#ImmigrationDetentionSyllabus

Mohammad, pencil on paper. The Refugee Art Project

The **#ImmigrationDetentionSyllabus** is a sixteen-part series of readings and tools to support education, research, and action to dissect and dismantle the U.S. immigration detention system. The syllabus is organized by theme and curated by historian [Tina Shull](https://medium.com/u/6e34ba3479d9) at [Community Initiatives for Visiting Immigrants in Confinement (CIVIC)](http://endisolation.org).

Part Three, “On Media,” provides readings, reports, and multimedia resources for understanding and analyzing the role of the mass media, narratives, and communications in the immigration debate.

Readings

Covering Immigration by Leo Chavez

- Chavez, Leo R. [*Covering Immigration: Popular Images and the Politics of the Nation*](http://www.ucpress.edu/book.php?isbn=9780520224360). University of California Press, 2001. - Coley, Will, “[Podcasting for Racial Justice](https://aquifermedia.com/2016/11/12/podcasting-for-racial-justice-breakoutsession-at-facingrace-in-atlanta/): Breakout Session at #FacingRace in Atlanta,” *AquiferMedia.com*, 2016; “[What I’ve Learned So Far About Interviewing for Video and Audio Stories](https://www.hatchforgood.org/explore/168/whati-%20ve-learned-so-far-about-interviewing-hfor-videoand-%20audio-stories).” Hatch for Good, 2016. - Crawley, Heaven, Simon McMahon, and Katharine Jones. “[Victims & Villains: Migrant Voices in the British Media](http://www.coventry.ac.uk/Global/05%20Research%20section%20assets/Research/URC%20-%20Trust,%20Peace%20and%20Social%20Relations/Victims%20and%20Villains_Digital.pdf).” Centre for Trust, Peace, and Social Relations. 1–8. 2016. - Diedring, Michael, “[Refugee crisis: How language contributes to the fate of refugees](http://theelders.org/article/refugee-crisis-how-language-contributes-fate-refugees).” *The Elders*. - “[How the Media Elevated Anti-Immigrant Nativist Groups](http://How%20the%20Media%20Elevated%20Anti-Immigrant%20Nativist%20Groups),” *Media Matters*, December 2016. - Hufker, Brian and Gray Cavender. “[From Freedom Flotilla to America’s Burden: The Social Construction of the Mariel Immigrants](https://www.jstor.org/stable/4120663).” *Sociological Quarterly* 31:2 (1990): 321–35. - Kaneya, Rui, “‘[Illegal,’ ‘Undocumented,’ or something else? No clear consensus yet](http://archives.cjr.org/united_states_project/illegal_immigrant_or_undocumen%20ted.php).” *Columbia Journalism Review*, December 23, 2014. - Rubin, Rachel Lee and Jeffrey Melnick. [*Immigration and American Popular Culture: An Introduction*](https://books.google.com/books?id=rX02NVwPulQC&pg=PA281&lpg=PA281&dq=immigration+zine&source=bl&ots=qtmyH1jXEn&sig=Q23eyhY5PGndknkW45h0KDX21fA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjt3oXc8eHVAhVT12MKHaFLA1UQ6AEIXzAJ#v=onepage&q&f=false). New York University Press: 2007. - Russell-Brown, Katheryn, “Media Messages,” in [*The Color of Crime*](https://nyupress.org/books/9780814776186/). 2nd ed. New York University Press, 2008.

Writing Immigration from University of California Press

- Santa Ana, Otto. [*Arizona Firestorm: Global Immigration Realities, National Media, and Provincial Politics*](https://www.amazon.com/Arizona-Firestorm-Immigration-Realities-Provincial/dp/1442214155). Rowman & Littlefield, 2012. - Soerens, Maria-Jose. [“I work with Migrant Detainees. Which Immigration Narrative Do You Want to Hear?](https://sojo.net/articles/i-work-migrant-detainees-which-immigration-narrative-do-you-want-hear)” Sojourners. - Suarez-Orozco, Marcelo M., Vivian Louie, and Roberto Suro, eds. [*Writing Immigration: Scholars and Journalists in Dialogue.*](http://www.ucpress.edu/book.php?isbn=9780520267183)**University of California Press, 2011. - Wimmer, Roger D. *Mass Media Research: An Introduction.* Wadsworth, 2013.

Reports

Immigration Detention in the Media: Missing Migrant Voices and the Need for Humanistic Storytelling, CIVIC, February 2017:

https://imm-print.com/immigration-detention-in-the-media-9cb4f4c84c1b

Moving Stories: International Review of how Media Cover Migration, Ethical Journalism Network, 2015.

Echoing Justice: Communications Strategies for Community Organizing in the 21st Century. Movement Strategy Center, 2014.

A Report on the Media and the Immigration Debate, USC Annenberg School of Journalism and Brookings Governance Studies, 2012:

https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/0925_immigration_dionne.pdf

CultureStrike

From CultureStrike:
CultureStrike’s approach grows out of a deep history of artistic leadership within and alongside social movements. As a network led by migrant artists — and driven by our experiences as women, people of color, queer, trans, working-class, and undocumented people — CultureStrike aims not only to change the art of politics, but also the politics of art-making.

Popular education is an excellent way for cultural workers to exercise our minds as well as our talents, and can help us advance our own art practices and the movements we’re a part of. Below are some articles and reports that have helped CultureStrike develop our vision, and we hope will inspire you as well.

“Until We are All Free” Art Kit

UndocuNation
UndocuWriting

Mohammad, pencil on paper. The Refugee Art Project

### More Resources

Migratory Notes: A weekly compilation of exceptional immigration Journalism:

https://imm-print.com/immigration-detention-in-the-media-9cb4f4c84c1b

Messaging This Moment: A Handbook for Progressive Communicators, Center for Community Change, 2017:

https://www.communitychange.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/C3-Messaging-This-Moment-Handbook.pdf

Media Activist Tools and Tip Sheet for Filming Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Center for Media Justice.

Op-Ed Writing: Tips and Tricks, from the Op-Ed Project

Solutions Journalism Network

Undocumedia

EmergingUS:

https://imm-print.com/immigration-detention-in-the-media-9cb4f4c84c1b