The Illustrated Memoir Project
We believe individual stories can change the world.
The Illustrated Memoir Project engages refugee and immigrant youth to write and illustrate true stories from their lives. The goal of this project is to foment intellectual self-trust in the participants, center their lived experience, enhance social emotional learning, and increase literacies. Through sharing these stories we strive to foster a richer understanding of the experience of refugee and immigrant youth and build a more welcoming global community.
Since 2019 we have been working with immigrant and refugee youth who have settled in the US. In 2025 we began working with young people residing in refugee settlements, with our first project implementation in the Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Uganda taking place in May, 2025. We cannot wait to get back to Nakivale and other settlements throughout Uganda and surrounding countries in the coming years.
We believe positioning immigrant and refugee youth as the authors of their own stories and providing a platform on which they can share their lived experience and unique ways of knowing the world can increase their intellectual self-trust and can be a foundation on which they can scaffold additional creative and academic achievements.
We believe reading these memoirs can change the way the global community conceives of immigrants and refugees, can lead to greater understanding of different people and cultures, and create a more welcoming and vibrant world.
Below are a few examples of illustrated memoirs created over the past six years. The memoirs are published under Creative Commons BY-NC-ND licenses. This license enables users to copy and distribute the material in any medium or format in unadapted form only, for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator. They are published this way in the hopes that they can be used for educational purposes by a variety of users. Memoirs can be purchased at cost, we do not make a profit on the sales. If you would like to donate to support the work of Maketank Inc. and the Illustrated Memoir Project please visit our support page.
The Way / El Camino
by Milton
Milton’s illustrated memoir tells the story of a beautiful night sky he saw and how it changed the way he felt about himself and the world. His story is told in English and Spanish. To read his entire book click on the button below.
Stories of My Life in Burundi and the US
by Fabiola
Fabiola shares six short stories describing and comparing aspects of her life here in the US and in Burundi where she grew up, after leaving Congo. Her story is told is English and Swahili. To read her entire book click the button below.
The Lightness and the Darkness of the Future
by Sidra
Sidra’s memoir tells the story of her family leaving Syria to escape civil war and how they eventually came to settle in the Unite States with the assistance of the UNHCR. Her story is told in English, Arabic, and Turkish. To read her entire book click the link below.
The Illustrated Memoir Project Anthology Vol.1
This anthology contains 16 illustrated memoirs from the first 5 years of the project. There are exemplar stories from authors with origins in The Americas, Africa, Syria and Nepal.
It’s Okay Not to Be Okay
by Rossy
In her memoir Rossy explores the variety of emotions we all experience, especially in adolescence, and assures the reader that sometimes it's okay to not feel okay.
My Journal
by Lin
Lin's gorgeously illustrated memoir shares events from her life, from repeatedly breaking her arm, and getting a beloved pet, to starting a new school in a new country.
Unexpected Adventures
by Ankita
Ankita’s graphic novel style memoir details the ups and downs of a day hiking in the forest with friends and the lessons she learned along the way.
A Thought in the History of Agriculture
by Jorina
Jorina’s memoir explains the importance of farming to her life with her grandmother in Congo Brazzaville and how it helped serve as a touchstone for her after relocating to the US.
The Beginning of Everything
by Radharani
Radharani’s memoir describes how she was introduced to the game of chess in her home country of Colombia and her experience of a first tournament.
The Kingdom of Morocco
by Chaimae
Chaimae’s Arabic and English memoir details the many many things she loves about her home country of Morocco, from the landscape and culture to the food, textiles and football.
Unexpected Change
by Asifiwe
Asifiwe’s beautiful illustrations help tell the story of his family preparing to leave the refugee camp where he grew up in Burundi and their first impressions after arriving in the US.
War Generation
by Masa
Masa’s memoir is written in English and Arabic. Her powerful illustrations help tell the story of her family leaving their home in Syria and spending years in Jordan before traveling to their new home in the US.
Everything I Saw in Senegal
by Mouhamadou
Mouhamadou is a gifted illustrator who uses his talent to showcase the flora and fauna, as well as the natural and built wonders he saw on a recent trip to visit his family in Senegal.
My Dancing Life
by Ish
Ish's illustrated memoir details the important role dance has played in her life both when she lived in Nepal and since relocating to the US with her parents.
A Past Memory
by Michael
Michael’s powerful abstract images help convey his recollections of his childhood in the US and Mexico.
All Happiness Comes in Due Time
Araceli’s memoir describes the bullying she experienced in grade school and how her mom helped her find the strength within to keep moving toward her goals.
Experiencing Four Seasons
by Peregrina
Peregrina’s memoir examines the characteristics of the four seasons in English and Spanish, and recounts her favorite memories that correspond to each season.
My Sad Childhood
by Shirley
Shirley’s touching memoir is written in English, Spanish, and Mam, (a Mayan dialect spoken in parts of Guatemala) and recounts the difficult childhood experiences that led her to leave her home.
