For adult and child immigrants, often journeying the rooftop of the train, La Bestia symbolizes risk and determination, two necessary companions for the journey north.

In this post, you’ll witness the transformative power of humor in the face of adversity through audience participation, shared fears, and moments of pure joy.

Let’s jump in!

(Quotes throughout the post are from Molly Shannon.)

A Clown Show Next to La Bestia

Our story begins at a shelter beside the tracks, a temporary haven for those traveling north. The audience was mostly men in their late teens and twenties, with some kids and a few women present. Most of the audience was from Honduras and Venezuela. 

Here, the weight of migration — the dangers faced, the loved ones left behind — hung heavy.

You love to laugh — and you know how much laughter has helped you through difficult moments.

You can give the gift of laughter to a child in crisis every month with a donation of just $11 monthly.

“There was a worn-to-the-bone energy of many men there, a tautness, a closed-offness, which we were told to expect. Many are fleeing from violence, as well as encountering it along the way.”

But amidst the survival energy, there was also hope — a group of young men, eager and ready to engage, sat off to the side, ready for whatever the performance had in store.

“In the show, we are clowns journeying on La Bestia: boarding the train, jumping off the train, stopping temporarily to camp, eat, sleep, jumping back on the train at the end, all while experiencing extreme weather.”

The artists improvised, incorporating real-life sounds into their show.

“We played it that we were doing a theatrical production, with stuff going wrong with the sound: actual heavy rain, thunder, and, most notably, the actual train, La Bestia, passing by during the show. With tons and tons of weight, it made deep booming and wavy-sounding noises as it passed by.”

Because the audience was living the experience presented, their response to the show was immediate and positive. For example, the show created moments for the clowns to share their fears and invited the audience to do the same.

“We arrived at the point in the show where we talked about things that scared us in the night. After we went through our fears of spiders and bears, the audience started shouting, ‘Coyotes!,’ ‘La Migra!,’ (smugglers and immigration authorities in English) to laughs of acknowledgment and understanding.”

In another moment during the skit, a helpful shout from the audience, “You’ve just gotta jump!” underscored the dangerous reality of people’s journeys. But it also revealed the care and camaraderie toward those with shared experience.

Clowns in Mexico Make Inclusion Center Stage Two Boys Steal the Show

Emiliano Shines in the Spotlight

Emiliano, a 9-year-old deaf audience member, caught our attention.

He didn’t know how to use sign language or read, but he could engage with the show — and he did so with enthusiasm.

Prompted by the clowns to mimic rain and wind sounds, he eagerly participated and made sure he stayed in sync. His smile radiated with delight the whole time!

After the performance, Molly and Thom approached him for fashion advice, communicating visually. While Molly received a thumbs-up for her attire, Thom’s fashion sense didn’t quite get the same approval.

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Carlos Leads “Dead or Alive” Game

Carlos, another boy who was about 7 years old, eagerly joined the clowns on stage during the classic CWB skit, “Dead or Alive.”

When Carmelita (Molly) “died” and required resurrection, Carlos, brimming with excitement, eagerly led a group of children onstage.

“With the energy of everyone united and at that moment, Carlos and the other children contributed all their energy and enthusiasm to revive Carmelita.”

Death is a complex and frightening concept, especially for children. Taking part in a scenario where they can “fix” death, children gain a sense of control over a situation that feels out of control. They become the agent of change, reversing a scary outcome.

In Mexico, the Audience Carries The Clown Magic

As the performance continued, moments of magic unfolded. One instance occurred when an audience member transformed a simple prop into a whimsical adventure.

Molly took on the role of a guard, embodying a strict military demeanor as she marched around. She invited another member of the audience to join her, but the drill quickly transformed into a playful dance.

“[Then] he noticed the pile of brooms, slipped his arm gallantly through mine, and led me over to them. He picked up a broom, and I thought maybe he was going to dance with it, but then he hopped aboard it, a la witch on a broomstick style, and beckoned me to join him.”

Embracing the moment, Molly jumped on the broomstick.

“I had a real fun time playing up that I was working, on duty, I cannot, but wait, [the other performers] are sleeping, maybe just a short flight on the broomstick. So I hopped on and he took us on a swooping circle around the sleeping Thom and Vane, and I made a big deal of keeping quiet to not wake them. He dropped me back off, put the broomstick away, and sat down laughing.”

The transformative power of play is on full display in this story, with an audience member elevating the story beyond the artists’ expectations, and to the sheer delight of the audience.

Reflecting on the experience, Molly notes,

“There was something magical in him choosing to fly on a broomstick, something that I am sure he wishes was possible in his situation: a magical, easy, quick journey to wherever you are going.”

