From Connection to Action: Jamaicans in New York Prove Diaspora Solidarity is Stronger Than the Storm

This lesson is based on the article “Jamaicans in New York Prove Diaspora Solidarity is Stronger Than the Storm” by Melissa Rose Cooper (Nov 03, 2025). Students explore how Jamaican diaspora members responding to Hurricane Melissa demonstrate how migration creates lasting connections that motivate civic action. Students examine what compels people to act and explore the critical gap between empathy and action.

It is part of a partnership between Re-Imagining Migration and Documented, a nonprofit independent news organization serving immigrant communities, to create free, adaptable curriculum modules that help high school teachers use high-quality, community-driven journalism to build an authentic understanding of immigration experiences while strengthening democratic engagement across differences.