Written by Mira Brock I sit across from Dia Rueda in Joe’s Coffee on 23rd Street. We drink Earl Grey tea and share a vegan scone. Rueda, at 38, is a confident, curly-haired beauty. She beams across the table at me, her smile accentuated by bright pink lipstick. Dia Rueda grew up in Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela. She describes her childhood as being stuck in a “golden cage.” Rueda’s parents did not allow her to play with other children...
Written by Khatia Mikadze Two weeks ago I saw a performance of “Elvira: The Immigration Play” at the charming Teatro LATEA in the Lower East Side, as part of the 2015 New York International Fringe Festival. Art has always been a powerful, transformative tool to challenge public discourse and stereotypes, and this play is another reaffirmation of how art can impart both emotions and meanings. The play Elvira challenges anti-immigration opinions, and especially the belief that there is nothing...
Written by Sabrina Axster & Arielle Kandel The terminology around migration can be confusing, especially if one is not directly involved with the topic. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has tried to provide some clarity with its glossary of terms. Even though this is a good starting point, every country uses different definitions, which quickly becomes complicated. Drawing on the definitions put forward by the IOM and by the Department of Homeland Security — the main US government body to...