esfuerzo
esfuerzo is a multimedia project consisting of public workshops, visual art, an informational website, a board game, and a 2D platformer game that investigates the history of U.S. immigration policy. Conceived during the summer of 2022 when more than 152,000 unaccompanied migrant minors reached the Mexico/U.S. border, the project is two-fold: to present an accessible dual-language index of U.S. immigration history and to workshop ideas for a lasting, functional immigration policy.
The 2022 wave of unaccompanied migrant minors seeking asylum in the United States were primarily from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras – lands that were largely Mayan. esfuerzo’s visual language is informed by Mayan art and culture. The platformer-style video game draws from Mayan religious traditions as a framework to present a hero’s journey. Elements of Mayan history are dovetailed with a history of U.S. immigration to reflect a continuum of the human experience and a fluidity of culture. The game is being workshopped with immigrant and first-generation youths and young adults.
Using a Monopoly-style board game, the history of U.S. immigration law is paralleled with the U.S. gross domestic product to demonstrate how the national economy has grown through migrant labor. The game is presented on the street to inform and workshop ideas for new immigration policies to be submitted to elected representatives and presented on social networks.
Spanish language poster used for workshops to envision a new U.S. immigration policy:
Poster by Abygai Peña
Photo courtesy of the artist
Image courtesy of the artist
Image courtesy of Annabelle Heckler
Image by Daniel OBrien
Cinthya Santos Briones