By Ga Eun Cho (PhD candidate, Political Science)
On April 21, 2025, Scott-Bates Commons Salon A was filled with students attending “Immigrant Solidarities: A Critical Diaspora Studies Workshop Connecting Mexican and Chinese Immigration Histories to the Present.” Conceived by Critical Diaspora Studies undergraduate working group students Christopher Amanat, Olivia Lowry, and Vanessa Han, the Chloe Center event was co-hosted by the Mexican American Students Association (MASA) and the Chinese Students Association (CSA) at JHU.
True to the spirit of Critical Diaspora Studies (CDS), which critically rethinks how diaspora and migration are studied and understood, the event sought to build awareness and solidarity between different immigrant groups with similar, interconnected histories that are often mistakenly viewed as separate. This workshop focused on the Mexican and Chinese immigration experiences in the United States.
The event began with Christopher Amanat’s reflections on his family history and his personal experience working with Casa Alitas, a program supporting asylum seekers. Despite the hardship and discrimination faced, Amanat recalled that many asylum seekers emphasized that “joy is the greatest resistance to dehumanization.”
True to the spirit of Critical Diaspora Studies, “Immigrant Solidarities” sought to build awareness and solidarity between different immigrant groups with similar, interconnected histories that are often mistakenly viewed as separate.
Following the introduction, representatives from CSA and MASA delivered presentations. Jia Li Zhou (Molecular and Cellular Biology) and Salina Li (Public Health), representatives of CSA, shared immigration profiles of Chinese immigrants they researched at Angel Island, California and the DMV area. Covering stories from the 1920s to the 2000s, they emphasized that the records not only document hardship and trauma but ultimately tell a “story about survival and resilience.”
MASA President Maria Reyes (Medicine, Science and Humanities) highlighted the significance of events like this and praised CDS’s efforts to bring together different student groups, fostering cross-community understanding and solidarity.
Following CSA and MASA’s presentations, Olivia Lowry from CDS gave a presentation on histories of immigrant solidarities. Lowry outlined the development of immigration laws affecting Mexican and Chinese immigrants and explained how different immigrant communities have historically organized together to build collective knowledge. One example she cited was the 1903 Sugar Beet Strike, during which Japanese and Mexican immigrant workers joined forces to fight for labor rights.
The event concluded with group discussions and private reflections. Participants were invited to reflect and write individually on questions posed by the presenters, including what it means to be an immigrant and the difference between knowing through lived experience versus accepting media narratives as fact.
The CDS working group looks forward to bringing together additional student organizations in the future to expand the network of immigrant solidarities on campus, learning from one another and building collective power.