E4FC Summer 2013 Creative Writing Workshops
What I liked most about the creative writing workshop this summer was being able to explore and express my own story, acquire creative writing skills, and learn from other people in a safe and welcoming space. |
This summer, we invite undocumented young people—college students or recent college graduates—to participate in a series of creative writing workshops that will take place in San Francisco. As undocumented young people, sharing our stories is a powerful way of processing and healing from the challenges of our experiences as well as tapping into and sharing the strengths we have gained from these experiences. With comprehensive immigration reform on the national agenda, there is also an urgent need to share our stories with broader audiences in order to positively influence public perception on undocumented immigrants, humanize the debate and, ultimately, advocate for policy changes that will most benefit our community.
In these workshops, you’ll explore creative writing as a way to communicate your experience in a compelling way. You’ll write personal narratives based on your immigration story, share and discuss your narratives with other undocumented young people, and finally, present one polished story at E4FC’s summer celebration on August 25th.
Please note: There is NO cost for participating in these workshops.
Click here to learn about Educators for Fair Consideration.
In these workshops, you’ll explore creative writing as a way to communicate your experience in a compelling way. You’ll write personal narratives based on your immigration story, share and discuss your narratives with other undocumented young people, and finally, present one polished story at E4FC’s summer celebration on August 25th.
Please note: There is NO cost for participating in these workshops.
Click here to learn about Educators for Fair Consideration.
Workshop Dates & Location
Each workshop will meet once a week for a total of seven weeks (July 8 – August 25). Each class will last three hours and take place in downtown San Francisco.
You must commit to ALL of the following sessions (absences will not be permitted):
You must commit to ALL of the following sessions (absences will not be permitted):
date
July 8 – Aug 25
July 20 August 25 |
Description
Weekly writing workshops (Seven weeks total – 3 hours each (Specific days & times TBD))
Creative writing retreat & E4FC social gathering Public performance at E4FC end of summer celebration |
WORKSHOP Descriptions
Our Words, Our Worlds
This workshop is open to any undocumented young person who is interested in exploring various aspects of his/her immigration experience. In this workshop you’ll learn introductory creative writing skills and write about various parts of your and your family’s immigration experience. Our stories will help to advocate for, and humanize the discussion about, comprehensive immigration reform.
FAMILY SEPARATION & Deportation
Under current immigrant law, hundreds of thousands of undocumented people face deportation every year, resulting in countless families being separated. This workshop is open to any undocumented person (or family member of undocumented people) who has a personal experience with family separation due to deportation. If you (or a loved one) have faced, or are currently facing, deportation, this workshop will support you in sharing your story through writing. Our stories will speak to the urgent need to keep families together and allow people with previous deportations the same access and protections under the proposed immigration reform bill. Join your voice with others who share your experience in order to shed light on the realities of deportation and the detrimental effects of tearing families apart.
LGBTQ Inclusion
Under current immigration law and the proposed immigration reform bill, LGBTQ couples are denied access to the same recognition and protections as heterosexual couples. This workshop is open to any undocumented young person who also identifies as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Transexual, or Questioning. Together, we’ll explore themes including identity, visibility, acceptance/rejection, and family definition. Our stories will shed light on the realities of living as undocumented and queer in the U.S. as well as the importance of LGBTQ inclusion in comprehensive immigration reform.
Access to Healthcare
The importance of access to healthcare for undocumented immigrants is invisible to policy makers and thereby creates restrictive and unjust policies that leave undocumented families uninsured. In order to promote humane and inclusive policies, this workshop will explore the continuum of creative writing and healthcare: the detrimental outcomes of not having access to health insurance; creative writing as a mode for physical, emotional, and mental healing; and the disparities between health access and health education. This workshop is open to any undocumented young person who has had challenges accessing healthcare (no health insurance, etc.), has loved ones with limited access to health care, or is an aspiring healthcare professional. Our stories will speak to the urgent need for healthcare access for all individuals and—if you are an aspiring healthcare professional—the need for a diverse healthcare workforce to improve the quality of healthcare for all communities.
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Workshop Structure
You will read sample stories, poems and monologues as well as complete at-home writing assignments. You will also be part of a strong and supportive community of peers; explore diverse writing styles with concrete practice; and share and get feedback on your developing work. You will complete one polished piece of writing and read/perform it at a gathering of E4FC community-members and supporters.
Benefits to Participation
What you’ll get out of this workshop...
- Build relationships with other amazing undocumented young people who are boldly speaking out about their immigration experiences
- Learn how to develop creative and compelling narratives from your personal experience
- Get individual feedback on your writing, plus coaching and practice with public speaking
- Share your story with new audiences
- Add your voice to the national immigration reform debate and positively impact public perception and policy
Who Should participate? Eligibility Requirements
In order to participate in one of these workshops, you must...
Please note: You do not need any previous creative writing writing experience.
- Be an undocumented (or formerly undocumented) young person (college student or recent college graduate)
- Want to investigate and share your personal and family immigration experience
- Participate in all seven workshop sessions (3 hours/week from July 8th to August 25th)
- Complete at-home reading and writing exercises (3-5 hours/week)
- Complete one polished personal narrative to be shared at an E4FC summer celebration (scheduled for August 25th)
Please note: You do not need any previous creative writing writing experience.
Workshop Instructor
Julio Navarrete - E4FC Arts & Creativity Manager
Born in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, México, Julio and his family migrated to the United States in 1992 in search of a better life. Julio recently received his Master of Arts in Education from The National Hispanic University, where he conducted research on the implications of using creative writing as a way of coping with the socio-emotional challenges of undocumented college students and graduates.
Julio received a Bachelor of Arts in Radio, Television, Film, and Theater from San Jose State University in 2005, and a Spanish teaching credential from the state of California in 2008. Julio has a strong passion for participating in community service and human rights organizations. At SJSU, he was a member of the Sigma Alpha Lambda leadership and honors organization, the Alpha Phi Omega community service fraternity, and the American GI Forum. After graduation, Julio worked at Downtown College Preparatory Charter High School, where he taught, motivated and mentored students from underserved communities pursuing higher education. Apart from his academic and professional endeavors, Julio enjoys writing, reading, exercising, and spending time with his loved ones.
Click here to learn more about Julio.
Born in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, México, Julio and his family migrated to the United States in 1992 in search of a better life. Julio recently received his Master of Arts in Education from The National Hispanic University, where he conducted research on the implications of using creative writing as a way of coping with the socio-emotional challenges of undocumented college students and graduates.
Julio received a Bachelor of Arts in Radio, Television, Film, and Theater from San Jose State University in 2005, and a Spanish teaching credential from the state of California in 2008. Julio has a strong passion for participating in community service and human rights organizations. At SJSU, he was a member of the Sigma Alpha Lambda leadership and honors organization, the Alpha Phi Omega community service fraternity, and the American GI Forum. After graduation, Julio worked at Downtown College Preparatory Charter High School, where he taught, motivated and mentored students from underserved communities pursuing higher education. Apart from his academic and professional endeavors, Julio enjoys writing, reading, exercising, and spending time with his loved ones.
Click here to learn more about Julio.
