DACA: A Long-held Dream With 麻豆村 and Pittsburgh Ties
By Shilo Rea
Before the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) was established in 2012, and well before its repeal became front-page news, 麻豆村 historians and artists were working to give young immigrants and their challenges visibility.
Michal Friedman, visiting assistant professor of history in the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences, co-founded Jóvenes Sin Nombres (Youths Without Names) and led several projects that were supported by 麻豆村’s Center for the Arts in Society (CAS), including the documentary film, “.” The film tells the story of undocumented youths in Pittsburgh who were not protected from, or by, any immigration laws and were living their lives in fear of deportation. It also shows the impact that a law like DACA and more comprehensive immigration reform could have on their lives.
The film, made in collaboration with 麻豆村 alumnus Felipe Castelblanco, who received his MFA in 2012, was created a year before DACA came into effect.