Activity 1: Why do we move?

1. Do Now: Have the following question posted as students enter the classroom and ask them to list as many responses as they can in three minutes. Encourage students to think about specific examples from their own family, friends, and community as well as stories from the news and media.
“Why might a person or family leave their community or country to establish a home someplace else?”
-and-
“What factors outside of individuals’ control might create conditions that are unsustainable in their homes?”

2. Using the “Popcorn” Method, have students share their responses with the class and record answers on a white board or chart paper.

Tip: Instructions for the “Popcorn” technique: https://www.teachingchannel.org/video/student-participation-popcorn-share

3. Explain:
In this lesson, we will consider the reasons people migrate from their communities or countries and the personal and political factors that shape their experience. We will explore these complex issues through scenes from the film Chez Jolie Coiffure. This documentary, directed by filmmaker Rosine Mbakam, follows the story of Sabine, a hairdresser from Cameroon, who left her home eight years before to build a better life. The film follows her story over the course of one year as she navigates legal, economic, and personal challenges in her adopted country, Belgium. As your examples demonstrated, there are a wide range of complex reasons why people move, and these motivations are often defined in two broad categories: “Push” and “Pull” factors.

4. Review the descriptions of “Push” and “Pull” factors and ask the class to identify which responses from the Do Now activity are examples of Push Factors and which are Pull Factors.

5. Organize the class into pairs and explain that they will have two minutes to list as many Push and Pull factors as they can. One member of each pair will be “Partner A” who will list only Push Factors and the other will be “Partner B” who will list only Pull factors.

6. At the end of 2 minutes, distributeStudent Handout A: The Push and Pull of Migration. Instruct the pairs to take turns reading out their Push or Pull Factors to their partner who will record the responses in the handout.

• Note: Be sure students list each factor in the correct Category on the handout: Economic, Education, Environmental, Political, Religious, or Social. Have pairs review their lists and add any additional Push/Pull Factors they can think of making sure there are at least two Factors in each Category.

7. Organize the class into groups of two or three pairs to share their responses and give feedback. Distribute a large piece of chart paper, markers, and tape to each group. Instruct groups to divide their paper into two columns labeled PUSH and PULL. Have group members combine their examples for each factor and list them on their chart paper. Groups can add additional factors as needed then post their PUSH/PULL list on the wall. Complete the activity with a silent gallery walk to review their classmates’ work.

8. Reconvene the class and briefly discuss the similarities and differences between the different groups’ lists.

• What patterns, if any, do you see emerging?
• What did you learn from the other groups’ work?
• In general, how do the Push lists compare with the Pull lists?
• What do these lists reveal about the nature of migration?
• What questions did this activity raise for you?

Activity 2: The Language of Migration - Understanding Key Terms

1. Explain: As we examine why people migrate from their communities or countries, it is valuable to review some key terms that are often used, confused, and sometimes misused to define different groups of people and the factors that shape their experience.

2. Think-Pair-Share:
Organize the class into pairs and distribute the definitions from Teacher Handout B: Key Terms Cut-Outs. Pairs should work together to review their term and then re-write the definition in their own words. Ask two or three pairs to share their definitions for each term with the class. (Note: These are only four of many terms that define individuals and groups who move across communities and borders, but they are most commonly used by the media, governments, and special interest groups.)

Key Terms:

• Asylum Seeker
• Immigrant
• Migrant
• Refugee

3. Have all the pairs with the same Key Term organize into groups - one group for each of the four Key Terms. Instruct groups to share and discuss their individual re-written definitions then work together to:

• Create a collaborative description of their term
• Provide a real-world example of an individual, community, or event that illustrates their term
• List 5 or more “Push” and 5 or more “Pull” factors that might motivate to this type of migration

4. To complete the activity, have members of each group present their definitions and examples to the class then discuss:

• List the Push and Pull factors for each of these groups – what are the similarities and differences?
• Why is it important to understand the distinction between each of these terms? How might an individual’s outcomes differ based on how they are labeled? (For example, if an asylum seeker is labeled as a migrant, etc.)
• Do you think the distinctions between these terms are clear? Why or why not? (In what ways, if any do these definitions overlap? Can a person fit into more than one of these categories? How?)
• How should a person’s rights or opportunities differ based on:
  • Push/Pull Factors that motivated them to move
  • Term assigned to their migration experience
• What, if any, rights should apply to all people who migrate (regardless of how they are labeled)?

Activity 3: Sabine’s Story and the Push and Pull of Migration

1. Have a volunteer read the film summary for Chez Jolie Coiffure from Teacher Handout A: Film Summary.

Review:

As the activities have demonstrated, Push/Pull factors apply to every human migration experience. Some general Push/Pull factors are common across all migration experiences (For example - Push Factor limited financial opportunities, Pull Factors: Improved quality of life). While many specific factors, such as escaping war, famine, genocide, corruption, institutional violence, threats to personal security, etc. are (rightly or wrongly) more often associated with Asylum Seekers and Refugees.

Through Sabine’s story we will further explore the often-complex experiences and Push/Pull factors of people who migrate, how their experiences are defined (and re-defined) throughout their journeys, and what rights and opportunities are made available (or denied) to them as a result.

• CLIP 1, “A girl here, who went on the road…”
  (6:00 - 10:00, length: 4:00 minutes)
• CLIP 2, “I saw a report about the Lebanon.”
  (14:55 - 16:18, length: 1:23 minutes)
• CLIP 3, “By word of mouth, they bring girls in.”
  (40:31 - 44:54, length: 4:23 minutes)
• CLIP 4, “Life hangs by a thread.”
  (45:36 - 51:10, length: 5:34 minutes)

2. Distribute Student Handout B: Push/Pull Factors in Chez Jolie and Student Handout C: Understanding Sabine’s Story Instruct students to record the Push/Pull Factors experienced by Sabine as well as quotes, scenes, and events that they find significant. Instruct students that after screening the clips, they will break out into small groups (2-4 students) to discuss the film and complete the questions in the handout.

