By: Sophia Da Silva 🇧🇷
Monica Cardenas Guzman wearing butterfly wings before students write on messages on them on Sept. 19 2024. (Ashley Neyra)
The monarch butterfly, born in Michoacán, Mexico, migrates to Canada each year. Forests come alive in black and gold as the insects are awakened by the warmth of the spring sun and our flying friends complete nature's greatest animal migration.
The monarch butterfly has become an icon of the immigrant rights movement, and on Thursday, people were able to join Migrating Shells in crafting life sized butterfly wings.
“What is your wings? What makes you fly? What makes you happy? What does your community mean to you?” said education policy and leadership Ph.D. student, Monica Cardenas Guzman. She was the main artist exhibited at the event.
Migrating Shells, is a student organization focused on building a community and providing resources to undocumented students on campus.
“We are a safe space for immigrant student life here at the University of Maryland. I would say more than a club, we're honestly a family,” said Ifeoluwa Bajela, sophomore biology major and Migrating Shells president.
Messages writen on what it means to be an immigrant on Sept. 19 2024. (Ashley Neyra)
The “Unclipped Wings” event was a chance to express the immigrant identity through art.
“I always think that art is healing, like I feel like it’s powerful. It connects with people, across languages, race, status, generations and so, I wanted to showcase my art but also have people to come and showcase their own interpretation of what it means to them,” said Guzman.
Guzman, a Mexican-born Californian, is motivated by her own experiences in her research of first generation college students and immigrants in higher education. Growing up in California, she witnessed the dawn of the immigrant rights movement, being undocumented unafraid, she said.
“Stepping out of the shadows into the streets and really letting people know, ‘Hey, I’m undocumented. I’m no longer afraid’,” said Guzman.
One of her great inspirations as part of this movement, Guzman pointed out, is Mexican American artist, Julio Salgado. His brightly colored works tell the stories of the intersection of migration and queerness, Guzman said.
“All that inspired me to bring a little piece of that into UMD,” said Guzman.
Bajela hoped the event would bring more people into the club. As a relatively new student organization, she said, Migrating Shells is still trying to build awareness of what it is and what it does.
“Get more people to know that there is a safe space for you on campus,” said Bajela.
Club newbie, sophomore government and politics major: Diane Juica, reiterated the community environment that attracted her to Migrating Shells. Juica found the club while searching on TerpLink for a place she felt she could belong on campus.
“My whole family is immigrants,so I wanted to find people that I could connect with easily,” said Juica.
Students coloring a coloring a butterfly which could then be stuck on windows on Sept 19, 2024. (Ashley Neyra)
Students enjoy food and socializing while painting different butterflies on Sept 19, 2024. (Ashley Neyra)
Juica is also excited at the prospect of more people joining the club this year.
“It brings a good light to what, hopefully, this semester will bring,” said Juica
In the past, Migrating Shells has helped to host the Dream Gala, an annual event celebrating the experience among immigrant students. The club also provides resources to immigrant students including legal assistance and help navigating college finances.
Bajela also said she wants the club to do more volunteer work, including a partnership with United We Dream, a large-scale immigrant advocacy organization.
“I know some people who are immigrants, and I have so much respect for them, what they have to go through. I know some people can’t really work…that sometimes prevents people from coming to school,” said Juica.
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