The Team

This tour had a three-person performing team and a non-performing team member.

Vanessa Nieto (Mexico) and Molly Shannon (US) most recently toured with CWB in Mexico in 2022. This was Thom Wall’s first CWB tour. Thom is a featured performer in CWB’s 25th Annual Portland Benefit Show (March 30, 2024). Majo Diaz de Riviera was indispensable in organizing the team’s logistics.

The November 7-15, 2023 tour reached 312 adults and 1,060 kids.

Conclusion

La Bestia may symbolize risk and determination, but CWB’s presence offered a flicker of light — a reminder that even on the darkest path, a moment of human connection and a shared laugh can spark healing and glimmers of hope.

Migrant crisis.

These are phrases we’ve heard A LOT — and in some iteration or another, they’re phrases that we as humans have heard for basically as long as we’ve had the language to communicate.

In a world as large, diverse, and unequal as ours, migration is and always will be a fact of life. 

But what is a migrant exactly? And what do migrants have to do with clowns?

Glad you asked! Step right up and join the CWB clowns on a whirlwind tour of all things migration: 

• Migrant definition
• Reasons for migration
• Facts about migration
• Giving migrants love and laughs
• FAQs about migration

For the impatient readers among us (), here’s a little spoiler alert: Migrants are people who deserve to be seen!

Migrant Definition: Not What But Who

In a world as interconnected as ours, we hear about “migrants” all the time. (Hence the intro to this very post!) 

But did you know that there’s no legally accepted definition for this term? 

According to the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM), the word “migrant” is currently undefined under international law. So let’s start with a few everyday definitions instead.

What Is a Migrant?

“One that migrates, such as a person who moves regularly in order to find work, especially in harvesting crops” – Merriam-Webster Dictionary

“A person who attempts to permanently relocate to a new country, but who may be subject to removal by the government of that country” – Dictionary.com

“Any person who is moving or has moved across an international border or within a State away from his/her habitual place of residence, regardless of (1) the person’s legal status; (2) whether the movement is voluntary or involuntary; (3) what the causes for the movement are; or (4) what the length of the stay is.” – United Nations Migration Agency (IOM)

You love to laugh — and you know how much laughter has helped you through difficult moments.

You can give the gift of laughter to a child in crisis every month with a donation of just $11 monthly.

Which Migrant Definition Resonates with You?

Comparing the three definitions above, an interesting point of difference comes to light. 

The first definition emphasizes work as one of the primary reasons for migration​. The UN definition of migrant is the most expansive — including all people who have moved for any reason.

Which definition aligns with what you’ve heard about migrants in popular culture and the media?

Because so much human migration stems from income loss and the need to replace that income to feed families, it’s easy to equate migrants with migrant workers. 

But 1) that isn’t necessarily the case and 2) there’s a danger associated with assuming all migrants move for work. 

If we only view migration as solely driven by work, we overlook other important factors that influence migration.

One Layer Deeper: The Connotations of “Migrant”

There’s a lot more to the concept of “migrant” than what appears in Merriam-Webster, and unfortunately, many of these connotations are negative.

The negative train of thought, consciously or subconsciously, goes something like this: If migrants are people who seek better, then they come from somewhere worse. And they don’t just come from somewhere worse, but they themselves ARE somehow worse. They must be…

• Lower (-class, -income, -socioeconomic status, etc.)
• Less (-developed, capable, trustworthy, etc.)
• Outsiders
• Foreigners
• Others

These ideas give rise to many of the additional challenges faced by migrants along their journeys, such as xenophobia and discrimination.

The bottom line: it’s easy to agree on the dictionary definition of migrant, but it’s harder to move beyond the words and see migrants for WHO they are: not a faceless group of “different” but a collection of individual human beings.

We should be asking the question, “Who is a migrant?” — not what!

Why Do Migrants Leave Their Country? Common Reasons for Migration

Let’s look not at WHAT is a migrant…but WHO are migrants. 

When and why do people become migrants?

Here’s a non-exhaustive list of why people migrate:

• Hunger
• To earn an income (and send remittances)
• To learn another language
• Work opportunities
• To gain access to different education or services
• To join family members who have already migrated
• To flee dangers of bodily harm, such as gang violence or terrorism
• To escape political crises, such as coups or government corruption
• To build a new home after a natural disaster (like the 2023 earthquake in Turkey)
• To seek relief from a climate-related disaster 
• To pursue freedom from persecution
• To find safety from war or other conflict

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Some of these reasons for migration would classify a migrant as a “displaced person,” someone who is forced to leave their home. Forced migration can refer to people displaced within their own countries or territories, too!

