Game for Change: Illegal Immigration

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Artist Statement:

“…it had become impossible for me to see them as anything else but poor.  Their poverty was my single story of them.” 

-Chimamanda Adichie

In this quote from Chimamanda Adichie’s Ted Talk “The Danger of a Single Story” how she viewed the boy who was her families live in domestic help when she was young draws a parallel to that of many United States citizens opinion on illegal immigrantion.  The single story of illegal immigrants seems to be that they are poor in Mexico and are here to do jobs that no one else wants because they can make more money to be sent back to Mexico.  But I would go further to say that many times the single story about illegal immigration does not even extend this far.  The single story told of illegal immigrants is often created by nothing more than hearing repetitions of the title “illegal immigrants”.  The extent of the story is that these people have come here illegally and are using our resources without having to pay for them.  The actual people are not discussed nearly as much as the problem, and legislation surrounding them.

For this project I was able to get the story of a student at BYU who immigrated to the United States illegally with her family.  Her story along with a second hand accounting of another story and a few posted on blogs that I found formed the basis for the game that I designed.   Mainly though it was the story of this BYU student.  Here are her words on the subject of being called an “illegal immigrant.” 

“Being called an “illegal immigrant”…makes me feel uneasy.  When people are objectified and stripped of their humanity is when we usually treat them the worst. When people call us illegal aliens, it makes it easier for them to deport the dad or mom and separate our families because we are so different to them that it is tough to relate to us. Also, when just the word illegal is used, I don’t like it because people associate it with negative things. I am a really good student, have a bright future, and have never stolen or done anything against the law. But when I am called illegal, people see me as a criminal.”

She raises some really good points which fly in the face of the single story told of illegal immigrants. Thus the point of this game is to dispense with these stories by realizing that one many illegal immigrants are not at all criminals, and along the same lines that they are people with legitimate reasons for being here. I think the game is a great platform for people to realize that they are probably going to make similar choices as many of those who have come over to the United States illegally.  I tried to do this by providing details only from real life accounts and moving the story in such a way that the person playing not only sympathizes with one who has crossed the border illegally but validates the decision to do so by doing the same thing themselves.  I think most Americans who play this game, if they are honest with themselves, will decide to come to the United States illegally.  And even if they do not, I hope they will at least understand more the motivations that one has in doing so.