“Cafecitos: Motherhood and Migration Stories” with Jessica Noffsinger, Vania Smith-Oka, Vanesa Miseres, and Lexi Gonzalez Madrid

In this episode of Global Stage, Kellogg Institute PhD Fellow Lexi Gonzalez Madrid interviews Jessica Noffsinger, Vania Smith-Oka, and Vanesa Miseres about their project, “Cafecitos: Motherhood and Migration Stories through Art, Literature and Community-Building” funded by Humanities Without Walls. This long-term collective endeavor taking place in South Bend, in alliance with local organization La Casa de Amistad, creates spaces for migrant mothers to share their personal stories and connect over art and literature in a multidisciplinary environment. From their professional backgrounds in anthropology and literature, respectively, Smith-Oka and Miseres explain how this unique learning experience is one that blends theory and practice with art and expression. Collaborator Jessica Noffsinger describes the diverse community and nourishing family-friendly environment provided by this innovative endeavor. And PhD student Gonzalez Madrid expresses her appreciation for this project which has connected her to local communities of migrant mothers outside of the classroom.