Sharing experiences through art
Lohaine Goncalves chose to leave her home in Brazil to come to America for more opportunities.
The move gave her a second home, one she welcomed but that also represents a chasm for the family, life and home she left behind.
“You’re always going to miss something,” explained Goncalves, an M.A. in Integrated Design student at The University of Baltimore. “You’re comfortable here in United States but you miss, like, I miss the weather in Brazil. And if I go to Brazil, I'm going to miss something from here.”
That idea—one common for migrants who move to the United States, whether by choice or force—can be hard to explain to a larger audience, she said. So, with support from other students and staff at University of Baltimore, Goncalves found a way to explain it through art.
The result is a series of 12 posters, each featuring one person from the UBalt community, an object that represents home to them, and a quote about that object.
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The “Home Away From Home” exhibit was unveiled as part of the Office of Diversity and International Services’ annual Traditions and Holidays Around the World event in November.
In the future, they hope to share the posters in other spots around campus, giving more people a chance to view it, said Dagemawit Kebede, a M.A. in Global Affairs and Human Security student from Ethiopia and division operations specialist in the Division of Student Success and Support Services who worked with Goncalves on the exhibit.
“I want to be able to show that members here that are from across the world, they’re not just international students, they’re not just an immigrant student, but there’s a story and journey that carries with them and that brings them here,” Kebede said. “That’s what makes this institution really beautiful, because it carries all these individuals with beautiful journeys and stories.”
Goncalves’ hope is that the exhibit helps others build a newfound respect for anyone who comes to America to make a new home for themselves.
“I have all this experience with me, all these feelings that some other people don’t understand,” she said. … “It’s difficult to leave, like I left my friends, my family, the food, I left everything to try something else here. … I would like people to respect us.”
Clothing was a frequent choice for project participants when they thought of items that represented home.
Bibi Orya, a Master of Public Administration student, included an Afghan dress.
“For me, an Afghan dress represents our culture and our country," Orya said. "When I wear an Afghani dress, I remember my family, my country, my people, and our traditions. I couldn’t bring anything, I couldn’t bring my family with me to the United States. I just brought this dress, and when I wear this, it reminds me of who I am and from where,” she said.
Khadeja, a UBalt Law student, spoke of the symbolism she sees and the power she feels in Afghan dresses.
“It's a reminder that even with the regime change, the culture doesn't change. The tradition doesn't change. No one can change that," she said.
Elena Giron Argueta, B.S. ’22, CERT ’22, finds reminders of family love and connections to El Salvador woven into a sweater, one her grandmother made by hand.
“It connects me to my roots, representing my grandmother’s hard work and inspiring me to embrace our traditions. It’s very emotional, reminding me of the warmth of home and family.
For James Simermeyer, assistant director for UBalt Law Admissions, there is another kind of threading that he holds close. Two lacrosse sticks tie him to his Native American family history.
“We may not be on our ancestral land, but these lacrosse sticks are a reminder of where we come from and my father ensured I played lacrosse, cementing our connection to our culture," he said. "Lacrosse represents traditional values like conflict resolution and a sense of communal purpose.
"Being 'home away from home' means carrying my culture with me, even when we're viewed as strangers in our land. Reconnecting with our roots is essential to preserve our heritage, even within the United States. It's a challenge many indigenous people face, and the ability to do so is a gift.”
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