In the fall of 2023, School of Social Work professor Soma Chatterjee embarked on a fascinating journey with the undergraduate students from the course Social Work with Immigrants and Refugees. Exploring the complex landscapes of global migration through readings and other media, the students sought to understand the deeper reasons behind why people move and how these movements shape urban diasporic environments such as the city of Toronto. The goal was to uncover the ‘crossings’ that can foster solidarity and build meaningful relationships between diverse immigrant communities and Indigenous nations. 13 students volunteered their field trip pictures and journals for the photo essay, Toronto: A city of crossings?, highlighting how immigrants themselves and various organizations, artists and community builders are responding to movements, nurturing connections and also revealing alienation and precarity.
By sharing the teaching and learning insights from this course in a creative form, Professor Chatterjee hopes to spark meaningful conversations with colleagues and students within the York University community and beyond.