The VocalizED Identity Crafting and Exploration (VOICE) Research Lab hosted a talk titled “The Stories We Interrogate: Amplifying Immigrant and Refugee Narratives Amid Anti-Immigrant Discourses” on Tuesday, Feb. 11, from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m in the poetry center.
The panel featured several distinguished Stony Brook University professors from the Department of English, including graduate program director and professor Simone Brione, associate professor Timothy August, associate professor Jeffrey Santa Ana and assistant professor Neisha Terry who is the founder of the VOICE Lab. They discussed how faculty members have used, and will continue to use, forms of literacy to analyze the experience of immigrants.
Introduced in Nov. 2024 by Terry, the VOICE program offers students the chance to earn EXP+ credits while learning skills like podcasting and video storytelling, with a focus on strengthening immigrant voices.
“The VOICE Lab itself is an outgrowth of my dissertation research,” Terry said in an interview for Stony Brook’s Department of English blog. “I started a podcast in 2020 at the height of the pandemic called VocalizED, which invites people to explore and discuss some controversial educational issues.”
She explained the personal significance behind the name of the VOICE program, emphasizing her passion for acknowledging immigrant perspectives.
“VocalizED is actually the first word in VOICE because, for me, my interest has always been to amplify immigrant narratives, so when I began wondering what I really wanted coming from it, it led to VocalizED Identity Crafting and Exploration,” Terry said. “It’s very personal to me because I’m an immigrant, but not only that, I’m a Black immigrant woman.”
She explained that being in the Lab benefits students because “we need to facilitate and nurture understanding, so students who are a part of the Lab can gain connection and knowledge of the immigrant experience.”
The panel began with a brief introduction by Terry, who explained how various professors use different forms of literacy to analyze and share the experiences of immigrants and refugees. She guided the discussion by posing questions to both the professors and the audience, such as how we can challenge dominant narratives surrounding immigration and the role storytelling plays in empowering marginalized voices.
Terry then highlighted the importance of challenging harmful stereotypes and creating space for more authentic and nuanced representations of immigrants in academic and public spheres.
“Above all, we discuss the importance of amplifying immigrant and refugee narratives in ways that can disrupt dominant deficit-based discourses,” Terry said in an interview with The Statesman. “Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke of the ‘fierce urgency of now’ and we are living in a moment in time when that urgency is felt all around us. Talks like these are important because they can help to catalyze the type of transformative advocacy that is needed to combat oppression.”
Next, August emphasized the importance of integrating immigration discourse into the classroom, and explained that by studying immigration, we actively shape and amplify the immigrant experience. He highlighted that this focus not only deepens our understanding but can foster a more inclusive and informed viewpoint.
Later, Brioni brought up the importance of centering immigrant and refugee voices to challenge hurtful depictions and foster discussions on belonging, identity and social justice in today’s political climate, where the lives and status of immigrants are on the line. He described the widespread misrepresentation of immigrants in America, emphasizing that in a time when immigrants, migrants and refugees are being “scapegoated” by our current administration, those in academic fields should be cultivating empathy to support these communities.
“This talk is particularly timely and necessary given our current political climate, where anti-immigrant rhetoric continues to shape policies and public perceptions,” Brioni said in an interview with The Statesman. “By centering the voices and lived experiences of immigrants and refugees, we aim to challenge harmful narratives, foster empathy and encourage critical discussions about belonging, identity and social justice.”
Brioni’s comments about the necessity of centering immigration and refugee voices come at a time when President Donald J. Trump’s executive orders on immigration have fueled widespread debates over the treatment of immigrants and refugees. The executive orders, issued in the early weeks of his presidency, came out fast, making it hard for officials to keep up and gauge its political impact.
While immigration was the primary focus of Tuesday’s panel, those in the discussion briefly touched on the importance of intersectionality, particularly in relation to queer identities. They addressed how these identities are shaped and impacted by immigration and broader social movements in America.
Some of the ways in which queer identities may be impacted due to the current presidential administration’s stance on immigration include LGBTQ+ people facing persecution and seeking shelter in the United States, who may now face particularly difficult challenges due to the administration’s overall position on LGBTQ+ rights. Additionally, LGBTQ+ asylum seekers may struggle to prove their sexual or gender identity if they were not yet out in their home country, where they may have been at risk of persecution for doing so.
In an executive order on Monday, Trump required that the U.S. recognise only two sexes — male and female — rolling back the recognition of nonbinary or other genders, which could have an impact on asylum applications made by transgender people.
The panel concluded with a final question by Terry, who asked how stories have shaped, and will continue to shape, the reality and perception of immigrants and refugees in the U.S. She highlighted the ongoing importance of storytelling in challenging stereotypes and influencing social change.
“Hosting this event on campus is crucial, and we hope to provide attendees with a deeper understanding of the systemic issues at play and inspire action that supports immigrant and refugee communities,” Brioni said.
