I'm not a refugee or an immigrant and although I'm a citizen I don't belong.

In The Winter of Our Resistance, Sai Thao, a Hmong American artist, mother, and co-founder of In Progress, reflects on a lifelong struggle with belonging and how Metro Surge has intensified feelings of fear, isolation, and displacement within her community. Drawing on her experiences with motherhood, grief, cultural identity, and systemic inequality, she challenges conventional ideas of safety and solidarity while emphasizing personal agency, informed action, and preparing the next generation for an uncertain future.

Be strong, stand up for what's right. Just remember your past, language, your elders, you know, remember your people, you know, just be who you are.

In The Winter of Our Resistance, Niizh Wahpepah, also known as Two Standing Man, an Ojibwe educator and father from the Leech Lake Reservation, recounts his experience being stopped and detained by federal immigration agents while traveling to work. Reflecting on the fear experienced by his family, the historical treatment of Indigenous peoples, and the importance of tribal identity, he emphasizes cultural resilience and the responsibility to prepare the next generation to stand strong in the face of adversity.

If you're allowed to say hate, I'm allowed to say love. I'm allowed to share the truth.

In The Winter of Our Resistance, 13-year-old Azomali Obisakin reflects on growing up with Nigerian and Mexican heritage while navigating the fear, anger, and uncertainty surrounding Metro Surge. From organizing a school walkout to witnessing how immigration enforcement has changed everyday life for her family and classmates, she shares a young person's perspective on cultural identity, belonging, and the importance of speaking out.

I can feel the chaos in the air, and I'm familiar with this.

In The Winter of Our Resistance, Guadalupe Puentes, a retired military veteran living in Saint Paul, reflects on the fear, uncertainty, and heightened tensions he experienced during Metro Surge. Drawing parallels between military operations in Iraq and federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota, he explores the psychological impact of living under constant uncertainty, the solidarity emerging across communities, and his concerns about what may happen when public attention fades.

I used that fear to propel me, not to hold me back.

Katya Zepeda, an Indigenous woman who immigrated from Mexico as a child, reflects on her family's experiences with deportation, the lasting trauma of growing up with an uncertain immigration status, and the renewed fears brought by Metro Surge. Drawing on her experiences as a mother and community advocate, she explores the emotional toll of immigration enforcement on families, particularly children, and the importance of culturally responsive mental health care, community protection, and transforming fear into action.

For sure this time is an x-ray on all of us, right? You can see inside who we are, how are we reacting, how we're not pretending anymore.

Photographer Xavier Tavera reflects on his nearly thirty years in Minnesota and the personal and emotional challenges of documenting Metro Surge as a Mexican immigrant. Moving between moments of community joy and confrontations with hatred, he explores the responsibilities of a photographer, the struggle to manage anger, and the power of art and everyday acts of kindness to transform how we care for one another.

If the village is on fire, I'm not going to wait around for it to die down or to burn up just to be able to start up again.

Musician Jack Ger Vang reflects on his family's history as Hmong refugees and how Metro Surge has renewed fears of displacement, particularly among elders who have already experienced war and forced migration. Through his experiences participating in protests and supporting immigrant communities, he explores the meaning of belonging, intergenerational trauma, and the solidarity that emerges when diverse communities stand together.

There's one thing about the truth, it deserves no apology.

Photographer and independent journalist KingDemetrius Pendleton shares his firsthand experiences documenting Metro Surge in Minneapolis, including the demonstrations following the killing of Renee Good and his own encounters with federal immigration agents. Reflecting on the physical risks of photojournalism, his personal journey, and his commitment to marginalized communities, Pendleton speaks to the importance of bearing witness, documenting injustice, and refusing to remain silent.