Migrants Bring Opportunity to Boston and Beyond (with Jacqueline Bhabha, Monique Nguyen, and Maggie Sullivan)
Notas do episódio
Massachusetts has long been a welcoming state to immigrants and migrant families. In the summer of 2023, its one-of-a-kind “right to shelter” law was put to the test when emergency shelters reached capacity. It was called a humanitarian crisis, and images of families sleeping on the floor of Logan Airport flooded the media. Although it is most noticed on a local level, migration is an ongoing global process that requires a structural response at all levels. In this episode, we speak to a lawyer/scholar, a nurse practitioner, and a city government official deeply involved with immigrant services and policies to better understand the scope of migration, the needs of newly arrived families, and also the varied responses of host communities.
Monique Nguyen directs the Boston mayor’s office for immigrant advancement and explains why the word “crisis” mischaracterizes the realities of global migration. Massachusetts has made a moral and ethical commitment to helping people in need, and her office works to give migrants a pathway to stability and a foothold in their communities.
Nurse practitioner and fellow with the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Maggie Sullivan delivers primary care to families in shelters. She offers a vivid picture of a migrant family’s experience in temporary shelters, and also describes the fortitude and skills individuals bring to Boston.
Attorney and human rights scholar Jackie Bhabha directs the Weatherhead Center’s Research Cluster on Migration, where Sullivan is an affiliate. Bhabha eloquently describes both the theory and practice of helping migrants and immigrants within the framework of human rights. She also provides insights on other countries’ experiences hosting influxes of migrants and the need for preparation and coordination involving the highest levels of government.
Guests:Jacqueline Bhabha, Faculty Associate; Chair, Weatherhead Research Cluster on Migration. Professor of the Practice of Health and Human Rights, Department of Global Health and Population; Director of Research, François-Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health and Human Rights, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Jeremiah Smith Jr. Lecturer on Law, Harvard Law School.
Monique Tú Nguyen, Executive Director, Mayor's Office for Immigrant Advancement, City of Boston.
Margaret (Maggie) Sullivan, Instructor and Health and Human Rights Fellow, FXB Center for Health and Human Rights, Harvard University; Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner, Boston Health Care for the Homeless.
Host:Jessica Barnard, Program Manager for the Weatherhead Research Clusters on Migration and Global History.
Related Links:- Weatherhead Research Cluster on Migration, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Harvard University
- Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Advancement, City of Boston
- François-Xavier Bagnoud (FXB) Center for Health and Human Rights, Harvard University
- “Reproductive healthcare in immigration detention: The imperative of informed consent” by Margaret Sullivan, Jacqueline Bhabha, et al. (The Lancet Regional Health—Americas, Volume 10, 100211, June 2022)
- “Health Rights for All: The Imperative of Including All Migrants” by Jacqueline Bhabha (Health and Human Rights Journal, Vol 25/1, 2023, pp. 223-226, March 30, 2023)
- “The imperative of sustaining (rather than destroying) frontline empathic solidarity for distress migrants” by Jacqueline Bhabha (Boston University International Law Journal, Volume 40:49, August 2022)
- “A Bridge Towards Tomorrow: Sampan speaks with Monique Tú Nguyen – Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Advancement” by Christopher John Stevens (Sampan, Volume 53, Issue 9, May 10, 2024)
- “Goldfinch: Flight to the North” by Axletree. Source: Free Music Archive (CC BY 4.0 DEED)
- “Dorian” by Xylo-Ziko. Source: Free Music Archive (CC BY 4.0 DEED)
This episode was produced, edited, and mixed by Michelle Nicholasen, Editor and Content Producer at the Weatherhead Center.
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