Capture the courage and heart of your ancestors’ journeys.
Migration changes everything within a family dynamic, no matter the era. Families leave homes, cross borders, and carry memories, fears, and hopes with them. Poetry can capture the emotions of these journeys and help portray the feelings of excitement, loss, and determination that shaped future generations. Writing about migration also helps us connect with resilience in our family stories and can open our eyes to the hopes that other families share.
📚 Poems and Books Inspired by (Im)Migration Stories
Migration Poetry at Poetry International: A rich resource on migration and immigration poetry.
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The City in Which I Love You by Li-Young Lee: Poignant poems, especially "For A New Citizen Of These United States".
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Ocean Vuong’s On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous
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Contemporary Migrations: Mapping Poetry at the University of Chicago. This site's concept is mesmerizing, but it is currently focused only on two topics: Mapping Palestinian Migration in the 21st Century and Mapping the Korean Diaspora.
Jacob Lawrence's Migration Series: The Migration Series Poetry Suite at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).
🖋️Poetry Form Spotlight: Cinquain
A cinquain is a five-line poem with a set syllable pattern (usually 2-4-6-8-2).
- Cinquain: Wikipedia
- How To Write a Cinquain Poem: Poetry 4 Kids
- Cinquain Website: A scholarly exploration of the American cinquain as popularized by Adelaide Crapsey.
✅ Checklist
☐ Focus on one moment or feeling from that migration
☐ Use sensory language: sounds, smells, sights
☐ Keep each line purposeful
☐ Reflect on how that journey shaped your family today
✍️Mini-Prompt
Write a cinquain about a single moment in an ancestor’s migration. Have them board a ship, saying goodbye, and/or arriving in a new land.
💬 Call to action
Share your poem with family or in a genealogy group. Since a cinquain is a short poem, create an activity where everyone writes a poem about migration.
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