Latin AmeriCan: Collecting Histories of Mexican Immigration to Canada

The exponential growth of Latin American migrants arriving in Canada each year since the 1960s highlights the need for collections that accurately depict Canada’s cultural diversity. There exists, however, a gap in visual collections regarding Latin American narratives of immigration in Canada. This research paper explores Latin AmeriCan, a participatory photography project that aims to generate a digital collection of immigration histories and create a space where the Latin American community in Canada and the general public can access them. This collection reunites visual and oral histories of Latin American immigrants in Canada by collaborating with community members who wish to share their stories in an online archive. Latin AmeriCan explores the struggles and achievements commonly faced by Latin American immigrants in Canada. This MRP expands on some of the recurring themes from photo-elicitation interviews and what they can tell us about lived experiences of immigration.