Who are immigrants and indigenous people and why do they matter?
What is usually meant by the phrase indigenous people is a group of people who are "native" to the land they inhabit, or who have always lived there. And what is usually implied by immigrant is a person who has moved from one place to another, usually from one country or nation to another. Of course, we can unpack those definitions in many ways. In an important sense, the vast majority of us in this country are immigrants, or are descended from immigrants, depending on how far back you look in our biological family lines. Similarly, even the first human inhabitants of North and South America immigrated here, where they lived and diversified into many different societies long before people arrived from other continents. However, when we minimize our histories, we risk losing sight of the forces and choices and uses of power that created different opportunities and barriers for different groups of people. While many of these occurred in the past, their real effects are still profoundly affecting all of our lives by upholding some of the shapes of our current social structure. What am I talking about? Some of the most important changes were set in motion by warfare, colonization, nation-state building, industrialization, and profound changes in food, energy and transportation systems- to name a few. These changes were not ordained by divinity, nor were they a biologically driven evolutionary process. Just as the shapes of nation state boundaries, these changes were drawn by innumerable human decisions and choices, informed by human thoughts, and driven by emotions like desire for comfort, and fear(or even hatred) of others. Meanwhile, in a paradox, many of the massive global changes that may benefit some people also create conditions in which other people want to immigrate, or are forced to become refugees. At the same time, the influx of immigrants, from the times of the Vikings to Columbus to the Mayflower, has had profound and mostly devastating effects upon the Indigenous peoples of this land. This is much food for somber thought. So- how does the ART with HEART project relate to this? One goal of this project is to participate in loosening the tension, fear and blame around the perception of immigrants in this country. Another goal is to focus on those people who were here before the rest of us, the Indigenous people of the Americas. In the midst of these complex definitions and categories, this project seeks to highlight the individualities, cultures, and contributions of Immigrants and Indigenous people. We seek to celebrate their inherent worth, value and dignity as human beings, focusing especially on those who have been marginalized or misrepresented. May you walk in Beauty. (from a Navajo Blessingway Prayer) e.
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In the best sense, I believe that to become an ally to other people means to become someone who is willing to give some of their own time, effort, and resources in order to be of benefit to others. This becomes true in a broader social sense when those that we want to give benefit to don't experience the same privileges that we inherited simply by being born in different demographic categories.
Most of the time, becoming an ally doesn't just happen, we have to learn how to do it, and we have to practice to get better at it. When we have privileges or benefits that we take for granted, we don't know what it's like to not have them. When we stop and pay attention to the fact that other, equally inherently worthy human beings don't have these benefits and must struggle with inequity, we can pause and develop empathy. Often it's involves learning about history, systemic patterns in society and learning about how social movements can indeed produce change. The effect of learning and then developing empathy creates a more vibrant and awake community (and can often have unexpected positive side effects in the individual person!) For example, when men make efforts to learn about, understand and act (alongside women) to alleviate the barriers or violence women face in many social situations, they are working as allies. When white folks take the time to challenge racism and stereotypes, to research and address disparities in infant and maternal mortality, or to learn about and then act to change unfair sentencing policies against people of color in the criminal justice system (for example) they are acting as allies. When middle-class people work for laws supporting good health care, accessible, affordable education and affordable housing for lower-income people, they are all acting as allies. It is not enough just to feel or speak like an ally. We all know how too much talk, marketing and use of buzzwords can water down important concepts. We must act. When we act as allies, we give some of our own time, effort, and resources toward making changes necessary to bring about a more fair and just world. One warning: As with other forms of giving from the heart, it can end up having unexpected effects. In solidarity and love, Emme |
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AuthorHELLO, MY NAME IS Emme Edmunds, and I have always loved to study, write and create art. In my late twenties, I had to put a great deal of it aside of necessity, as many people do when they have a child. The positive side of this is that 1. it made me appreciate the nature of having any free time at all and to work more cleanly with the present moment 2. my young and growing child brought many new activities and ways of looking at art into my life- including a whole new approach to theatre, and 3. I was forced out of necessity to build a career (not in the arts) which could support us and which also greatly enriched my life. Now, at this stage in life when I have more time for art once again, I find I am especially drawn to link art with social justice and to include children and other members of community. As I age, I find that things in general are becoming a little less about me and a little more about the people around me and the larger, precious world. Or maybe it's just that I have more time to to do something that I've wanted to do all along... to work with art in ways that allow me to serve the well being of others and express my gratitude for living in this mysterious world. ArchivesCategories |