BY JASMINE McGHEE
Every human being on this planet deserves the right to mobility, the ability to leave ones home in search of a job, education, adventure, or simply a better life. I can personally speak to the importance of this right: I left my own home in the United States to travel across the ocean to Northern Ireland. I went for a six-month internship working as the new coordinator of the Belonging Project, an opportunity that would prove to be hugely impactful. But, my story is a comparatively easy one. I am privileged to attend a university that supports global education and world travel. I was able to come to the United Kingdom on a sponsored visa, which only required a little bit of paperwork and a copy of my fingerprints. I wasn’t fleeing my country because of persecution, violence, poverty, or unemployment. I had a safe, stable home to which I could return when my internship finished.
On the other hand, many of the migrants whom I encountered as coordinator of the Belonging Project do not have such simple, straightforward stories. Some are mothers and fathers, leaving their home countries to obtain economic stability in order to create better lives for their children. Some are artists- authors, poets, and musicians, who are determined to share their stories of living as refugees or growing up during apartheid. And, many of these individuals are leaving war-torn countries, in the hopes of living safely somewhere else.
Jasmine (left-centre) with Belonging Project Photographer Laurence Gibson (left), Migrant Centre Advice and Advocacy Manager Jolena Flett (right-centre), and High Sheriff of Belfast Gareth McKee at Belfast City Hall. (Photography credit: Allan Leonard)
Unfortunately, the problems of these migrants often do not end once they find a new home. Migrants in Northern Ireland, and in countries across the world, face discrimination, hate crime, and racism. They are often treated as a singular, cohesive group, instead of as individual people from differing backgrounds. However, this perspective is so very wrong.
When I met Plamena, she expressed her desire to share Bulgarian culture with the people of Northern Ireland, through dance, food, and festivals. She glowed with pride when discussing her family business in Armagh, but even more so when recounting the academic success of her children. Vasundhara, a teacher and activist from India, told me about her political work in India, and her new passion for political work in Northern Ireland. Even though I couldn’t understand Luis’s Portuguese during his interview, I could see the joyous sparkle in his eyes and I could hear the enthusiasm in his voice as he recounted tales from his childhood. I was both overjoyed and surprised when Sangeetha, world traveler and loving mother, decided to sing a song in her own Tamil language during her interview. She was fearless and confident, proud of her music and her culture. Yes, these people are migrants, but they are foremostly human beings.
When I interviewed my first subject, a lovely young woman named Luminita from Moldova, I was nervous and anxious about how to connect with her. I remember sticking the microphone too close to her face, and awkwardly mumbling the questions. But, I soon learned that the best way to connect with my subjects was to let them take charge of the conversation, while I simply listened and reflected as they shared their stories. For anyone reading this blog post and learning about the Belonging Project for the first time, I recommend that you try the same technique. There is so much to learn from this project about the migrant experience, and the human experience, and I hope that more and more people take the time to listen and learn. I am so grateful to have contributed to and learned from the Belonging Project, and I am proud to watch as it grows and develops.