Chicago Moms Art
The First Day: Brainstorm
When I announced the topic of immigration, the initial reaction I received from the students were complaints that this project will make them cry. The students were asked to create a drawing or a painting using any medium of their choices to create their immigration story. Additionally, the students were asked to try a new way of creating art from imagination instead of tracing a copy of a prepared drawing. The students started the project by brainstorming and looking back at the time of their immigration. Together, they brainstormed ideas and words that they associated with Korea and the US as I wrote down the spoken words on a whiteboard for a record. Among the shared words, “lottery” or 로또 in Korean language, stood out from the section identifying the US, bringing laughter and nods of sympathy. One student said “winning a lottery is the true American Dream coming true!”
To help them generate more ideas and thoughts, I provided four questions and asked them to create rough sketches for 10 minutes on each question. The questions were:
1) Can you describe the scene of your immigration day?
2) What does your typical day look like in the US?
3) What do you find missing or wish to have in your American life?
4) What does the “American Dream” look like to you?
Some of the students drew detailed drawings while others wrote down words and scribbles instead. The students had so much to share in between questions, their heartbreaking stories filled the space. We almost ran out of time while being caught up in an intense conversation. I asked them to think about what the final artwork will look like and which medium they would use before ending the class.
