Going into REDI lab, I knew one thing: I wanted to help my community of latinos, especially during these difficult times. Not only that, but I wanted to give them a voice to share their stories of perseverance, hardship, and community. It wasn’t until the surge in ICE raids ¼ of the way into the trimester when I realized that I would need to narrow my project down into helping immigrants as a whole. As they were being silenced, I stuck with my idea of giving them a voice in a way that benefits them and doesn’t jeopardize their safety. Art has always helped me say where I stand in certain topics without having to verbalize it. This was a common thing for me, as I struggled with picking up the English language when I was younger.
It wasn’t until I put my whole focus on learning the language– and shortly after– I began learning more. This was a privilege, of course. I had the proper resources and the time. However, this is not the case for everyone. While I was in my art class with Ms. Hills, we began talking about how calming making art is. She began to explain how there is scientific evidence supporting art as an effective therapeutic tool. I began to dig deeper into the topic, connecting art therapy back to processing trauma during REM sleep. It was only then when I realized that not only was art a helpful tool to express emotions and share stories in a non-verbal way, but it was also a great tool for anyone in need of therapeutic help.
That’s when I decided to form an art workshop for immigrants who have gone through any traumatic experiences and who aren’t in a safe place to verbally speak about it. This workshop would keep participants anonymous and content without having to speak the same language as everyone else. Immigrants work hard– and there’s a large portion of them who aren’t privileged enough to learn the “universal language” of the US: English. This workshop was not only a place to vent in a community that understands you on a non-verbal level, but a place to create art that anyone can appreciate– because art is a universal language.
