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This is intended to be a live, interactive website. We invite you to take part in the conversation and help build this repository by sharing your own experiences as and with newcomers through artwork, essays, reports, photos, short stories, and poetry about refugee life in San Diego.
Diana Calderon
Growth through Resiliency and Resettlement
Digital Collage
Commentary on the Border Crises in San Diego
Why does the border crises exist and how can we fix it?
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Ball Pit
A muted twist on childlike wonder to pay homage to immigrants and refugees within the Otay Mesa Detention Center.
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Flying to New Heights: A Journey to America
The tough journey from Vietnam to America, filled with hardships, shows how strong my family is and honors my mom’s unwavering determination
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The Horn of San Diego
This contribution highlights the East African organization UWEAST and its role in my upbringing as a children of immigrant Kenyan parents.
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UCSD and the Refugee Community in San Diego
The separation and unawareness overall UCSD students have with the refugee community in San Diego.
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The Impact of Spreading Refugee Knowledge
This artwork aims to demonstrate the value of the education of refugee life in San Diego and how knowledge is a powerful tool that allows...
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From Lagos to Chula Vista
From winning a Visa lottery to navigating cultural contrasts and financial constraints, my mom’s experiences have shaped an intricate nar...
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A Beacon of Amal
A tribute to Little Amal's walk across San Diego, and how she brings hope and resilience wherever she goes.
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Platicas & Painting
Platicas & Painting is the title of a project I worked on with my abuelito, a refugee who left everything behind in his small pueblo in...
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How Dầu Became a Symbol of Healing and Love
Learning what dầu was and having to apply it to my life in the U.S. was intimidating, but I've learned to embrace it and appreciate my...
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Rotary Echo: A Call for Justice
The phone - a call to Justice surrounding the Otay Mesa Detention Center.
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Vietnamese Coffee Culture: A Reflection and Photo Essay on Coffee and San Diego’s Vietnamese Community
A reflection about how coffee is a socializing tool for the Vietnamese community, drawing on my own experiences.
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Welcome to San Diego - Refugee Life
San Diego as we know it is perceived different to immigrant individuals who have been detained.
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Mixture of Cultures
This piece intends to highlight the diversity in San Diego by showing that there are multiple different refugee communities residing here.
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"Seeking Asylum" and San Diego
Connections from the documentary "Seeking Asylum: A Mother’s Journey" to the challenges refugees are confronted with in San Diego
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Honoring Carlos Escobar MejÃa
A 2-D Altar collage dedicated to Carlos Ernesto Escobar MejÃa, who passed away in ICE custody in 2020 due to inhumane conditions.
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Waiting for Nothing
The artwork attempts to reflect part of refugees' prolonged struggles, depicted in oil and acrylic paints on canvas.
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Hmong People in San Diego
This project is about the Hmong People's lives in the United States and San Diego
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Voices from the Margins: My Journey to Jacumba Detention Camp
This paper documented my experience in Jacumba Dentention camp.
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The Universal Language
A visual representation of the most culturally significant sport on the planet
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A People’s Guide to San Diego: Supporting Refugee-Owned Restaurants
A collection of refugee owned and operated restaurants created for people searching for authentic cuisine.
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Anthony Pico: A Preface
Read: Ethan Banegas' short preface of Tribal Chairmen Anthony R. Pico
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A SpaceTime Tour of Chicano Park
A short photo essay on a journey through the history of Barrio Logan and Chicano Park.
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Lessons from The Kitchenistas of San Diego
In this commentary, I look at lessons learned from the documentary "The Kitchenistas of National City"
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Photo Essay: Afghan Refugees and Kabul Kabob House
refugee-owned restaurant 'Kabul Kabob House' brings forth Afghan culture and cuisine to the city of El Cajon.
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