My Life is My Message: A Journey Through Storytelling
This exhibit embodies the work of teachers, teacher candidates, parents and students in a representation of their lives through artifacts, histories, and experiences about migrants, immigrants, refugees, family stories, or their Latinx individualities. The work stems from a CSUSM Engagement Scholarship grant that merged teachers and students from both sides of the U.S./Mexican border to better understand how migration affects student achievement in schools. The exhibit exemplifies authentic stories depicted in small maletas migrantes (migrant suitcases) to large murals and story columns that foster critical reflection of struggles and successes to maintain language, culture, and the integrity of family. This collection represents teacher candidates in the Bilingual Authorization Program - School of Education, CEHHS, and partners from the Sistema Educativo Estatal in Baja CA, migrant education students from Fallbrook High, and immigrant parents from local districts working on digital literacy with our bilingual teacher candidates.
Pamela Calore, international artist, photographer and activist, inspired the artwork from her lifetime work as a human rights activist. Pamela documents the journeys and lives of immigrants throughout the world and offers art sessions to families at refugee camps. She also teaches art to students and adults, including working with our teacher candidates for three years. Her work connects to the Bilingual Authorization Program study of the Latino migration patterns into the USA. This collective work is reflected in two multi-authored publications and presentations at conferences.
This exhibit is led by Dr. Ana Hernández, Associate Professor of Multilingual and Multicultural Education and Program Coordinator of the Bilingual Authorization Program in partnership with artist Pamela Calore, and Monica Nava - Community Liaison for Project ACCEPT, a National Professional Development Grant.
The My Life is My Message: A Journey Through Storytelling exhibit will be on display in the University Library Gallery throughout the Fall 2019 semester. Free and open to the public during all library hours.
