"I am an undocumented immigrant."
These are the words that brought tears to our eyes at the Borough of Manhattan Community College in TriBeCa this past Friday during CUNY's very own independently organized TED Talk.
What better place than New York City, with its vast immigrant population, to discuss the issues of undocumented immigrants? What better time than now to spread awareness about what it means to be an undocumented immigrant with the presidential election coming up in less than a year?
The theme for this year was "Borders and Belonging." The interpretation was subjective, covering a broad range of topics: Sofia Ahsanuddin of Macaulay Honors College at Brooklyn College shared MetaSUB's groundbreaking pathological research within NYC's subway system and its ability to cross borders into other public systems around the world; artist J.A. Strub, with the band Storytellers, performed his repertoire of Fetty Wap songs to illustrate that physically impaired individuals can still belong to the music industry; transgender woman Robina Asti was interviewed about her sense of identity and how her transition put up walls between her and her family.
There was something fascinating and moving about every speaker (and each one is worth mentioning--except there would be a long list. Find them all here). As each speaker stepped onto TED's recognizable little circle of red carpet on the center of the stage, he/she awed us with a personal story to take home. It was by chance that undocumented immigration became a subtheme that lingered with us.
Aashna Shah of the City College of New York shared her story of the constant fear that afflicts her and her family every day: fear of being treated differently and fear of being transported back to her violent home country. She ushered our attention to the mental and emotional effects of living as an undocumented immigrant--that while physical and financial safety is more stable, mental safety is shaky. Immigrants have lost hope and attempted suicide in this "land of opportunities" because of the limits imposed on them. Only through the opportunities given to her by Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) has Aashna been able to maintain her hope and strive for more accessible opportunities for undocumented immigrants.
Artist Jess X Chen shared her poetry and artwork about this land that was once without borders and without possession, now turned exclusive by the borders that the country draws. One of her poems states, "No human being is illegal; the earth cannot be fenced," bringing attention to the injustice of immigration laws and the inhumanity with which countries treat immigrants. Immigrants are as human as any other person, and they should not be defined by a birth status. As a queer woman of color, Jess aims to alleviate the xenophobic culture and violence toward groups that seemingly don't belong through her poignant art.
Journalist and news anchor Jorge Ramos could not speak live, but Skyped us to discuss his personal experience as an immigrant who has broken borders to become a respected, prominent figure in news and reporting. His interview touched on the subject of undocumented immigration, particularly because of his recent incident with Donald Trump in which he confronted Trump on his anti-immigrant policies. Consistent with his belief that journalists have a duty to question those in power and to seek truth, he challenges the morality of this country's treatment of undocumented immigrants. He expresses that "a fair country is defined by how they treat the poor," and that much of what we have comes from these undocumented immigrants who are being treated unfairly.
The TED event itself did not intend for its theme to link exclusively to immigration; it was the speaker's choice what and how he/she communicated, so long as there was a connection to the ideas of borders and/or belonging. TEDxCUNY 2015 provided an appropriate outlet for immigrant stories and perspectives that are often suppressed by fear or lack of awareness.
Every TED Talk allows stories and ideas to be heard, inspiring thoughts and change--and this one was no exception. Be sure to stay updated with TEDxCUNY and TED for future talks!
