An Immersion Into the Migrant World

I really enjoyed looking the virtual reality experience of migrants in our class. I think that it’s amazing how we have the technology to be able to see a glimpse into the world that migrants are experiencing on a daily basis. It’s difficult for students that have some privilege in Oak Park or River Forest and go to OPRF to imagine what Nadia or Saeed’s life is really like. Even though the book does an amazing job of describing the harsh truths and raw feelings that migrants usually feel, I think that using virtual reality can help a student immerse themselves completely. The physical experience of being inside of a migrant world can completely enhance the emotional feelings of what being in this situation really feels like. Since we can never truly experience exactly what these migrants go through everyday, I think it’s important that we try to get a full idea of the struggles they go through in order to fully understand them. I was shocked by the first video on the Youtube list, when you could see three little children standing in a demolished house. It made me feel for the little kids, when you discover that their home was ruined and you can only imagine the fear they feel. It made me think about the book in a new light. The video made me think over the fear and despair Nadia must have felt when she taped up her windows, so that her house wouldn’t be destroyed and she could be safe. It was a relief to be able to take off the virtual reality glasses and not see that fear or depression in others anymore, but we have to remember that migrants can’t take off their glasses. The virtual reality immersion experience made me more aware of the struggles migrants go through and what their lives actually look like on a day to day basis.