esfuerzo

esfuerzo is a multimedia project consisting of public workshops, visual art, an informational website, augmented reality through Instagram and TikTok, and a multiplayer 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.

The public workshops begin with a presentation and publication on a history of U.S. immigration policy to facilitate discussion that brainstorms new immigration policies to be submitted to elected representatives and presented on social networks.