Espacio Migrante
Telenovela Comunitaria “Maestra, Veterinaria, Astronauta”
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S.-Mexico border has been closed to asylum seekers due to a public health order, Title 42. Since then, thousands of asylum seekers have been expelled daily from the U.S. to cities along the border in Mexico, often these asylum seekers have no housing, work, or support networks. Although education is a human right and Mexican laws recognize the right to education of all children, most school-age asylum seekers in border cities are not enrolled in school due to several Institutional barriers.
The Community Telenovela “Teacher, Veterinarian, Astronaut” is a community-based participatory media project that aims to highlight the experiences and educational challenges faced by migrant children and young adults, it also challenges harmful stereotypes on migration, empowering families to create their own media response to their experiences of marginalization in Mexico.
The project also functions as an informational tool for other migrant families that arrive to the U.S.-Mexico border, facilitating their children’s registration process in public schools across the region as they await to regularize their situation for both sides of the border.
Synopsis
This is a fictional drama in the style of a soap opera based on the real-life stories of migrant children and their families in Tijuana, Mexico. The Telenovela follows the life of Maria, a refugee and single mother from El Salvador, and her 8-year-old daughter Maleshka, as they struggle to integrate into a city that is often hostile towards foreigners like them. After several schools deny registration to Maleshka because she is a refugee, she begins to wonder if she could ever achieve her dream of going to school. Then, Maria and Maleshka find a friend in Sarah, a Cameroonian law student, mother and fellow refugee, who joins them in their fight/struggle to guarantee Maleshka’s legal right to an education in Mexico.
Contributor Work
Maestra, Veterinaria, and Astronauta production still courtesy of Espacio Migrante
Maestra, Veterinaria, Astronauta teaser. Telenovela Comunitaria de Espacio Migrante.
Contributor Profile
Espacio Migrante is a binational community organization based in Tijuana, Mexico. Espacio Migrante Works with migrant communities to promote access to human rights, such as education and health; provide comprehensive care and at the same time sensitize the community about the realities of migrants. Espacio Migrante has a shelter for migrant families, as well as a cultural and community center where migrants living in Tijuana can participate in community activities, educational programs, cultural events and Health and legal services.
Our mission is to create a safe space where migrants can weave/create community, access educational and cultural programs and receive integral accompaniment in their migration process. Likewise, defend and promote Human Rights, social, racial, and gender justice in migrant communities, through cultural and community dialogue. The vision of Espacio Migrante is that the border is a sanctuary of human rights, cultural dialogue and opportunities for migrant communities.
History
Espacio Migrante was founded in 2012 by a group of young women and students from Baja California and the border region, who wanted to do something about the issues of immigration. We started as volunteers at a local shelter and implemented a digital literacy and job guidance program for migrants and deportees. At the same time, we began to organize cultural activities with the migrant and cross-border community, to create conversation and raise awareness about migration. In 2015 we constituted ourselves as a non-profit organization in Mexico, and in 2016 we were constituted as a non-profit organization in California, becoming a binational organization. That same year, with the arrival of Haitian migration to Tijuana, our work expanded to other shelters where we provide humanitarian aid and information in different languages, training on rights and cultural workshops. In 2018 we opened our first community center, where we began to hold community meetings and organize Spanish classes, educational programs, and legal services. During this period, leaders of migrant communities in Tijuana became part of the Espacio Migrante team and began working together to access their rights and advocate for social, racial, gender, and economic justice. In 2019 we opened a shelter for migrant families and created a cultural and community center, a legal clinic and a program for community organization.