stew0017

“You may never know what results come of your actions, but if you do nothing, there will be no results.” -Mahatma Gandhi

As a student at a liberal arts school, I generally consider myself to be a well informed individual. This well rounded, and self important image of myself was recently (and deservingly) destroyed upon my team’s attendance of a photo exhibit of Rohingya at the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education. In viewing the photos, and listening to Mohammed Husson Ali’s story as a former educator operating within the confines of oppression, I felt an odd mix of emotion. Awe, and gratitude for the man speaking to us, were among the emotions; but I mostly felt horror, and guilt for my own ignorance on the topic.

One moment in particular sticks out for me from this awakening, and this moment continues to pop up when I am conducting research; I continue to ruminate on the denial of education to the Rohingya. Academia has always provided me with a safe haven, and the lack of educational opportunities, and even general awareness about this crisis is sickening. Following our time at the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education, our team comprised of Alex, Margaux, Kelsi, and I decided to try and create a way to raise consciousness on this issue. We decided to collect the narratives of Rohingya immigrants, in an effort to create an equitable children’s story; allowing parents, educators, and children, to have conversations about immigration, and what they can do to try and help the Rohingya.

Taking action is incredibly important, but of course, change doesn’t happen overnight. Having an open conversation about immigration, reading a children’s book about perceived difference, and educating yourself about immigration, or directly about the Rohingya are ways to take action. On our site, you will find our book, a lesson plan for educators regarding immigration, resources for parents when opening dialogues and speaking to their children about oppression, a history about the Rohingya, and a compiled list of children’s books (and their library availability) that focus on immigration, race, history, equality, and oppression. We hope that our site is of use to you in taking action for causes that you are passionate about.

-Riley Stewart