The stories featured in this anthology are from our internationally-recognized weekly writing class at Emerson College, founded by Tamera Marko, Ph.D. Since 2010, it has been one of the only college courses in the US that integrates janitors, students, professors, and staff around the same table.
These are stories by writers who, because of their status as immigrants and janitors, say they often feel invisible in their cities and workplaces. They recount leaving behind loved ones in Latin America to make treacherous crossings at the U.S. border. And they describe maintaining their strength and resilience, in the face of daily challenges and indignities, to create better futures for their children. Underlying this work is a call for more humane, compassionate, and inclusive immigration and education policies.
“We need to recover our humanity that, for the moment, we have lost.”
This anthology is divided into three sections to provide a thorough, kaleidoscopic perspective of our work: original writing from our weekly class, press and public responses, and academic articles about our initiatives. The last two sections are not just supplementary—they reflect core aspects of how we approach this work. It is grounded in academia, and the academic articles discuss our projects’ theoretical, practical, and ethical foundations, contradictions, and implications. And to us, it is critical that audiences not only see our stories and ideas, but also engage with them. The press articles and public responses convey how our work has resonated with the public.
Soon after our class started, we submitted our writing to college publications, which at the time said it did not represent Emerson. So in 2014, we decided to drive our own narratives by publishing our stories on a van—wrapping it roof to rim with our writing and photos—which we call Proyecto Carrito.
Driving a car allows the storytellers—the immigrant workers—to physically accompany their stories as they cross the country.
It’s also a potent vehicle for showcasing narratives of migration. A few years ago in our writing class, we read a book about a family immigrating from Mexico to the U.S.—they packed their belongings in a car and drove across the border. But some of the workers said that didn’t really reflect their stories. Although they crossed the border in cars, they were hidden in the trunk—not up front in the passenger seat.
That’s how we decided to use a car to publish and exhibit our work.
We drove Proyecto Carrito from Boston to Indianapolis, where we presented at the country’s leading academic writing studies conference, the Conference on College Composition and Communication. Since then we have presented our work around the world, including at conferences in the US, France, and Colombia.
In 2016, we embarked on our most ambitious project, the Proyecto Carrito Caravan—a coast-to-coast exhibit of our stories. We drove from Boston to San Diego, stopping along the way to present our work and invite audiences to share their stories of migration, too.
To this day, our weekly class is about more than just writing. It’s about listening. About building trust. We recognize that those who risk the most in telling their stories often benefit the least from telling them, so they decide what stories they wish to share. Since 2010, we have become a familia—a family.
What have we done so far?
We want to teach our campus communities about why people immigrate to the US and how we can make education accessible to them. And we want to develop relationships among immigrant janitors, students, professors, and administrators—even though we study and work in the same schools, we don’t often come together to talk and listen to each other. We believe these are the first steps toward making our schools more inclusive. And from Proyecto Carrito, we know that relationships and storytelling can bring about concrete change.
The stories featured in this anthology are from our internationally-recognized weekly writing class at Emerson College, founded by Tamera Marko, Ph.D. Since 2010, it has been one of the only college courses in the US that integrates janitors, students, professors, and staff around the same table.
These are stories by writers who, because of their status as immigrants and janitors, say they often feel invisible in their cities and workplaces. They recount leaving behind loved ones in Latin America to make treacherous crossings at the U.S. border. And they describe maintaining their strength and resilience, in the face of daily challenges and indignities, to create better futures for their children. Underlying this work is a call for more humane, compassionate, and inclusive immigration and education policies.
“We need to recover our humanity that, for the moment, we have lost.”
This anthology is divided into three sections to provide a thorough, kaleidoscopic perspective of our work: original writing from our weekly class, press and public responses, and academic articles about our initiatives. The last two sections are not just supplementary—they reflect core aspects of how we approach this work. It is grounded in academia, and the academic articles discuss our projects’ theoretical, practical, and ethical foundations, contradictions, and implications. And to us, it is critical that audiences not only see our stories and ideas, but also engage with them. The press articles and public responses convey how our work has resonated with the public.
Soon after our class started, we submitted our writing to college publications, which at the time said it did not represent Emerson. So in 2014, we decided to drive our own narratives by publishing our stories on a van—wrapping it roof to rim with our writing and photos—which we call Proyecto Carrito.
Driving a car allows the storytellers—the immigrant workers—to physically accompany their stories as they cross the country.
It’s also a potent vehicle for showcasing narratives of migration. A few years ago in our writing class, we read a book about a family immigrating from Mexico to the U.S.—they packed their belongings in a car and drove across the border. But some of the workers said that didn’t really reflect their stories. Although they crossed the border in cars, they were hidden in the trunk—not up front in the passenger seat.
That’s how we decided to use a car to publish and exhibit our work.
We drove Proyecto Carrito from Boston to Indianapolis, where we presented at the country’s leading academic writing studies conference, the Conference on College Composition and Communication. Since then we have presented our work around the world, including at conferences in the US, France, and Colombia.
