Abstract
Every year thousands of children from Central America are forced to flee their country of origin due to organized crime, poverty, search for better education, and widespread violence. They endure a hazardous journey, arriving at the U.S. Border seeking asylum and refuge, initially to be incarcerated in an ICE detention center for up to 37 days. There is a paucity of research documenting this experience and children’s overall journey. This study sought to fill this gap by employing Art-based approaches to give voices to children’s experiences by analyzing 63 drawings gifted to the Arte de Lágrimas: Refugee Artwork Project made by children between the ages of 7 and 17, who had crossed the U.S. Border in 2014-2016, 2019, and 2021. Participatory visual research methodologies (PVRM) guided the overall analysis. Thematic analysis identified themes related to memories of homeland and sense of community before migrating, facing fears and dehumanization linked to the border crossing, and religious coping and spirituality as strategies relied on to counter the hardships faced in their migration journey. Additionally, it was found that children’s drawings can be a powerful source of data for amplifying and giving voices to displaced children’s lived experiences by telling their stories.
Presenters
Doroty SatoStudent, PhD in Social Work, University of Louisville, Kentucky, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
The Arts in Social, Political, and Community Life
KEYWORDS
Displaced children, Central America, Drawings, Detention Center, Participatory Visual Research
