Eastern Connecticut State University’s Department of World Languages and Culture hosted a lecture by Glorimarie Peña Alicea during University Hour on Feb. 26 in the Student Center Theatre.

A graduate assistant in the Department of Literatures, Cultures and Languages at the University of Connecticut, Peña Alicea introduced her concept of “The Undocumented Archipelago,” a cultural field that examines undocumented migration through literature, cinema and performance. 

Peña Alicea’s research focuses on Dominican and Salvadoran migration to the United States, aiming to generate knowledge about this ongoing social and cultural movement. Her work challenges the common portrayal of undocumented migration as a legal transgression and instead highlights it as a human experience deeply rooted in historical and social contexts. 

Peña Alicea chose to study undocumented migration from the Dominican Republic and El Salvador due to her academic background in history and comparative studies. “I decided to compare and contrast both countries, which are often seen as separate,” she said. 

She emphasized that the Caribbean Sea serves as a unifying space for migration experiences, linking regions not only through migration routes but also through their shared historical processes. Her work also highlights the need to study countries like the Dominican Republic and El Salvador, which are often overlooked in migration research. 

Peña Alicea outlined how literature plays a crucial role in reshaping narratives about undocumented migration. Recurring themes throughout the media she studied include identity, transgression, and transnationalism. 

The theme of identity examines the loss and gain in identity that immigrants experience on their journeys. “Transgression” refers to the widely held perception of undocumented migration as purely a breach of the law. “Transnationalism” is the notion that most immigrants remain connected to their home country, either by family or nostalgia. 

Peña Alicea hopes that “The Undocumented Archipelago” will serve as an invitation for future comparative studies on migration in other regions and through different cultural voices. 

“Remember, it might be a different time period, but the causes are the same — power struggles, corruption, post-colonialism. It’s almost the same system that pushes people to leave their country of origin,” she said. 

Addressing the ongoing discourse surrounding undocumented migration, Peña Alicea underscored the importance of shifting perspectives from legality to humanity. 

“To me, it has been challenging to even write my dissertation due to everything that is happening,” she said. “It is more important than ever to look at migration as a human practice rather than a transgression of laws.” 

She continued: “I think what is happening now makes it clear that we don’t understand migration, we don’t understand undocumented migration, and these kinds of sources are important as a starting point to humanize this experience and generate change.” 

Peña Alicea stressed the necessity of moving away from criminalizing migration, advocating instead for a compassionate and human-centered approach. 

“I think it’s very important not to think of it as criminality or a violation of laws, but as people. That shift in thinking can make a difference,” she said.