In 2016, we embarked on our most ambitious project, the Proyecto Carrito Caravan—a coast-to-coast exhibit of our stories. We drove from Boston to San Diego, stopping along the way to present our work and invite audiences to share their stories of migration, too.
To this day, our weekly class is about more than just writing. It’s about listening. About building trust. We recognize that those who risk the most in telling their stories often benefit the least from telling them, so they decide what stories they wish to share. Since 2010, we have become a familia—a family.
What have we done so far?
We want to teach our campus communities about why people immigrate to the US and how we can make education accessible to them. And we want to develop relationships among immigrant janitors, students, professors, and administrators—even though we study and work in the same schools, we don’t often come together to talk and listen to each other. We believe these are the first steps toward making our schools more inclusive. And from Proyecto Carrito, we know that relationships and storytelling can bring about concrete change.
Las historias presentadas en esta antología son de nuestra clase de escritura semanal reconocida internacionalmente en Emerson College. Desde el 2010, ha sido uno de los únicos cursos universitarios en los EEUU que integra a trabajadores de aseo, estudiantes, profesores, y otros empleados alrededor de la misma mesa.
Estas son historias por escritores quienes, por su estatus como migrantes y trabajadores de aseo, dicen que muchas veces se sienten invisibles en sus ciudades y trabajos. Narran sus historias de dejar atrás a sus seres queridos en América Latina para intentar el paso peligroso cruzando la frontera estadounidense. Y describen cómo mantienen su fuerza y resiliencia, ante desafíos e indignidades diarios, para crear futuros mejores para sus hijos. Formando la base de este trabajo es un llamado para políticas inmigratorias y educativas más humanas, compasivas, e incluyentes.
“Necesitamos recuperar el humanismo que tenemos los seres humanos, y que por el momento lo hemos perdido.”
Esta antología está dividida en tres secciones para proveer una perspectiva rigurosa y caleidoscópica de nuestro trabajo: escritura original de nuestra clase semanal, cobertura y respuestas públicas, y artículos académicos acerca de nuestras iniciativas. Las últimas dos secciones no solo son suplementales—reflejan aspectos claves de cómo abordamos este trabajo. Es fundado en la academia, y los artículos académicos hablan de las fundaciones, contradicciones e implicaciones teoréticas, prácticas, y éticas de nuestros proyectos. Y para nosotros, es crítico que audiencias hagan más que solo ver nuestras historias e ideas. Las artículos de la prensa y respuestas públicas expresan cómo nuestro trabajo ha resonado con el público.
Pronto después de que empezó neustra clase, intentamos presentar nuestras historias a varias publicaciones universitarias, las cuales en ese momento nos dijeron que nuestro trabajo no representaba a Emerson.
Entonces en el 2014, decidimos conducir nuestras propias narrativas, publicando nuestros textos en un carro—envolviéndolo desde el techo hasta las llantas con nuestra escritura y fotos—el cual llamamos Proyecto Carrito.
Conducir un carro permite que los contadores de las historias, los migrantes trabajadores, viajen con sus historias.
También es un vehículo poderoso para exhibir narrativas de migración. Hace unos años en nuestra clase de escritura, leímos un libro acerca de la inmigración de una familia desde México a los EEUU—empacaron sus pertenencias en un carro y condujeron cruzando la frontera. Pero unos de los trabajadores dijeron que esto no reflejaba sus historias. Aunque cruzaron la frontera por carro, estaban escondidos en el malatero—no estaban sentados en el asiento del pasajero.
Esto es cómo decidimos usar un carro para publicar y exponer nuestro trabajo.
Condujimos Proyecto Carrito desde Boston a Indianápolis, donde presentamos en la conferencia más importante de estudios composicionales en el país, la Conferencia de Composición y Comunicación Universitaria. Desde ese entonces hemos presentado nuestro trabajo en varias partes del mundo, incluyendo en conferencias en los EEUU, Francia, y Colombia.
En el 2016, nos embarcamos en nuestro proyecto más ambicioso, el Proyecto Carrito Caravana—una exposición de costa a costa de nuestras historias. Condujimos desde Boston a San Diego, parando en el viaje para presentar nuestro trabajo y invitar a audiencias a compartir sus historias de migración, también.
Hasta el día de hoy, nuestra clase semanal significa más que sólo escribir. Significa escuchar. Crear confianza. Reconocemos que los que toman los mayores riesgos para contar sus historias usualmente reciben los menores beneficios, y por eso deciden cuáles historias quieren compartir. Desde el 2010, nos hemos vuelto una familia.
¿Qué hemos hecho hasta ahora?
Queremos enseñarle a nuestras comunidades escolares por qué las personas emigran a los EEUU, y cómo podemos hacerles más accesible la educación. Y queremos desarrollar relaciones entre inmigrantes trabajadores de mantenimiento, estudiantes, profesores, y administradores. Aunque estudiamos y trabajamos en las mismas escuelas, no nos reunimos frecuentemente para hablar y escucharnos los unos a los otros. Creemos que estos son los primeros pasos para fomentar escuelas más inclusivas. Y con Proyecto Carrito, sabemos que las relaciones e historias pueden traer cambios concretos.