The issue of migration studies 
is, in one sense, unfortunately

cast upon us, because there 
have been reactionary movements

throughout the world against 
immigrants and refugees.

And it's important for 
intelligent, well-trained

individuals to step up 
and to not just challenge

those anti-immigrant 
voices intelligently,

but to come up with solutions 
to these very, very difficult

problems.

My name is Andrea 
Portillo, and I

am in the Masters 
in Migration Studies

program at the University 
of San Francisco.

I decided to join 
the program because

of my personal connection 
with the topic of migration.

Both of my parents are 
immigrants from Mexico.

I've always known 
what it's like to be

an immigrant in this 
country and having

to go through the barriers 
that you have to go through,

from not knowing a language, and 
working jobs that maybe don't

pay you as high as 
you need to be paid,

navigating even the 
education system.

We are trying to take the 
best of migration theory

so students have very 
academically rigorous courses

and also to practice, as well.

So we like our 
students to be engaged

a migrant organizations, 
maybe to work on policy,

volunteer with groups.

Having the Migration 
Studies program centered

at the University 
of San Francisco

in this rich, diverse, 
immigrant-centric city of San

Francisco benefits the 
program profoundly.

San Francisco offers not 
only a diversity of peoples,

but a diversity of 
service providers.

It's been great to 
study immigration here,

because this is a safe space.

And there's a lot 
of organizations

and a lot of people 
who are working for

and are advocating 
for this community.

Students have the 
option of studying

in Mexico City their second 
semester, spring semester.

They take classes with 
students in the Mexico program

at the Jesuit university there.

One of the great things 
about this program

is there's something 
for everybody

here, from economy, from 
politics, from education,

from even anthropology.

It's all about being inclusive, 
and giving back, and working

directly with the community.