Immigrant and Immigration Stories
Immigrant and Immigration Stories
Stories have the power to promote both understanding by being a window into others’ lives and empowerment by mirroring our own experiences. Watch videos and read written accounts by immigrants past and present, learn strategies for eliciting stories from your students, and share your story with others. Search below or use the “Browse” tab to explore a list of all available options.
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Use Immigration Narratives to Build a Sense of Belonging in Classrooms
Blog post on thoughtfully engaging with your students' immigration stories in the classroom
Best 15 Books about Immigration for Students
Recommended books to diversify your classroom library or summer reading list with stories of the immigrant experience
Seven Famous Undocumented/DACA Immigrants
Seven engaging stories of exceptional undocumented/DACA Americans
Nine Famous Latinx Immigrants
Nine concise, diverse Latinx immigrant stories to share with your class
Black History Month: 10 Famous Black Immigrants
Ten stories of Black immigrants to the United States throughout history
Eleven Famous Women Immigrants in the United States
Eleven engaging stories of exceptional foreign-born women
Thirteen Famous Asian and Pacific Islander Immigrants
Fourteen brief stories highlighting a diverse collection of AAPI immigrants
Immigrant Storytelling in the American Narrative Toolkit
Experts in storytelling, the media and bilingual education give strategies for uplifting immigrant stories and empowering newly-arrived immigrant students.
Immigrant Storytelling in the American Narrative: Discussion
Educators and immigration experts discuss how to shape and share immigrant stories.
Immigrant Storytelling in the American Narrative: Jo Napolitano’s Story
Profiles of immigrant students and autobiography from an immigration reporter
Building Diverse, Culturally Responsive Text Sets
Guide to developing a collection of culturally responsive books about immigration, with examples
Professional Development Module: Refugees and Immigrants in Schools
Learn about refugees, engage families, identify and assist students needing support from traumatic experiences, storytelling and more
Neighbors, Not Strangers
An interactive digital storytelling project to show how immigrants are our neighbors to be encountered and embraced
Making a Digital Story
Curriculum for creating short videos of personal or family migration stories in a classroom or public workshop setting
Teaching Immigration with the Immigrant Stories Project
Three-unit curriculum for grades eight to adult using a library of original video stories made by immigrants and refugees
Book List: Immigrant/Refugee
Selection of books about immigrants and refugees that includes varied racial/cultural representation and a focus on #OwnVoices
Immigrant Nation (iNation)
Platform for creating, sharing and browsing immigration stories and short films, accessible in English, Spanish and French
A Guide to Producing Student Digital Storytellers
Five tips for educating digital storytellers and subject-specific ideas for digital storytelling
English Language Learners and the Power of Personal Stories
Five steps for adopting an asset-based approach with EL students and related activities using New York Times resources
Building Bridges Through Storytelling: What Are Your Students’ Stories?
