Crossings: Storytelling and Healing Through Documentary Film

Maria J. Ferrera, Ph.D., LCSW, DePaul University Social Work and Center for Community Health Equity Professor and Co-Director Anuradha Rana, Filmmaker, Professor & Director, DePaul University- School of Cinematic Arts; Johannes Favi, Founder Caged Dreams, Public Speaker; Samira Abdou-Pedila, MA, Refugee and Forced Migration Studies, JD Candidate, UIC

This session explores documentary film as a vehicle for digital storytelling about migration, safety, and belonging in the United States through the Crossings film project. Featuring the stories of Samira, Johannes, and members of Los Caribeños, presenters will examine the lived experiences of refugees and immigrants seeking asylum, including the emotional impact of migration, family separation, immigration detention, resilience, and community belonging. Presenters will introduce the Crossings educational website, which includes documentary films and expert interviews designed to support practitioners and educators in understanding asylum, migration, and the role of storytelling in healing and advocacy. Participants will identify ways to deepen understanding of the lived experiences of refugees and immigrants, describe the role of storytelling and documentary film in promoting empathy and mental health awareness, and apply strategies for listening to individuals' stories with presence

ETC

11:45 AM - 12:45 AM

Lessons about Belonging from Undocumented Latinas: Toward a practice of nurturing belonging rooted in community understanding

Amid increasing anti-immigrant sentiment and attacks on immigrant communities, this interactive session explores how belonging can be nurtured as an act of resilience and resistance. Drawing on research with undocumented Latina women, presenters will share findings demonstrating how many women claim a sense of belonging despite decades of legal exclusion and examine what these experiences can teach practitioners, advocates, researchers, and community organizations. Through facilitated discussion and roundtable dialogue, participants will identify belonging as a form of resistance, deepen their understanding of how undocumented women experience belonging, and develop practical strategies for intentionally fostering belonging within their organizations and communities.

ETC

Wellness Through Asian American Narratives and Theatre (WAANT)

Ginger Leopoldo, MA, Executive Director, Center for Immigrant Resources and Community Arts - CIRCA Pintig; CIRCA Pintig Artist-Teachers: Larry Leopoldo, Lani T Montreal, Ginger Leopoldo, RJ Silva, Luis Pascacio; Rooshey Hasnain, UIC DHD Faculty; Yunkyung Lee, MAATC, LPC, IL LEND Trainee and Art Therapist

This interactive session introduces Wellness Through Asian American Narratives and Theatre (WAANT), a community-rooted arts and mental health initiative developed through a partnership between CIRCA-Pintig and the University of Illinois Chicago's Institute on Disability and Human Development. Through storytelling, theater, and integrated arts practices, presenters will share lived experience narratives from immigrants, refugees, students, families, caregivers, and community members while exploring how culture, migration, displacement, identity, and community shape mental health and wellness. Participants will experience arts-based activities that foster reflection, dialogue, and connection while identifying practical, culturally grounded strategies for using storytelling and the arts to reduce stigma, strengthen community healing, and promote mental health awareness, advocacy, and collective care.

ETC

From Lived Experience to Collective Healing: Using Art and Storytelling to Build Connection, Belonging, and Wellness

Ali Tarokh, Risheh Institute, Founder; Akshara Das, Risheh Institute

This interactive session explores identity, belonging, displacement, and community through the Voices Through Art approach, an intergenerational and interdisciplinary model that combines storytelling, artistic expression, community dialogue, and advocacy. Centering the voices and leadership of displaced, immigrant, and refugee communities, presenters will examine how art can reposition individuals as storytellers and agents of change while fostering belonging, connection, and understanding. Participants will engage in story sharing, creative expression, and guided dialogue while identifying strategies for using storytelling and the arts to strengthen inclusion, build community partnerships, facilitate difficult conversations, and incorporate ethical storytelling practices that honor lived experience and promote empowerment and social change.