Migration Fragments
Forced displacement due to violence or war, fear, persecution, poverty, the hope for a better future, a wish to be reunited with family; migration is the result of diverse motives and has become increasingly widespread through recent times. But, as it is common when frequently exposed to certain situations, we have become desensitized to what migration entails. We hear about the subject, mainly from a political standpoint, so repeatedly that we forget to think of its most human face. Have we forgotten about people?
Being a migrant encompasses a complex set of challenges that are the result of moving from a native to a foreign environment, and relocating is merely one step in a line of many. Most of these journeys inherently bring struggle and require sacrifices, even after settling down. Like mine, numerous families are separated, bringing pain and augmented financial instability. Lives are lost in attempts to arrive at a destination. Women and children become targets of abuse and trafficking. The different scenarios of migration, successful or failed, are countless. Yet, despite the struggle, many migrant individuals and families find their way to stability through hard work and perseverance.
This collection of 45 symbols is a survey of objects and situations involved in different migration stories. It is too, an invitation to pause, observe and reflect, and to hopefully inspire a sense of solidarity with those who newly coexist in society with us.
Camila Ruiz
Camila Ruiz is a Graphic Design student at the University of Houston. She was born in Bogotá, Colombia, where she resided for the first 15 years of her life. Being exposed to the violence and injustice present in her native country instilled in her a social responsibility which she aims to implement daily,
even in the smallest of ways.