The trans-Atlantic slave trade is the largest example of forced migration in human history. 

Some displaced people are further classified into categories of “refugee” or “asylum seeker,” which we’ll touch on at the end of this post.

Push and Pull

In answering the question, “Why do people migrate?” historians and demographers often classify the above migration reasons into push factors and pull factors:

• Push factors push people away from their countries of origin (e.g. the threat of violence).
• Pull factors pull people toward their new countries (e.g. new opportunities).

Key Facts About Migration

According to the UN: 

• In 2019, there were almost 272 million international migrants worldwide.
• Of international migrants in 2019, women made up 48%.
• Of those migrants, 38 million were children (roughly 14%).

From the Pew Research Center:

• The region with the fastest-growing international migrant population is Latin America and the Caribbean.
• While migrants can and do move all over the world, many stay relatively local. In 2020, over half of all international migrants (54.9%) stayed in their region of origin.

From the UN Migration Agency:

• 3.1% of the world’s population are migrants.
• Many more people move within countries than across borders.

Giving Migrants Love and Laughs 

To bring this tour to a close, here’s our stance on human migration.

Sure, the word “migrant” is defined by the act of migration — but migrants don’t have to be. Migration is an experience they’ve had, not the sum total of their identity. 

Migrants are people first. 

No matter where they are moving from or why, migrants are (all at once!) living through some of the most challenging experiences that human beings can face:

• Total upheaval of their environment
• Potentially unfamiliar language and customs
• Deep uncertainty regarding legal status, employment, and safety
• Discrimination, exclusion, and personal disdain 
• Institutional and policy-level barriers to successful relocation

In other words, migrants are having a hard time. Even when migration is by choice, the experience can be difficult and lonely; when the migration is forced, those feelings are more inescapable.

That’s exactly why Clowns Without Borders exists: to give migrants and other displaced people a moment of levity. We aren’t making light of their situation. We’re giving them a chance to laugh when they need it most.

Want to Bring Laughter and Play to Migrants?

For just $11, you can sponsor a migrant child to attend a Clowns Without Borders show! Donate today to give the gift of joy.

A New Migrant Definition

To wrap things up, we’d like to propose our own definition of a migrant, one that we feel better expresses WHO migrants really are:

“Migrant: A human being who happens to have experienced the need or desire to move residences over a long distance and who carries with them all the emotions, memories, hopes, and dreams that unite us as human beings.”

• Clowns Without Borders USA

There will always be migrants. And we hope you’ll join us in staunchly defending their right to play and laugh.

FAQs About Migrants

What is the difference between a migrant and an immigrant?

The distinction between migrant vs. immigrant is imprecise, but most people consider that:

• “Migrant” refers to people who move long distances, often temporarily or for an indeterminate amount of time.
• “Immigrant” refers to the intention of a more permanent move and often includes long-term legal status such as a residency card or citizenship. (The idea that “immigrant” equals legality is reflected in the often derogatory distinction of “illegal immigrant.”)

What is the difference between a refugee and a migrant?

According to the 1951 Geneva Convention, “Refugee” is a legally defined term with protective rights (“migrants” do not share these rights). 

It all comes down to who faces a significant enough threat to be considered a refugee vs. a migrant, which is a difficult and politically motivated determination.

What is the difference between an asylum seeker and a migrant?

An asylum seeker is someone who is requesting permission to stay in a country on the basis of persecution, violence, or danger in their home country. 

Asylum seekers do not meet the legal definition of “refugee” and must prove their claims, which may or may not be approved by the government of the country in which they are seeking asylum.

How to help migrants: What can You do?

There are so many ways to help migrants! Here are just a few options:

• Stay updated on the current issues facing migrants through trusted sources like the UN.
• Stand up for migrants and immigrants by supporting organizations such as the Immigration Advocacy Network.
• Join Clowns Without Borders in spreading joy by becoming a Joy Maker or otherwise getting involved!

Joy Makers is a family of people just like you, who love to laugh and make others feel good. You know, as a clown does, the power of ensuring all children play and feel joy.

When you join Joy Makers, your monthly donation supports laughter and play throughout the year for some of the most vulnerable people on the planet. For $11 a month, you can bring a new child to a clown show every month of the year.

Numbers and definitions

The UN’s 1951 Refugee Convention (Geneva Convention) defines a refugee as “someone who is unable or unwilling to return to their country of origin owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion.” There are 70 million forcibly displaced people in the world, including at least 25 million registered refugees. Sixty-seven percent of refugees come from only five countries: Syria, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Myanmar and Somalia. More than half of all refugees are children.