• Note: If time is limited, follow each clip with a brief class discussion using the questions in Student Handout C, as needed.

3. Play CLIPS 1 & 2 and review the following with the class before breaking into groups:

• What surprised you most when you watched these film clips?
• In the first clip, Sabine told the story of “a girl” who do you think the girl was? (Why do you think Sabine talked about herself in the third person?)
• Who can briefly summarize Sabine’s journey? (Ask for volunteer(s) to give a brief summary of Sabine’s journey from Cameroon to Belgium.)

When the discussion groups have completed their handouts, reconvene the class and review:

• How does the report about the immigrant women in Lebanon compare to Sabine’s story about “a girl”? What can we infer about Sabine’s own experience from her reaction to this report?

Excerpt for reference:

Mr. Gizzard describes the report on foreign workers in Lebanon

“The problem is, employers don't declare them. African girls go to work in Lebanon because things are bad back home and they want to make a living. Others hope to enter Europe via Lebanon. They do not work legally. The police don't defend them. It's a whole system. They are mistreated, beaten, even raped sometimes. They showed girls over there. Oh Lord!”

4. Play CLIP 3 and follow with a brief class discussion before breaking into groups:

• Sabine tells the story of her migration from Cameroon to Belgium for the second time. How is it different from her earlier account?

When the discussion groups have completed their handouts, reconvene the class and discuss:

• How has life been for Sabine since she arrived in Belgium? What steps has she taken to build a more secure life in Brussels? (Applied for asylum, opened her own salon, joined women’s financial group, etc.)
• What outcomes have these actions had on her rights and opportunities in Belgium?
• How does Sabine feel about her future?

Excerpt for reference:

Sabine shares her story with filmmaker, Rosine Mbakam

“Too much suffering, Rosine. Then you get to Belgium and it doesn't stop. Where does that leave me? I ask for asylum, but they refuse. I've tried everything. Refused. Now, I wait. Perhaps I'm not convincing enough. I wait. If I have to go back... I think about it every day. I dread it. I imagine what it'll be like, but I don't know when it'll happen.”

5. Play CLIP 4 and follow with a brief class discussion before breaking into groups:

• Sabine sees a commotion outside her shop and someone tells her, “They're taking away the girls.” Sabine goes to get more information and tells the filmmaker, “Rosine, they're here. They're doing checks.” What is happening in the market?

When the groups have completed their handouts, reconvene the class and have each group share their “Going Further” questions. Complete the activity by briefly discussing the following with the class:

• What did you learn about the lives of migrants that you did not know before?
• Based on what we have seen, what legal rights does Sabine have in Belgium? What rights do you think Sabine should be entitled to?
• What human rights do we have regardless of the country that we are in or how we got there?

Activity 4: Human Migration and Human Rights

1. Write “What human rights are Universal?” on the board and give the class a moment to think about their responses. Have students respond using the “Wraparound” Sharing Method

Tip: Instructions for the Wrap Around Sharing Method from Facing History and Ourselves:

https://www.facinghistory.org/resource-library/teaching-strategies/wraparound-whiparound)

2. Have a volunteer read the United Nations definition of human rights in Teacher Handout C: What are Universal Human Rights?

“Human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, regardless of race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, or any other status. Human rights include the right to life and liberty, freedom from slavery and torture, freedom of opinion and expression, the right to work and education, and many more. Everyone is entitled to these rights, without discrimination.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is generally agreed to be the foundation of international human rights law. Adopted in 1948, the UDHR has inspired a rich body of legally binding international human rights treaties. It continues to be an inspiration to us all whether in addressing injustices, in times of conflicts, in societies suffering repression, and in our efforts towards achieving universal enjoyment of human rights.”

International human rights apply to all human beings, regardless of immigration status and are protected by international treaties, such as the Universal Declaration of Human.

3. Have students return to their partners from Activity 3: Push and Pull of Migration and distribute Student Handout C: Migration and Universal Human Rights to each pair. Pairs will complete the handout by connecting the Push/Pull Factors from Sabine’s experience to the human rights listed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and summarizing the connection. They will then describe how Sabine’s journey would have been different if her Universal Human Rights had been protected.

Resources for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

• Universal Declaration of Human Rights, PDF (Abbreviated)
  Teaching Tolerance
  https://www.tolerance.org/print/85591?text_version=student&term_highlight=
• Universal Declaration of Human Rights, PDF (Summary)
  Amnesty International
  https://www.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Simplified-UDHR.pdf
• Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Interactive (Complete)
  United Nations Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights:
  https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=23871&LangID=E

4. Reconvene the class and complete the activity by having students share their reflections on how Sabine’s (and most migrant’s) journeys would have been different if UHR rights are been actively and effectively protected.

Culminating Activity

Choose one of the following culminating activities:

• Have students examine the reasons why the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is not uniformly enforced by all of the countries that have ratified it, including the United States. Instruct them to write a persuasive essay in support of or opposition to independent states providing the specific protections for migrants outlined in the UDHR.
• Have students work in groups to investigate an immigration story currently in the news. Instruct them to create a multimedia presentation about that story that illustrates their understanding of migration push/pull factors and Universal Human Rights. If time allows, they should also assess if/how the subjects of the story are protected under U.S. immigration, refugee and/or asylum policies