Humanitarian Organization for Migration and Emergencies (HOME)

The Humanitarian Organization for Migration and Emergencies (HOME) group provides opportunities for students to gain skills and experience that will improve the health and well-being of crisis-affected populations. Through events and experiential learning opportunities, HOME also raises awareness among the Columbia University community of complex emergencies around the world.

We sat down with the organizers to discuss their experiences during the History of Our Community Tour. 

WHAT MUSEUM OR SITE DID YOU VISIT?

(HOME) - We visited the Tenement Museum.

What exhibits did you visit?

(HOME) - We visited an exhibit called Victoria Confino, where we discovered the life of early immigrants that came to America. An actress plays Victoria, a 14-year-old in 1916 that came from Greece. She showed us her small apartment and explained to us that she shares the apartment with her mother, father, and 5 brothers. She explained to us that her family sold their farm and left everything behind to travel to America for a better life. Another group of students went on a Walking Tour to explore the Lower East Side and learn about the historical significance of the neighborhood. 

PLEASE DESCRIBE YOUR EXPERIENCE

(HOME) - It felt like we were transported to another time and space. I really liked that the actress playing Victoria shared her story of traveling to America by boarding on an overcrowded boat and how she originally thought America was going to be very welcoming. But she discovered how tough it was because of discrimination and xenophobia. 

WHAT WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU LEARNED?

(HOME) - The most important thing I learned was that immigrants continue to face struggles in America today as they did hundreds of years ago.

IN OUR "CALL TO OBSERVANCE," THE 400 YEARS OF INEQUALITY ORANGIZERS URGE THAT THE RESPONSES BE PLACE-BASED. HOW HAS THE HISTORY YOU HAVE UNCOVERED TELL OF HOW INEQUALITY HAS FUNCTIONED IN THIS PLACE? How have residents struggled against and resisted structural inequality?

(HOME) - I learned that discrimination, xenophobia, and racism is a repetitive pattern in the fabric of Americaʼshistory. Having a strong sense of community and coming together to stand against oppression is important in the struggle for equality, equity, and the protection of human rights. 

HOW HAS THIS SITE INFORMED YOUR WORK AS PUBLIC HEALTH PRACTITIONERS?

(HOME) - The Tenement Museum has informed my work as a public health practitioner to strive for equity in public health. Especially in our current political climate, asylum seekers are being placed in detention camps, families are being separated from children, and refugees are facing lower acceptance into the United States. Traumas and inhumane conditions such as the lack of proper hygiene, overcrowded living spaces, and poor access to medical care have resulted in a national outcry for the closures of these privately owned detention centers.