Displacement and Transformation: Identity on the Move
Forced migration has profound effects on cultural and group identity. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), forced migration is "a migratory movement which, although the drivers can be diverse, involves force, compulsion, or coercion." It affects identity construction in youth, family dynamics, ideas of home and homeland, cultural expression, and much more.
Understanding Migration
Through the case studies presented in this map, as well as the objects that represent them, we will explore how forced migrations around the world affect cultural and group identity. Focuing on five lesser-known case studies, we demonstrate how migration becomes an integral part of lived and historical experiences. Through brief analysis and commentary, as well as material research, we aim to provide resources to shed light the way migration shapes human experience.
The objective of this site is to explore what migration narratives tell us about the migration experience, its representations, and its effects on identity.
This project is not an exhaustive record of all migrations, nor does it try to create a universal narrative for migrants. The migration patterns chosen were based on personal interests and resources we had access to. In choosing them, we recognize that we are omitting many migrations of cultural and historical importance.
Migration Patterns Explored Here
A visual exploration of the forced removal of the Myaamia by the United States government from the Myaamionki homeland to present-day Oklahoma.
The experience of Koreans residing in Japan as a "liberated" people in the aftermath of the Second World War explored through various artifacts.
Newspaper articles highlighting the migration of Spanish children to the Soviet Union during the height of the Spanish Civil War.
18th century Scots-Irish migration to Appalachia, focusing on their musical tradition
A discussion of the culture of ancient Sicily through a collection of epitaphs from people migrating to the island.