The author's personal evolution in research came when interacting with displaced Venezuelans at the Venezuela Awareness Foundation in 2017. Initially focused on data, they redefined research as understanding human experiences. Receiving testimonies from individuals who suffered brutality for their beliefs illustrated that immigrants come not for improved living conditions, but primarily to escape violence and fear. The compelling humanity of these people, coupled with their resilience and hope, underscored the importance of empathy and support to help them rebuild their lives.
In 2017, I stood before a man at the Venezuela Awareness Foundation, his face bruised and swollen from years of persecution. That moment changed everything I thought I knew about research.
These weren't just research subjects. These were real people-mothers, fathers, children-who had lived through horrors that many of us can't even begin to imagine.
They hadn't come to the U.S. for a better life; they had come to escape fear -fear of violence, fear of persecution, fear of losing everything.
What struck me most was the quiet hope that still lived inside them. Despite everything, there was a belief that maybe they could finally be safe.
Collection
[
|
...
]