Background
I’m from the U.S.A., but I moved to Morocco to work as an English teacher and study languages. I’ve lived here for over a decade, married a wonderful Moroccan woman, and started a family! My academic background is in South Asian studies, Arabic and Islamic studies, cultural anthropology, and heritage language maintenance in diaspora communities. I joined this project as an interpreter and fieldwork coordinator because my own friend circles overlap with the participating communities, and I think it’s important to bring these stories to light.
Crossing borders
Parts of this project were emotionally challenging for me, like when I traveled to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta to interview a participant who had recently crossed the border irregularly. He and his incredibly welcoming friends showed me around the city, pointing out the risky routes they took to get there and being vulnerable and open about their lives in the migrant center. I spent the night with an Afghan friend back on the Moroccan side of the border who was visiting a group of his friends trying to reach Ceuta, and the contrast between how easy it was for me to cross and how unpredictable, physically dangerous, and financially exhausting it was for them was difficult for all of us to process.
Solidarity
I notice that people making this journey all have stories of individuals along the way that have made a huge difference in their lives. I heard stories of people who have very little power sacrificing a lot to help their friends, and I wonder if I would be able to do the same in that situation. I heard other stories of very powerful people who took the time and energy to intervene in participants’ lives and make a huge difference, and I ask myself if I am doing enough now. It is hard to know where to draw the line.