Migration and Family Stories

Their Own Voices: Stories of Migrant Women (2021) for Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Piano & Electronic Sound

This piece features the heart-wrenching stories of two resilient Latina women who migrated to the US.  Their stories illuminate some of the complicated factors that motivate these women and others to migrate to the US.   Rubin interviewed the women between 2018 and 2020 and edited their stories for use in this piece.  

Estella [not her real name] traveled to the US on a perilous journey when she was seven years old, accompanied by an older teenage relative.  She then joined her parents, who had migrated when she was very young.   She grew up in Maryland and was eventually able to receive DACA (Deferred Action for Children Arrivals) status, attend college and legally work.  However, DACA does not provide a path towards citizenship and must be re-applied for every 2 years.

Maria José [not her real name] fled Honduras after being pursued and threatened by a former partner, gang member and father of her son, Angel.  She wanted to settle in Mexico, but was pursued by gang members who beat and raped her.  Eventually, she was able to enter the US as an asylum seeker with her son.  She was welcomed into the home of a sponsor family where she has continued to live for the last few years as her application for asylum slowly works its way through the system. 

The piece alternates between the stories of the two women until, as the piece concludes, their stories become interleaved with each other as both face the promise and uncertainty of their lives. 

Karina’s Journey (2019) for Fixed Media

This piece is the story of a Mexican woman’s early life and journey to the US in the early 2000s, after her parents had already left for the US.  Prior to leaving, she was raised by an aunt in Mexico.  The listener learns about her complex emotions as well as her courage and resilience.  Her voice is embedded in subtle ambient textures evoking her Mexican heritage.    Listen

Family Stories: Sophie, Sally (1998) for Fixed Media

This work is a collaboration with co-composer Laurie Hollander and actress Aleta Hayes. Rubin wrote the text and Hayes imaginatively enacted Sally Johnson’s character. The piece explores the complex history of Rubin’s mother, Sophie Rubin, who grew up in a Jewish immigrant family in Atlanta in the early 1900s. 

Through text and music, the piece evokes her love of her African-American nanny, Sally Johnson. Within a short time, Sophie’s mother died, and the family moved north without Ms. Johnson.  The loss of both women, the trauma of the Leo Frank lynching, racism and anti-Semitism are all referenced in the work.

Rubin also arranged a version of this piece for amplified flute, violin and cello, which was premiered by the Da Capo Chamber Ensemble. Listen