Flipping the Narrative on Migration
What would you say to a migrant who has just come to your community?
In collaboration with Julia Bryant, Mirva Villa, and Diego Ortiz Casillas
When you hear the word migrant, or think of mass migration, what comes to mind? Are your thoughts negative or positive? Now, think of how the media portrays migration…
Why we chose this topic
We all come from different communities around the world: Diego, Mexico; Julia, United States of America; Mirva, Finland. We wanted to flip the narrative that we normally hear regarding migration. In the media and in many communities around the world, migration is portrayed in a negative light and stigmatized, which has led to narratives that act as a catalyst for hate. The three of us came into this discussion having heard of groups in our communities that are anti-immigration. Our goal is to frame migration in a more positive light.
Why we chose to make a map
We all really enjoyed the idea of bringing together positive messages from around the world. At first we weren’t entirely sure about how we wanted to do it. We considered having personal narratives, thus leaving us with three distinct and unique voices from different parts of the world. However, after some discussion we decided we wanted to open it up to a wider audience.
Maps as platforms can both widen our perspective and restrict it. We can use maps to find our way. We can also study borders or where different countries are situated geographically and that, in turn, can affect our view of those places.
The effect is not only symbolic: the colorful markers draw the reader’s attention away from the physical borders of the countries towards the encouraging words.
In a way this map works as a symbol of openness and hope. The welcoming messages we have compiled are being shared across borders and each new response will be added on the map.
By filling our map with markers echoing positive messages toward migration, we can affect the image people have of the communities and citizens affected by migration. Each response carries weight and in the end we want this map to not only become a place for positive thinking, but also a network between migrants and citizens dedicated to aid the migrants through their migration processes.
Who we see using this
We envision the map being used by more than just the people at the Salzburg Academy. We see it as being a tool that migrants could potentially use in order to feel more welcomed when they reach a destination, or to identify places where they will be warmly embraced.
Many messages are invitations of friendship and show willingness to build connections. Maybe our map can encourage people to start looking for new friendships in their community.
We encourage responses from anywhere in the world so that our map can support the integration of migrants everywhere.
Challenges we faced
Our questionnaire was short and to the point, so we found that we received a bunch of initial responses. However, regarding our question on what specific communities are doing in order to help migrants, many people answered saying that they really weren’t sure. Perhaps the question was too broad, or possibly the people answering the survey weren’t directly affected by migration issues. Therefore, we were unable to put some responses into our map.
Our Reactions
People are migrating all over the world, and that is not something that is going to stop anytime soon. Hopefully our map will encourage people to take a more active role in helping migrants feel more welcome their immediate communities. We enjoyed seeing all of the positivity and are excited to see how our concept and map can be used in the future as a tool for more positive thinking. This map brings us one step closer to flipping the negative narrative regarding migrants and showing real people in real time who are ready to aid those who are in need.
How to use the map
Click on individual markers to see what people answered to our questions on migration. The two questions are color-coded. The blue markers show responses to: What would you say to someone who’s migrating to your country to make them feel more included? and the yellow markers show responses to: What are people in your community doing for migrants?
*The markers don’t correspond to any specific cities.*
You can also leave your own response at the poll below. The new answers will be added on a frequent basis.
Our Questionnaire
We encourage you to leave your own response on our questionnaire here.
Get the message out! Tweet #FlippingtheNarrative with your own responses to our questions.
This story was created by a team of students at the 2016 Salzburg Academy on Media and Global Change. It exists as part of a digital publication which explores how personal stories and human connections can enable us and others to be more inclusive, responsive, and understanding of migrants and the socio-political-cultural impacts of migration.
