The Home Within

Born from The New York Immigration Coalition summer language justice workshops, The Home Within has grown into a beautiful annual gathering where community members share poetry in their languages alongside performances by local artists, musicians, and dancers. It is a space where language becomes a bridge, stories become a source of connection, and our diverse communities come together to celebrate what home means to each of us.

This year's theme, Lanterns of Hope, reflects the power of finding and creating light in uncertain times. As immigrant communities navigate increasingly difficult circumstances, we recognize that hope is not simply something we hold onto, but something we build together through community, creativity, solidarity, and joy.

What can you expect?

• Multilingual poetry and storytelling from community members sharing their experiences of home, identity, belonging, and displacement in the languages closest to their hearts.
• Live music, dance, and artistic performances celebrating the richness and creativity of our communities.
• Food, conversation, and opportunities to connect with community members and local organizations.
• An evening of joy, reflection, and collective hope, honoring both the challenges our communities face and the beauty they continue to create.
   

Whether you've joined us in previous years or this will be your first time, we hope you'll be part of this special evening.

The Home Within III: Lanterns of Hope

For immigrants, refugees, and displaced communities, home is more than a physical place. It lives within us through language, memory, culture, and the stories we carry. Born from multilingual summer poetry workshops exploring language justice, identity, migration, and belonging, The Home Within has grown into an annual celebration of poetry, art, music, and the many ways we preserve and express home.

Now in its third year, The Home Within III: Lanterns of Hope centers joy, resistance, and community power. At a time when immigrant communities face uncertainty, fear, and displacement, we gather to honor the strength of our communities and the ways we continue to create belonging, protect our identities, and find joy in one another.

A lantern does not erase the darkness; it offers light to guide us through it. Through poetry, storytelling, music, art, and collective celebration, Lanterns of Hope reminds us that joy is an act of resistance, hope is a practice of survival, and the light we carry becomes more powerful when we share it with one another.