Article, booklist and tips for helping ELLs tell their stories
Moving Stories
An app to record, share and explore migration stories, and resources for educators
Muslim Youth Voices
Series of stories showing the many identities and experiences of Muslim Americans
Archive of Immigrant Stories
Large, searchable archive of interviews with immigrants and refugees
Green Card Voices
Project to capture immigrant stories through videos, books and programs
Your Story, Our Story
Stories of migration and cultural identity, past and present, featuring objects and traditions
My Voice – Their Stories
A digital story of the struggles of Chinese immigrant students at a Charlestown, MA, high school
I Learn America trailer
Video clip of documentary that follows five recent immigrants in their senior year at NYC’s International High School at Lafayette
American Stories: Teens and Immigration
Video clips of four immigrant teens and related lesson supporting literacy skills
My Immigration Story
Story of 16 year old Miriam Martinez from TEDxCarverMilitaryAcademy
Books That Explore the Refugee Experience
List of books for all grade levels on the experiences of refugees around the world
Books Matter: Children’s Literature
Book lists for various ages to bring challenging topics and diverse perspectives into the classroom
Voices of Witness Education Program
Oral history-based curricula based on Voice of Witness book series, trainings and educational supports for skill development
Waking Dream Episodes
Six-episode series showing the reality of young people in the DACA program
Waking Dream Curricula
Collection of short videos and accompanying curriculum following the lives and challenges of DACA recipients
Crossing Borders with Digital Storytelling
Common Core-aligned lesson plan about writing digital stories to create empathy and understanding about immigration
Immigration Stories of Yesterday and Today
Interactive tours, virtual field trips, immigrant stories, immigration data and more from Scholastic
Immersion: A Short Fiction Film
Short film and lesson plans about a 10-year-old boy who has just immigrated from Mexico
Leaving Family Behind: Understanding the Irregular Migration of Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Minors
Article focusing on why unaccompanied minors chose to leave their families and their experiences
Title | Description | Tags | Author |
---|---|---|---|
Use Immigration Narratives to Build a Sense of Belonging in Classrooms | Blog post on thoughtfully engaging with your students’ immigration stories in the classroom | article/report, elementary school, high school, middle school | The Immigrant Learning Center |
Best 15 Books about Immigration for Students | Recommended books to diversify your classroom library or summer reading list with stories of the immigrant experience | blog, book list, early childhood, elementary school, high school, middle school | The Immigrant Learning Center |
Nine Famous Latinx Immigrants | Nine concise, diverse Latinx immigrant stories to share with your class | blog, high school, middle school, adult and higher education | The Immigrant Learning Center |
Seven Famous Undocumented/DACA Immigrants | Seven engaging stories of exceptional undocumented/DACA Americans | blog, high school, middle school, adult and higher education | The Immigrant Learning Center |
Immigrant Storytelling in the American Narrative: Jo Napolitano’s Story | Profiles of immigrant students and autobiography from an immigration reporter | video, early childhood, elementary school, middle school, high school, adult and higher education | The Immigrant Learning Center |
Immigrant Storytelling in the American Narrative: Discussion | Educators and immigration experts discuss how to shape and share immigrant stories. | video, early childhood, elementary school, middle school, high school, adult and higher education | The Immigrant Learning Center |
Immigrant Storytelling in the American Narrative Toolkit | Experts in storytelling, the media and bilingual education give strategies for uplifting immigrant stories and empowering newly-arrived immigrant students. | handout, early childhood, elementary school, middle school, high school, adult and higher education | The Immigrant Learning Center |
Professional Development Module: Refugees and Immigrants in Schools | Learn about refugees, engage families, identify and assist students needing support from traumatic experiences, storytelling and more | website, on-demand learning, elementary school, middle school, high school | CUNY Initiative on Immigration and Education |
Neighbors, Not Strangers | Large, searchable archive of interviews with immigrants and refugees | website, middle school, high school, adult and higher education | CLINIC |
Archive of Immigrant Stories | An interactive digital storytelling project to show how immigrants are our neighbors to be encountered and embraced | website, middle school, high school, adult and higher education | Center for Global Migration Studies |
American Stories: Teens and Immigration | Video clips of four immigrant teens and related lesson supporting literacy skills | video, website, lesson plan, elementary school, middle school | PBS LearningMedia |
My Immigration Story | Story of 16 year old Miriam Martinez from TEDxCarverMilitaryAcademy | video, middle school, high school, adult and higher education, community organization | TEDx Talks |
