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JERSEY CITY, N.J. | �鶹��ý (NJCU), as  part of its Hispanic Heritage Month featured programming, will host “Stories of Belonging” —  an immersive experience and photo exhibit featuring stories of TPS (Temporary Protection Status) Workers from Haiti and El Salvador. The exhibit opens on Monday, October 7 and will run through Friday, October 11.

The outdoor exhibit will be installed on the front lawn of Hepburn Hall, located at 2039 Kennedy Boulevard in Jersey City. NJCU will offer an opening ceremony on Tuesday, October 8 from 4-6 p.m. in the Gothic Lounge, located in Hepburn Hall Room 202.

The exhibit, by photographer Francely Flores and curator Sol Aramendi, features images of the lives and struggles of migrant workers in the United States. Featuring field interviews, timelines, photography and video, this project explores the idea of home and whether, after decades of working and contributing to America's economy, these workers feel like they belong in America. The exhibit is open to the public all week for the community to enjoy and learn from.

Dr. Patricia Campos Medina, a labor educator, academic researcher, labor and political leader, and public speaker, will be a special guest lecturer for the exhibits. She will offer three lectures — Wednesday, October 9 at 10 a.m.,  Thursday, October 10 at 11:20 a.m., and Thursday, October 10 at 2:30 p.m. All sessions are open to the public.

Medina is a Research-Teaching-Extension (RTE) Faculty and labor educator focusing on the intersection of race, immigration status, and worker’s rights. She serves as the Executive Director of the Worker Institute at the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University where she leads research, policy innovation, and training to advance worker justice, collective bargaining rights, and the interest of workers in today’s economy and society.

Franca Roibal Fernández, Ph.D., an adjunct professor in the NJCU Department of Gender, Africana, and Latin American Studies, is the facilitator of the exhibit for the university, and said “It is so exciting to be hosting this prestigious event at NJCU, especially considering the demographic of our community, both at NJCU and the greater Jersey City community. This is the kind of Hispanic Heritage Month event that will leave an everlasting impression and have a positive impact on all who get to attend it. Given the anti-immigrant climate we are living in, this experience will help attendees learn and empower us to grow.” 

The weeklong exhibit is a collaboration of NJCU’s Latin American Studies in conjunction with the ILR Worker Institute and in partnership with Cornell University.

According to the ILR, there are approximately 325,000 fully employed Central American workers with Temporary Protective Status (TPS) in the United States today. Temporary Protective Status (TPS) is an immigration status designated by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The status gives workers from certain countries a legal work permit, removing the immediate threat of deportation. However, TPS only gives workers a right to work legally for 6-18 months based solely on foreign policy considerations.

Workers with TPS have built their lives in the U.S, own homes and businesses, have worked legally for decades, are taxpayers, and engage with their local community. Many of them have mixed immigration family households; their children might be American citizens, DACA holders and undocumented children. They have advocated for their children's future, all while fighting for their own right to a path toward permanent residency and citizenship. They live in a state of what Medina calls . Although TPS holders function as full members of American society, they cannot escape potential deportation and the expiration of their rights every 18 months.

DHS can grant workers already living in the U.S. humanitarian relief from deportation when conditions in their home country temporarily prevent the country's nationals from returning home. Conditions may include an ongoing armed conflict, environmental disasters, epidemics, or any other extraordinary conditions that prohibit the safe return of a national to their home country. Salvadorans, Hondurans and Nicaraguans are among the 325,000 Central American workers who have held this status for over 25 years. These Central American migrants do not have a right to access citizenship rights after decades of legally working, paying taxes and building their lives in the U.S.

�鶹��ý NJCU: 
�鶹��ý is a comprehensive public regional institution of higher learning located in Jersey City, N.J., dedicated to the development of our students, our city, our communities, and our state. We are a game-changing force for our students and have been recognized as one of the top colleges in the nation improving their upward economic mobility. In fact, NJCU has been ranked No. 1 in �鶹��ý and Top 10 in the nation in the CollegeNET Social Mobility Index for 2023. Whether enrolled in one of our undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral programs at our three locations, NJCU students have access to an affordable, diverse environment, and an exceptionally supportive faculty. This prepares them to go on to become the next generation of workers and leaders who improve their communities and the State of �鶹��ý.

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Contact: 
Ira Thor, Associate Vice President for University Communications and Marketing | ithor@njcu.edu | 201-200-3301