Chez Jolie Coiffure: Understanding the Push and Pull of International Migration

Sabine is a charismatic, larger-than-life personality crammed into a tiny shop in the immigrant Brussels district of Matonge. Here, she and her employees style extensions and glue on lashes while sharing rumors about government programs to legalize migrants and talking about life back home in Cameroon.

In this lesson, students will share and examine their perceptions of and experience with immigration and sometimes vague language of international human migration. Through Sabine’s story and collaborative activities, students will identify “push/pull” factors that that lead individuals and families to leave their countries despite the complex hurdles and personal risks they face. They will then connect the factors that motivated each stage of Sabine’s journey to fundamental human rights as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The lesson will culminate with students identifying current media stories of international migration and collaborate in small groups to develop multimedia presentations integrating their understanding of Push/Pull Factors, international human rights, and evaluating if/how these rights are applicable under U.S. policies.

Allison Milewski has developed media education resources for a range of award-winning filmmakers and national media organizations, including PBS LearningMedia, Independent Television Services (ITVS), Latino Public Broadcasting, HBO Documentaries, and Tribeca Film Institute. She is also the founder of the international media education program, PhotoForward.org.