Artists Víctor María Chamán and Mary Courtney, shaped by their experience coming to the US, celebrate diversity and illuminate the challenges facing immigrants.

Although Víctor María Chamán came to the U.S. at 19 from Mexico, he said that he was largely in an “academic and artistic bubble” until the COVID-19 pandemic, studying English at the University of Texas at Austin and then pursuing a Master’s of Fine Arts in creative writing at Syracuse University. But Chamán has now used his writing training to bring forth the stories of Latinx immigrants largely working in agriculture in central New York state.

Collaborating with the Workers Center of Central New York, Chamán has compiled 49 first-person stories told to him by these immigrants, most of whom are undocumented. Each participant decided on the length, content and style of their story, as well as Chamán’s level of editorial involvement. Importantly, these stories are owned by the people who told them, meaning any profit that comes from publishing the work will be shared by everyone involved.

Chamán is one of several artists using their craft to document the lived experiences of immigrants in the U.S. through their participation in CRNY’s Artist Employment Program (AEP). While anti-immigrant sentiment dominates national and New York politics and news cycles, artists are exploring the stories of newcomers, informing them of their rights, helping integrate them into our economy and society, and cultivating the diversity that has always been the hallmark of the United States. 

“Being the first listener to these stories changed me. I see our project as fundamentally one of strangers telling strange stories, one experiment of trust after another,” Chamán said. The forthcoming work includes narratives ranging from full biographies to discrete anecdotes, to be produced in Spanish with some chapters translated into one of several Indigenous languages. 

“These are people speaking their own truth in their own language at their own pace. Our main purpose is not journalism but narrative,” said Chamán, who added that he would like these people to speak to journalists and lawmakers about their experiences in order to catalyze policy change, such as removing the threat of deportation if they are stopped for a minor traffic violation. “Their testimonies are centered on strategic victory.” 

In New York City, musician Mary Courtney deployed her talent and dedication to help the Emerald Isle Immigration Center (EIIC) get the word out to immigrants about the range of services it provides and raise awareness in government and the public of immigrants’ contributions to our society. A nonprofit founded in 1988 by leaders of the Irish Immigration Reform Movement, the EIIC serves immigrants of more than 100 nationalities from its offices in Queens and the Bronx. Services include immigration legal assistance and social services including healthcare and benefits access, mental wellness screenings, individual and group psychotherapy, social programs for older adults, and arts and cultural events.

Courtney, born and raised in Castlegregory, County Kerry, Ireland into a large musical family, said she feels forever grateful to EIIC, which helped her apply for a green card in 1992 after living in the U.S. for a decade as an undocumented immigrant, and then supported her journey to citizenship. “I’m horrified at the anti-immigrant sentiment today,” Courtney said. “I’ll be the first to say that I’m an immigrant.”

Courtney’s life in New York has been one of playing traditional Irish music with her band Morning Star, having recorded five band albums and two solo albums. The band was part of the play, “Grandchild of Kings,” produced by the Irish Repertory Theatre and directed by the late Hal Prince.

EIIC also helped Courtney and several other artists of different backgrounds apply for CRNY’s Artist Employment Program, which Courtney called a “godsend” after her music career was put into limbo by the COVID-19 pandemic. In collaboration with EIIC, she and other artists showcased their music, filmmaking and painting in venues around New York City, such as cultural centers, street fairs and festivals while raising awareness of EIIC’s services. “The music I play is protest songs,” Courtney said, adding that she draws on the Irish history of protest against British rule as well as the American civil rights movement. 

Courtney also said that the AEP funding allowed her to go back to her first love, theater. She recently composed two pieces of music and performed in the play Boann and the Well of Wisdom by John Kearns, which won Best Play in the Origin First Irish Theater Festival. The play recently toured in Ireland, and Courtney was thrilled to bring her craft back to her native country. 

She and the other artists who have collaborated with EIIC are now producing an album. They intend to donate all proceeds to the organization that has helped them so much. “I don’t have the words to express my thanks to the EIIC and the other artists,” Courtney said, right before she left her home on Election Day to cast her ballot and express her support for immigrants like herself.

Photo of collaborators at Workers Center of Central New York sharing personal stories.