The Motions of Migration
A chronological collection of personal memoirs written by individuals partaking in mass migration movements caused by political and economic conflicts.
in collaboration with jessica_letizia & Tomás De La Rosa Silva
Some of these journals span over many years, while others are single entries. Migration is natural and inevitable. Here are a few of their stories…
[These are fictional stories based on real-life events.]
Journal #1 - European Discovery of The New World and Migration to the Americas
In 1492, Spanish explorer Christopher Columbus reached the Americas. Soon after, rapid exploration and colonization drove out the indigenous natives and the Americas were transformed into a predominately white, Puritan, agricultural society.
Entry by Christopher Columbus
Entry by Nicholas, a European migrant
Journal #2- Transatlantic Slave Trade
The Portuguese were the first country to partake in the Slave Trade, then followed by the British, French, Spanish, and Dutch Empire. The transatlantic slave trade is known as one of the biggest deportations in history and served as a huge factor in the world economy during the 18th century. Millions of Africans were taken from their homes and forced into slavery in the American colonies.
Entry by Abraham, an African man forced into slavery
Journal #3 - WWI refugees
World War I brought out a surge of refugees. Thousands of people became homeless and resettlement became a large theme during this period of time. Refugees were seen as a burden to society while it was problematic to classify them based on social class. The crises brought about much social upheaval throughout the world.
Entry by David, Serbian refugee in Greece
Entry by Anna, a Hungarian refugee at Ellis Island
Journal #4 - WWII refugee
Migration through Europe continued long after World War II ended, and policies were put in place to regulate the flow of migration for refugees throughout the world. Refugee camps in Europe closed, but the universal problem persisted.
Entry by Joanna, a Polish refugee living in Syria
Journal #5 - Migration due to Syrian Civil War
The refugee crisis that our world is experiencing today is far worse than anything we’ve ever seen before. Millions of refugees are emerging from places even beyond Syria, and are being forced to flee their homelands. The problem may even continue to get worse if proper action is not taken.
Entry by Nina, a Syrian refugee
Journal #6- Personal Connection to Migration
Here at the Salzburg Academy on Media and Global Change, an open and diverse setting has been constructed in order to allow intellectual and cultural growth among students and faculty. They have fostered and environment where people are allowed to openly express and oppose opinions presented. Nobody is judged by their ethnicity, religion, age, title, or background. No matter what your story is, you are accepted. We are all treated equally. For this reason, we decided to create a video portraying our own personal migration stories to express that migration is natural; it does not define the person that you are, or the person you will become.
“Migration is like breathing, it’s like movement. We need it because the world is alive. The Earth is alive.” — Alejandro Solalinde
As mentioned above, these are fictional stories based on real-life events. Some real stories have been used as inspiration for our own and can be found below:
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.
