Kaiya is an International Studies major with minors in Arabic and Migration and Displacement Studies at Vassar. Her interests lie at the intersection of global health, displacement, and human rights. Kaiya worked with the Selective Bibliography Summer 2020-Winter 2022.
Bearing Witness: Stories of Migration Through Art
Keywords: art, personal narrative, theater
Target audience: high school (grades 9-12)*
In December 2020, the Selective Bibliography of Forced Migration hosted a virtual community conversation centered around art and migration — from textile cloths to theater performances — with a focus on what it means to bear witness to such moments in individual stories of migration. This section includes the sources viewed at the event, additional contextual resources, and discussion questions.
Forcing Diasporas (A Teaching Tool)
Keywords: colonization, diaspora, displacement, home, Indigenous
Target audience: high school (grades 9-12)*
This section aims to introduce the concept of a diaspora to students in a way that is accessible yet hints at the multifaceted and at times complicated meanings of the word. It encourages students to make the connection between the creation of diasporas and many forms of forced migration and then be able to apply this understanding to the displacement and persecution of the Sahrawi people residing in Western Sahara, Algeria, and Spain.
Migration and Gender-Related Issues: Sexual/Reproductive Health and Violence in Forcibly Displaced Populations
Keywords: gender, health, humanitarianism, violence
Target audience: advanced and lifelong learners
This section presents the barriers to reproductive health and instances of sexual violence that are exacerbated in situations of violent conflict and forced migration.
On Forced Migration, International Policy, and Existing Outside of the Law
Keywords: asylum, 1951 Geneva Convention, othering, policy, refugee, terminology
Target audience: advanced and lifelong learners
This section aims to interrogate the problematic nature of current international migration laws and to understand (but not justify) the seeming ‘need’ to exclude certain individuals by looking at Giorgio Agamben’s theories of homo sacer and the state of exception.
The Marketing of Refugees: Humanitarian Photography and the Politics of Donation
Keywords: colonization, humanitarianism, media, othering
Target audience: advanced and lifelong learners*
This section investigates humanitarian photography and its use in donation campaigns frequently used by large international aid organizations and NGOs.