Where do refugees live?

Refugees are not “overrunning” the United States, contrary to popular media narratives. The U.S., along with most other Global North countries, doesn’t even make the list of the world’s top refugee-hosting nations. Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, Pakistan, and Uganda host over 10 million refugees, total. Germany hosts 1.1 million refugees, but Eighty percent of all refugees are hosted by a country neighboring their place of origin.

Not all refugees live in camps. In fact, sixty percent of refugees live in urban settings and Turkey hosts the largest urban refugee population in the world. The UNHCR plays a vital role in constructing refugee camps and providing an emergency response to refugee crises, but camps are meant to be temporary. Unfortunately, protracted displacement is common and many children grow up in refugee camps.

What happens to refugees after they leave their country of origin?

The UNHCR identifies three durable solutions to refugee status. The first is voluntary repatriation, meaning a refugee volunteers to return to their country of origin. This might be impossible due to cycles of conflict, or because the country of origin cannot or will not guarantee the safety of returning refugees.

Refugees may be integrated or assimilated into their host country, but the vast majority of refugees are hosted by a small handful of countries. This can put a disproportionate strain on host countries, most of which are geographically adjacent to conflict zones.

Refugee resettlement is the third durable solution. This means a refugee is permanently resettled in a third-party country rather than their host country. The refugee will never be forcibly returned to their country of origin, they will be afforded rights and liberties to integrate into their host society, and they have the opportunity to eventually become a naturalized citizen of the new host country. Refugee resettlement allows countries to act in global solidarity with areas disproportionately affected by refugee crises.

Unfortunately, the need for resettlement far outstrips the global community’s willingness to resettle people. In 2017, for every 21 refugees in need of resettlement, only one person departed to a third-party country. Global resettlement needs jumped from 690,000 people in 2014 to 1.4 million people in 2019. As a result, many refugees live in limbo, without naturalized citizenship and the social integration (access to jobs and education, a sense of acceptance and belonging) that comes from a secure legal status. For example, an estimated 93% of Syrian refugees in Jordan live below the poverty line.

Does CWB serve refugees?

Yes! In the last few years alone, CWB – USA has been honored to perform for refugees in Lebanon, Kakuma Camp in Kenya, throughout Turkey, and in partnership with Refugee Services of Texas. CWB’s code of ethics states that our tours aim to better the situation of children experiencing crisis, no matter where they are or what type of crisis. During CWB’s 2017 tour to Turkey, the performances created an opportunity for Turkish children and Syrian refugee children to share social interactions through play and joy.

The UNHCR estimates there are 68.5 million forcibly displaced people worldwide: 40 million internally displaced people (IDP); 25.4 million refugees; and 3.1 million asylum seekers. There are also an estimated 10 million stateless people, or people who are denied nationality. In these terms, “displacement” means someone who is forcibly moved or removed due to armed conflict, violence, human rights violations or natural/human-made disasters. Displacement mobilizes CWB into action because our tours respond to people experiencing crisis. When a project partner asks us to come share laughter, we do our best to oblige. But as global politics shift and change, late-20th century and early-21st century displacement has started to take on a distinct quality: protraction.

Is displacement changing?

Thanks to our news cycle in the United States, it’s easy to picture acute crises like earthquakes or bombings. It’s more difficult to conceptualize protracted displacement caused by intersecting problems like lack of water resources due to agricultural mismanagement and climate change, or civil war resulting from the legacy of colonialism. The UNHCR defines protracted displacement as displacement for five years or more, yet from 1974–2014 fewer than one refugee crisis in 40 was resolved within three years. In fact, more than 80 percent of all refugee crises lasted for 10 years or more.

How does CWB respond to protracted displacement?

CWB frequently interacts with communities experiencing protracted displacement, including our 2018 tours to Colombia (Coastal Tour and The Department of Cauca), Lebanon and Myanmar. The media image of refugee camps does not reflect reality for many people experiencing protracted displacement. It’s an increasingly urban and dispersed phenomenon, with (in 2015) at least 59 percent of all refugees living in urban settings. The increasing frequency and length of protracted displacement results in migrant and IDP situations that challenge preconceived ideas of what a crisis looks like. For example, many refugee camps are essentially settled, with established systems of support both formal and informal. But does that mean people no longer live in crisis? What kind of role does laughter and levity play in situations that feel intractable instead of sudden?

We’ve found that, along with planned performances, CWB tours help carve out space for communities to come together over joy. Communities constantly build their own resilience, but play and silliness help reinforce an opportunity to forge connections within protracted displacement.