Self-Education Resources

We will be sharing educational materials to help supporters gain a better understanding of any updates, news, or information.

• Brief Overview of Executive Orders Related to Immigration

• What Roles Do Immigrants Play in Ohio?

One of the best ways to make a difference is through education and understanding the history, policies, and personal stories that shape immigrant experiences. Below is a curated list of books, articles, and videos that offer deep insight into the realities of migration, refugee crises, and resilience.

Recommended Books:

• UnSpun: Finding Facts in a World of Disinformation by Brooks Jackson & Kathleen Hall Jamieson is a guide to navigating misinformation and media manipulation, especially important when communities face heightened scrutiny. Find a copy here

• Not a Nation of Immigrants by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz – Challenges the traditional narrative that the U.S. is a nation built by immigrants, revealing the deep-rooted history of settler colonialism, forced displacement, and exclusionary policies.

• Everyone Who is Gone is Here by Jonathan Blitzer – A deeply reported book that follows asylum seekers and immigration advocates, providing a gripping look at the U.S. immigration system’s failures and complexities.

• Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen by Jose Antonio Vargas – Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas shares his powerful personal story of growing up undocumented in America, offering a raw and emotional perspective on identity and belonging.

• The Girl Who Smiled Beads by Clemantine Wamariya – A heartbreaking yet hopeful memoir about escaping the Rwandan genocide as a child, spending years in refugee camps, and rebuilding a new life in the U.S.

• The Ungrateful Refugee by Dina Nayeri – A thought-provoking blend of memoir and investigative reporting, challenging the way refugees are perceived and the burdens placed upon them.

• The Refugees by Viet Thanh Nguyen – A collection of beautifully written short stories that explore the lives of Vietnamese refugees, shedding light on themes of displacement, survival, and identity.

Recommended articles and videos:

• Debunking the Myth of Immigrants and Crime – American Immigration Council

  • A data-driven resource disproving harmful myths linking immigration to crime—an excellent tool for community education. 

• VOCES: American Historia – The Untold History of Latinos | PBS

  • A powerful look at Latino history, identity, and overlooked stories.

•  Here’s How America’s Immigration Policies Have a Racist Past

  • A historical overview examining the roots of today’s immigration system.

• Mass Deportation: Analyzing the Trump Administration’s Attacks on Immigrants, Democracy, and America - American Immigration Council

• "Immigrant Are ‘Normal People’ Forced to Flee Their Countries” – The Atlantic

• "Seventy Miles in Hell” – The Atlantic

The Myth of Self-Deportation

Deportation is a legal process that only a judge or DHS can order — not something people do to themselves. Using this term spreads fear, fuels anti-immigrant propaganda, and confuses real stories of migration.

Check out the graphics below to learn more about the myth of “self-deportation.”