other colonial powers have spent decades destabilizing foreign countries.”
It is absurd the way people in this country demonize immigrants when it is a country made up of immigrants. This was a very thoughtful essay, Makayla.
Ugh yes, it makes no sense to me. I know I don't have a lot of answers when it comes to any kind of policy, but I do have humanizing stories I wanted to take a stab at sharing. Thank you for reading, Kate. 💛
Stories are so important to share. I think it’s okay to not have answers but talk about the ways in which things are currently actively hurting people ❤️
I love all the research here and yes, absolutely, we're all made of migrant stories and it's ridiculous to pretend otherwise! Thank you for doing such a nuanced deep dive 💛
This is such a wonderful essay, Makayla! Thank you for writing it, for helping people make a better future for themselves by learning a foreign language, for advocating for empathy and basic human dignity.
Beautifully crafted piece, Makayla. My heart cracks open every single day as we wait in horror for this "mass" deportation to unfold. Thank you for documenting so fully the human cost of thoughtless policies and performative cruelty. I volunteer for an organization here in town called Training Futures, and most of the students in this program are asylum seekers and refugees who are here for the reasons you've mentioned. They, too, left prestigious jobs in their home countries to start all over again, grateful for whatever employment they can find. I am so ashamed to be an American right now.
Thank you for your kind words Sue Ann, and for taking the time to read - it means a lot to me! I have been feeling really angry and sad, and though I don't have a lot of answers, I just wanted to share about the incredible students I've been able to work with and perspective from my little corner of the U.S.
And that sounds like a cool organization! I'm sure you've heard some incredible stories there too. 🤍
Makayla, this was such a beautiful, thoughtful read. As a speech-language pathologist, I have definitely had similar feelings in the past about not wanting to teach that there is a "right way" to speak, but over time I've had some mental re-framing of what we can do. I think a lot about supporting people communicate their thoughts in a way that helps them feel understood and helps them ultimately advocate for themselves, and I know your field is similar in this way! Thank you for sharing these resources and sharing your experiences - these stories are important and I'm glad they are being documented.
Thanks for reading Candace. I totally agree with you about not teaching or advocating for some kind of right way to speak or accent modification. I love what you said about supporting people to communicate in a way that helps them feel understood. I really appreciate you reading. Do you work with English language learners? I love learning from my SLP friends. 😊
I am so inspired by the depth and breadth of this piece and the courage it took for you to write it. As a former elementary school educator who adored her immigrant students and their families (who were far more respectful and appreciative than the parents of their more entitled peers), I deeply appreciate the human portrait you paint here. And congratulations on getting this piece published to a wider audience! So deserving. We need more advocates who are willing to take a stand for marginalized communities. 🧡
This: “Human migration isn’t a crisis because it exists. It is a crisis because the United States and other colonial powers have spent decades destabilizing foreign countries.”
It is absurd the way people in this country demonize immigrants when it is a country made up of immigrants. This was a very thoughtful essay, Makayla.
Ugh yes, it makes no sense to me. I know I don't have a lot of answers when it comes to any kind of policy, but I do have humanizing stories I wanted to take a stab at sharing. Thank you for reading, Kate. 💛
Stories are so important to share. I think it’s okay to not have answers but talk about the ways in which things are currently actively hurting people ❤️
I love all the research here and yes, absolutely, we're all made of migrant stories and it's ridiculous to pretend otherwise! Thank you for doing such a nuanced deep dive 💛
Aw, thank you for reading Maaike! Yes-I love the way you phrased it-made of migrant stories. ❤️
A deeply thoughtful and powerful piece, Makayla 🤍 I'm so glad you wrote it.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read Michelle - I appreciate you. ❤️
This is such a wonderful essay, Makayla! Thank you for writing it, for helping people make a better future for themselves by learning a foreign language, for advocating for empathy and basic human dignity.
Thank you Eliza!
Beautifully crafted piece, Makayla. My heart cracks open every single day as we wait in horror for this "mass" deportation to unfold. Thank you for documenting so fully the human cost of thoughtless policies and performative cruelty. I volunteer for an organization here in town called Training Futures, and most of the students in this program are asylum seekers and refugees who are here for the reasons you've mentioned. They, too, left prestigious jobs in their home countries to start all over again, grateful for whatever employment they can find. I am so ashamed to be an American right now.
Thank you for your kind words Sue Ann, and for taking the time to read - it means a lot to me! I have been feeling really angry and sad, and though I don't have a lot of answers, I just wanted to share about the incredible students I've been able to work with and perspective from my little corner of the U.S.
And that sounds like a cool organization! I'm sure you've heard some incredible stories there too. 🤍
Makayla, this was such a beautiful, thoughtful read. As a speech-language pathologist, I have definitely had similar feelings in the past about not wanting to teach that there is a "right way" to speak, but over time I've had some mental re-framing of what we can do. I think a lot about supporting people communicate their thoughts in a way that helps them feel understood and helps them ultimately advocate for themselves, and I know your field is similar in this way! Thank you for sharing these resources and sharing your experiences - these stories are important and I'm glad they are being documented.
Thanks for reading Candace. I totally agree with you about not teaching or advocating for some kind of right way to speak or accent modification. I love what you said about supporting people to communicate in a way that helps them feel understood. I really appreciate you reading. Do you work with English language learners? I love learning from my SLP friends. 😊
I am so inspired by the depth and breadth of this piece and the courage it took for you to write it. As a former elementary school educator who adored her immigrant students and their families (who were far more respectful and appreciative than the parents of their more entitled peers), I deeply appreciate the human portrait you paint here. And congratulations on getting this piece published to a wider audience! So deserving. We need more advocates who are willing to take a stand for marginalized communities. 🧡