War and Peace
by Esraa
In this memoir written in Arabic and English, Esraa tells the story of being forced to flee when war comes to her beautiful home in Syria and reflects upon what it means to be a refugee, longing for your home.
The Possessed Woman
by Gahurey
Gahurey entertains readers with her story of a time when she was living in Gabon with her mother and sisters and one of their neighbors was possessed by a Jinn.
My Life at Aiken
by Joel
Joel’s memoir describes his experience of starting a new school during the covid pandemic.
My Childhood: Difficult but at the Same Time Happy
by Darvin
Darvin’s memoir describes a number of harrowing events from his childhood including being gored by a bull.
A Small Part of My Life!
by Henry
Even though Henry’s story involved spending days in the trunk of a car and being abandoned in a “place of sand and thorns” he does not see it as the defining story of his life.
Events
by Razan
Razan shares a selection of short stories detailing surprising events that she experienced after leaving her home in Syria involving pranks, accidents, intuition, and awkwardness.
A New Language
by Selvin
Selvin shares the fear and confusion involved in going to a new school in a new country where you don’t speak or understand the language but have to find your way.
What If?
by Amma
Amma describes a day when a stranger offered her assistance, and the questions she finds herself pondering about what might have happened otherwise.
I Was Happy Without Knowing It
by Deisy
Deisy reflects back on childhood experiences that she took for granted at the time but now finds were times of real happiness.
Dance in My Life
by Arina
Dance has been an important part of Arina’s life since coming to the US from Nepal as a child. It has helped her find joy and connection to her home culture as she has struggled at times to find her footing with family and friends and to process incidents of abuse.
My Four Houses
by Maimouna
Maimouna’s illustrated memoir uses cut paper illustrations to help tell the story of the four different households she lived in before moving from Senegal to the US.
Girls’ Day Out
by Diana
Diana’s illustrated memoir tells the story of an afternoon when she and a group of friends decided to venture downtown after summer school and the stress, confusion, and fun that followed.
No Puedo /
I Cannot
Jacinto’s beautiful pen and ink drawings help tell the story of the bullying and set backs he overcame. His love of music, animals, and running shine through in this memoir told in Spanish and English.
I Choose to be Courageous
by Rojina
Rojina’s illustrated memoir describes how she started staying after school for cross country, then agriculture, then soccer, and how all of these activities helped her grow and learn about herself. Her courage to engage with her peers and teachers have led to wonderful opportunities for further growth and learning.
From Laziness and Fear to a First Race
by Fatou
Fatou’s memoir tells the story of her moving to the US from Dakar and realizing she could choose how she wanted to live her life here. She chose to join the cross country team and push herself to run and finish a race with the support of her coach and teammates.
The First Step
El Primer Pasó
Andy’s illustrated memoir uses black and white cut paper images to help convey his dawning realization of all the sacrifices his family made for him. Andy’s story is told in Spanish and English.
The Shoe Tie Race
by Joyeuse
Joyeuse’s memoir details her evolving relationship with running as a sport that she pursues through middle school and high school after moving to the US from Rwanda.
The Journey of My Life
by Roshni
Roshni’s memoir describes her life in a refugee camp in Nepal and her family’s experience preparing to move to the US.
Don’t be too Quick to Judge
Syriene’s English and French memoir describes her family’s life in Cameroon, people’s reactions when they said they were moving to the US, and her motivations for working hard in school and extra curricular activities.
Change is a Part of Life
Divine tells us about her family, her interests, and the changes she experienced and lessons learned since moving from Zambia to the US with her mom and siblings after her father’s death.
Writing that Tries
Payal’s beautiful writing and illustrations in these three short stories present poignant snapshot views of her childhood experience.
The Most Essential Part of My Life
Enock’s memoir about his life growing up in a refugee settlement in Uganda and the important role of soccer in his life is gripping and suspenseful. Enock has to make hard choices and deal with the consequences for himself and his family.
Tihar
Neheraika moved to the US from Nepal when she was only two years old, so she doesn’t remember much about her home country. But her family’s continued celebration of cultural and religious traditions like Tihar help keep her connected to her home culture and her family.
Supernatural
Hafsah’s subtitle, A True Story, is followed by the opening line, “I was in the second grade when I saw a vampire”. She proceeds to detail instances in her life when she has experienced unexplained, supernatural encounters.
Subway
Ndeye Maguette tells a story about a fun day out in New York City that takes a turn when she and her sister and cousin take the wrong bus when they decide to head home.
I Got a Chicken for My Birthday
Mame’s story describes her tenth birthday, an unexpected gift from her cousins, and a friendship that quickly develops and rapidly shifts when instincts surface.
My Favorite Birthday
Mohamed shares the details of his favorite birthday, the last he spent with his whole family before moving from Mali to the US.
My Way
by Mohamed Lemine
Mohamed Lemine’s memoir recalls his childhood in Mauritania filled with beautiful memories and sorrows, and the new challenges he faced after his move to the US in 2019.