I Learn America trailer | Video clip of documentary that follows five recent immigrants in their senior year at NYC’s International High School at Lafayette | video, middle school, high school, adult and higher education, community organization | Jean-Michel Dissard |
My Voice – Their Stories | A digital story of the struggles of Chinese immigrant students at a Charlestown, MA, high school | video, middle school, high school, adult and higher education, community organization | Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center |
Immersion: A Short Fiction Film | Short film and lesson plans about a 10-year-old boy who has just immigrated from Mexico | video, lesson plan, middle school, high school, adult and higher education | Richard Levien, Director |
Your Story, Our Story | Stories of migration and cultural identity, past and present, featuring objects and traditions | website, elementary school, middle school, high school | Tenement Museum |
Green Card Voices | Project to capture immigrant stories through videos, books and programs | website, middle school, high school, adult and higher school, community organization | Green Card Voices |
Leaving Family Behind: Understanding the Irregular Migration of Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Minors | Article focusing on why unaccompanied minors chose to leave their families and their experiences | article/report, elementary school, high school, middle school | excerpt from A Long Way to Go: Irregular Migration Patterns, Processes, Drivers and Decision-making, by Marie McAuliffe and Khalid Koser |
Muslim Youth Voices | Series of stories showing the many identities and experiences of Muslim Americans | video, website, middle school, high school, adult and higher education, community organization | Center for Asian American Media |
Moving Stories | An app to record, share and explore migration stories, and resources for educators | website, elementary school, middle school, high school, adult and higher education | Re-Imagining Migration |
Building Bridges Through Storytelling: What Are Your Students’ Stories? | Article, booklist and tips for helping ELLs tell their stories | article/report, elementary school, middle school, high school | Laura Grisso, Colorín Colorado |
English Language Learners and the Power of Personal Stories | Five steps for adopting an asset-based approach with EL students and related activities using New York Times resources | article/report, elementary school, middle school, high school, adult and higher education | Larry Ferlazzo and Katherine Schulten |
A Guide to Producing Student Digital Storytellers | Five tips for educating digital storytellers and subject-specific ideas for digital storytelling | article/report, elementary school, middle school, high school, adult and higher education | Michael Hernandez, EdSurge |
Immigrant Nation (iNation) | Platform for creating, sharing and browsing immigration stories and short films, accessible in English, Spanish and French | website, video, elementary school, middle school, high school, adult and higher education | iNation Media |
Teaching Immigration with the Immigrant Stories Project | Three-unit curriculum for grades eight to adult using a library of original video stories made by immigrants and refugees | website, lesson plan, video, middle school, high school, adult and higher education | University of Minnesota and The Advocates for Human Rights |
Book List: Immigrant/Refugee | Selection of books about immigrants and refugees that includes varied racial/cultural representation and a focus on #OwnVoices | website, early childhood, elementary school | Diverse Book Finder |
Making a Digital Story | Curriculum for creating short videos of personal or family migration stories in a classroom or public workshop setting | website, lesson plans, high school, adult and higher education | University of Minnesota Immigration History Research Center |
Immigration Stories of Yesterday and Today | Interactive tours, virtual field trips, immigrant stories, immigration data and more from Scholastic | website, elementary school, middle school | Scholastic |
Crossing Borders with Digital Storytelling | Common Core-aligned lesson plan about writing digital stories to create empathy and understanding about immigration | elementary school, middle school, high school, lesson plan | Teach Immigration |
Waking Dream Curricula | Collection of short videos and accompanying curriculum following the lives and challenges of DACA recipients | website, lesson plan, video, middle school, high school, adult and higher education, community organization | iNation Media |
Waking Dream Episodes | Six-episode series showing the reality of young people in the DACA program | video, middle school, high school, adult and higher education, community organization | Indie Lens Storycast |
Books That Explore the Refugee Experience | List of books for all grade levels on the experiences of refugees around the world | book list, elementary school, high school, middle school | Edutopia |
Books Matter: Children’s Literature | Book lists for various ages to bring challenging topics and diverse perspectives into the classroom | book list, elementary school, high school, middle school, website | Anti-Defamation League |
Voices of Witness Education Program | Oral history-based curricula based on Voice of Witness book series, trainings and educational supports for skill development | website, elementary school, middle school, high school, adult and higher education, community organization | Voices of Witness |