Student Collaboration

The students from the Spring 2021 Seeking Asylum class. This class was entirely remote due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Students helped create an archive of 26 interviews.

Another pivotal aspect of the seminar includes partnerships with organizations working at the forefront of immigration justice so that students have the opportunity to engage both pedagogically and experientially with the history of U.S.-Central American relations, the politics of asylum, and the ongoing challenges impacting asylum-seeking populations at the border.

Students from the from the Fall 2022 Seeking Asylum class meet with Nan Schivone, Legal Director at Justice in Motion. Students from this cohort transcribed interviews with defenders and wrote a report about the defenders’ experiences with family searches in Central America and Mexico.

Liberal Arts in Action

Separated: Stories of Injustice and Solidarity has benefited from an ongoing partnership with Seeking Asylum: History, Politics, and the Search for Justice at the U.S.-Mexico border, an undergraduate seminar at Barnard College.

Taught by Nara Milanich in collaboration with Fanny Julissa García, the course explores the history and politics of Central American migration, with a particular focus on families and children in policy and representation.

As of spring 2023, more than 40 students enrolled in the course have contributed thousands of hours of work transcribing, tagging, indexing, and analyzing interviews, as well as doing contextual research.

A total of three cohorts have participated in the Separated project. Additionally two prior cohorts have collaborated with Dilley Pro Bono Project and Kids in Need of Defense (KIND).

Students from Spring 2021 cohort submitted a collaboratively written letter in response to a request for public comment from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), on behalf of the Interagency Task Force on the Reunification of Families.

The DHS requested comments and recommendations from the public on ways to minimize the separation of migrant parents and legal guardians and children entering the United States, consistent with the law. The input from the public contributed to a report required by the Executive order titled “Establishment of Interagency Task Force on the Reunification of Families.” Read the students’ letter here.

Seeking Asylum is supported by Barnard Engages, a Mellon-funded initiative to foster collaborations between Barnard faculty, students, and social justice organizations. To learn more about the pedagogy informing the course, click here.

Student Testimonials

"Taking Prof. Milanich's class and listening to oral histories about one of the most dark moments in recent American history has transformed the way I make an impact in this world. Working with oral historian Fanny García throughout this project has been a source of inspiration for me, even more so as time has passed. The work we did together was not easy but it was necessary."

Michelle Vallejo, Spring 2021
“Participating in the oral history project through Barnard College was an incredible opportunity to hear directly from the families affected by the government’s family separation policy. The class taught me how crucial it is to prioritize humanity and dignity when considering immigration policy. The tragedies and violence experienced by these families will never be forgotten.”

Marco Balestri, Spring 2021
"The Seeking Asylum class at Barnard College taught me how to listen to stories of immigrants made vulnerable by state violence. I learned about the importance of trauma-informed and justice-focused research that espouses empathy, solidarity, and agency. From the oral histories, I learned about a family's own interpretations of justice."

Andrea Contreras, Fall 2022
“I really enjoyed this class. I learned so much from our readings, discussions, and especially the interviews we transcribed. I have used some of what I learned in my undergraduate thesis and the work I’m doing outside of school. have shared the readings assigned in class with one of my own students who is from Guatemala. They may inspire her to apply to Columbia."

Grace Haven, Fall 2022
"Listening to the stories of families separated by Trump's Zero Tolerance policy showed me how the government's actions directly impact families. Policies drawn up in Washington can have concrete, and sometimes devastating, effects on people's lives. I was inspired by the strength and resiliency of the stories I heard, and motivated to fight for a more just immigration system."

Nora Salitan, Spring 2021
“The class taught me about the detrimental consequences caused by the lack of empathy the U.S. has for migrants and their motives for leaving home. It was incredible to hear the stories from those directly impacted by Zero Tolerance policy and demonstrated the power of oral history. This class confirmed the need to rethink the approach to immigration policy.”

Kendall Psaila, Fall 2022
"Transcribing stories of family separation was an invaluable lesson in applied oral history. Listening to the voices of separated parents helped me further develop a perspective on immigration and state violence that is rooted in empathy and solidarity. I currently work on immigration policy at the federal level, and the insights I learned in the class made me a better advocate."

Alison Kahn, Spring 2021
"It was an honor to listen to families dealing with the aftermath of an inhumane immigration policy. Their strength and resilience is an inspiration and motivates me to remain active with immigrant justice organizations. As an immigrant, I value the project’s commitment to each family's voice. My hope is that their voices help create a path towards justice and accountability."

Ana Sofia Barrios, Fall 2022
"I was once an undocumented immigrant and this class was the first time that I felt like the projects I participated in were making a real-world impact. I am grateful I learned more about the ongoing migration crisis in the United States and to be part of a project that humanized the voices and stories that are oftentimes obscured in the news and media. I will always carry the stories with me."

Naomi Ariana Barraza, Spring 2021