autobiographical monologue Project
About the UndocuAmerica Project
The immigration system uses false rhetoric to justify aggressive immigration policies that exploit undocumented immigrants, rip families apart, and undermine our obligation to recognize undocumented immigrants’ humanity and their contributions to this nation.
The UndocuAmerica Project aims to interrupt the dehumanizing portrayals of immigrants by encouraging thoughtful engagement on the challenges facing the undocumented community and the assets immigrants bring to our country. Motus works with undocumented leaders to help them write powerful stories about their lives and then uses performances, podcasts and media to reach a wider audience.
The UndocuAmerica monologues were created in collaboration with Motus Theater’s artistic director as part of a 17-week transformative storytelling workshop focused on story development, public speaking and trauma support aimed at preparing monologists to become story ambassadors for the millions impacted by the immigration system.
These DACA-mented leaders courageously tell their stories, representing the pain, struggles, and resilience of so many undocumented Americans. Story themes include the threat of deportation, the injustice of being sent into exile from the country in which you were raised, border patrol, the current human and civil rights threats to immigrants, racial profiling, and more.
“Motus is the gold standard for narratives on immigration.”
— Anita Khashu (Four Freedoms Fund)
Live Performances
By inviting audiences to hear the artfully crafted autobiographical stories of undocumented immigrants, the UndocuAmerica Project strategically allows more people to get proximate to the stories of their undocumented neighbors, and hold closer the devestating impact of the immigration system. Performances broaden the audience’s understanding of the experiences of people who have been impacted by the immigration system and encourage dialogue about the fundamental American values of fairness, dignity, opportunity, and equality.
Motus presents the UndocuAmerica monologues in two formats:
Monologue Performances
Monologue performances feature the UndocuAmerica monologists sharing their own stories, interwoven with musical responses from notable singers and musicians. Most performances are followed by opportunities for talk-backs and Q&As, allowing the monologists to share their systemic knowledge and experience, and the audience to ask questions or respond to the performance. Space is also created for imagining a world in which everyone's hard work, dignity and contributions to this country are recognized.
Shoebox Live Performances with Guest Readers
In Shoebox Live performances, Motus and the UndocuAmerica monologists invite legislators, law enforcement, business, civic, faith and other community leaders to join the monologists on stage and, for a moment, stand in their shoes by reading aloud their stories. Guest readers spend pre-show time with the monologists - establishing a connection, sharing their reasons for participating, and hearing the monologist read their own story first-hand. Following the performance reading, the guest reader and monologists discuss the personal and community impact of the experience. These performances are woven with musical responses by lauded musicians and often feature additional time for a talk-back or Q&A featuring the presenters and experts in the immigration system.
Read Motus Theater’s statement on guest readers, here.
Collaborations with Faith Leaders
Motus Theater also works in strategic collaborations in which faith leaders and organizations read the stories of our UndocuAmerica monologists. Read more about our “Welcoming the Stranger/We Were Strangers” collaborations, here.
Some of our guest readers and panelists have included:
“I think it’s a wonderful thing to partner you and me and to make my reading of your story a companion piece to yours. It’s my way of walking your shoes.”
— John Lithgow, American actor
“Standing beside these young people, and reading their stories was moving for all of us, and powerful for the audience… Barriers were broken down, relationships formed, and mutual respect established. Relationship building like this, using this format, could probably solve a lot of various issues in many communities across this country!”
— BOULDER COUNTY SHERIFF JOE PELLE
Motus Theater’s inaugural Shoebox Live performance: Law Enforcement Leaders Read DREAMer Stories
UndocuAmerica monologues have been featured not only in immigration conferences like the National Immigration Integration Conference (NIIC) and Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees Conference (GCIR), but they have also been featured as keynotes at environmental, political and arts conferences including the Bioneers Conference, Netroots Nation, the Rural Women’s Assembly and the Women Donors Network.
In addition to conference performances, Motus Theater partners with prominent regional and national organizations to present UndocuAmerica monologue and allied performances. Our partners have included:
UndocuAmerica Series Podcasts
The UndocuAmerica Series is the first season of Motus Theater’s companion podcasts: Shoebox Stories and Motus Monologues. The series focuses on the experience of undocumented immigrants by featuring the autobiographical stories from Motus’ UndocuAmerica project. This platform invites people who are not woven into the immigrant community to get to know undocumented people through powerful stories from their lives. Listeners will be inspired by the courage of these stories, while also learning about the threats undocumented immigrants face.
Shoebox Stories: UndocuAmerica
A prominent American reads the story of our undocumented monologists, to fully experience their journey. National figures such as actor John Lithgow, chef José Andrés, Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo and feminist icon Gloria Steinem are examples of some of the outstanding featured readers. Acclaimed musicians provide healing musical responses following each story-reading and time for reflection.
Motus Monologues: UndocuAmerica
The undocumented monologists tell their own artfully crafted stories followed by a musical response from a nationally recognized musician such as Yo-Yo Ma, Neil Young, Ozomatli and Arturo O’Farril.
“If more people [were] aware of the stories of people like you, immigration reform [would have] already passed, and the opportunity for many people like you [would] be already happening.”
— José Andrés, Chef & Humanitarian
UndocuAmerica Films
My Mother’s Hands - Video interpretation of 'My Mother's Hands' - a story honoring the undocumented domestic workers, and women cleaning businesses, hospitals and government buildings to protect us against COVID-19. Written by a Motus UndocuMonologist, Reydesel Salvidrez-Rodriguez in collaboration with Motus’ artistic director, Kirsten Wilson. (3.5 minutes)
Do You Know Who I Am? - an acclaimed performance encouraging discussion on the challenges facing youth who are undocumented. The performance was scripted by Kirsten Wilson from autobiographical monologues created in a Motus Monologue workshop with Juan Juarez, Victor Galvan, Hugo Juarez, Ana Cristina Temu and Oscar Juarez.
Law Enforcement Leaders Read DREAMers Stories - a groundbreaking performance in which law enforcement and public safety leaders in Boulder County took to the stage to read the autobiographical monologues of young undocumented community members.
