Anomalies
Helping Migrant Children Feel Seen
Every child deserves to feel loved and welcomed wherever they may be.
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Initially, this project was based on the idea of a House vs. Home and what it means to feel at home, so through this project, I tried to provide the feeling of home ( comfort, stability, and safety) to groups such as the unhoused, victims of abuse, immigrants and refugees. However, I quickly realized this was too big a task to handle with one project, so I narrowed it down to migrant children.
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Many children who have to leave their homes struggle to fit in and feel unwelcomed. If these issues aren't resolved, they can become more significant as they grow older.
"All children should feel that their world is a safe place where people care about them and their needs... when these needs are met, children can develop a sense of belonging.
A sense of belonging has been found to help protect children against mental health problems and improve their learning. Children who feel that they belong are happier”
After that, I began to sketch ideas that would provide the essence of home, but first, I needed to understand what home was; was it a place, person, feeling, memory, and how that was linked to physical items. While sketching, I focused on the following 3 points from my research:
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Our senses are linked to our memories of home
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Having a house is not the same as having a home
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Mental health is affected either positively or negatively if we have a feeling of home, especially in children
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Most groups that make-up America feel as if they are without a home
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In the end, I decided on dolls with books on their realistic migration stories to provide representation and awareness so that these kids feel seen. When this happens, they can feel comfort, love, and security in their new home.
That's how Anomalies came to be; these kids often feel like anomalies, like outcasts, alone. By acknowledging their feelings and providing a doll with a similar backstory to theirs, they can relate and feel seen using it as a way to heal their pain.
I began by writing Ana's story; she immigrated from Mexico to the U.S. because of cartel violence and had to be smuggled across the border by a coyote.
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Many people tend to avoid talking about these issues with children, but the reality is that they understand, and some have personally experienced these things. Presenting it in a childlike manner encourages healing rather than retraumatizing them.
Not all dolls are immigrating into the U.S. since this is a worldwide issue. I decided to crochet these dolls rather than traditional plastic dolls because plastic seems generic, almost impersonal. Crochet, handmade dolls provide an extra feeling of warmth, making it easier for the children to connect with them.
I decided on a backpack for packaging because the boxes felt too commercial. Ideally, we would give these dolls and books to kids who have had to migrate. Having the bag allows them to carry the items with them wherever they go and create new memories with the doll.
At first, I was testing tote bags but realized that if the kids were to take these while playing, their items wouldn't be secure while they were running around. I ended with a drawstring backpack that would keep their things in place.
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When given, the backpack would have an insert introducing the doll as well as explaining what Anomalies is, in both their native language as well as the language of the place they are immigrating to.
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We are anomalies together.
About:
Senior Design Studio Project.