A graphic anthology co-created by migration scholars and comics artists, Crossing Lines explores issues of displacement, identity, and community, offering nuanced perspectives amid rising anti-immigrant populism.
About the book
Across Europe and North America, far-right parties have strategically framed immigration as a threat to national identity and security, capitalizing on public anxieties around cultural change and economic pressure.
Part of the groundbreaking ethnoGRAPHIC series, Crossing Lines is a graphic anthology about human migration that challenges the rise of anti-immigrant populism. Research shows that it is difficult to counter these “us-versus-them” narratives with evidence alone. Blending visual and textual storytelling, this collection moves beyond traditional forms of communication to engage readers emotionally with the complex realities of migration.
This graphic anthology features eight powerful narratives, collaboratively created by migration scholars and comics artists. Crossing Lines considers the personal and social impacts of migration, offering nuanced perspectives accessible to a wide audience. Each comic is paired with discussion questions and annotated further readings to encourage dialogue and understanding in the face of polarizing public discourse.
Crossing Lines is a timely and indispensable resource for scholars, educators, and readers seeking to better understand migration in today’s globalized world.
The workshop behind Crossing Lines
On May 27–28, 2022, the Graphic Narratives of Migration research project brought together thirty-nine UBC and Concordia migration scholars, Vancouver-based community practitioners, and nine local graphic artists to create a collection of migration narratives in comic form.
For many participants, both scholars and artists, this collaboration was a first. It invited academics and practitioners to move beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries and reconsider conventional ideas of “expertise.”
After a morning of learning about comic creation with UK-based graphic novelist Kate Evans, comics scholar Frederik Bryn Køhlert, and UBC cartoonist and educator Sarah Leavitt, participants worked in 9 groups to develop storylines on mobility and belonging. This interdisciplinary collaboration laid the groundwork for the comics featured in Crossing Lines.
Authors
Antje Ellermann, Professor of Political Science and founder and Co-Director of the Centre for Migration Studies at the University of British Columbia.
Frederik Byrn Køhlert, Associate Professor of English and Film at Edinburgh Napier University.
Sarah Leavitt, Associate Professor at the School of Creative Writing at the University of British Columbia.
Mireille Paquet, Professor of Political Science and Research Chair in Immigration Policies at Concordia University.
This work was made possible with the support of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Connection Grant.
