Immigration
With increased media attention surrounding immigration, family separations, and asylum seekers, your young ones may have questions regarding this complex topic. So let’s start this conversation now and help provide your young one with an empathic and social-emotional based understanding of an immigrant experience through story and theatre!
Starting the Conversation
In this video, Teaching Artist Sindy Isabel Castro creates a framework for grown-ups to begin, or continue, a conversation about immigration with young people. Sindy begins by defining two key terms: immigrant and immigration and talking about the history of immigration in America. Then, she reads Dreamers by Yuyi Morales and explores a family’s story of immigrating to America.
Next Steps
Are you ready to continue this conversation?
With your young person, jot down a list of the people, issues and topics you are thinking about when the subject of immigration comes up.
After watching the video, talk with your young person about immigration. Try asking them the following questions:
What is Immigration?
Why do people immigrate?
Who is an immigrant/ who can be an immigrant?/ What makes someone an immigrant?/ What does an immigrant look like?
What challenges do folks who immigrate to America face?
More Resources for Parents:
More information and resources can be found in the book Dreamers by Yuyii Morales.
How to Talk to Your Child About Immigration
60 Resources for Supporting Immigrant and Refugee Communities
Realities Facing Children in Undocumented and Mixed-Status Families
11 Children’s Books featuring Immigrant and Refugee Narratives:
Picture Books About Immigration
Start More Conversations
NYCCT’s Start the Conversation series has covered topics like race, civic duty, immigration, re-emerging from COVID-19 and more.
Future Conversations
NYCCT wants to hear from you! Is there a topic you’d like to see covered on Start the Conversation? Let us know!