“Ohio is My Second country” coloring book and concert

“Ohio is my second country.” That is what Birane Wane, a Columbus father, said to a reporter after he was deported to Mauritania during the first Trump administration. He was talking about feeling like your life was left somewhere else, and that it is possible to be “from” more than one place.

High school student and artist Shema Asifiwe, language expert Manuel Chinchilla, PhD, and the Ohio Immigrant Alliance are preparing to publish the “Ohio Is My Second Country Coloring Book” in late spring 2026. Shema drew the pictures for this book by asking immigrants to tell him about their native places. Contrary to stereotypes we often hear about other countries, these are not constantly bleak or war-torn landscapes. There is vibrancy, beauty, and many happy memories, even in places that are experiencing conflict. His friends from all over the world were eager to participate.

The coloring book will be available for sale at the Ohio Immigrant Alliance’s Bookshop.org page, and in select independent bookstores. It will also be featured at our June 13 concert at the Columbus Arts Festival. The book includes lessons on each of the depicted languages, and a guide for how to use it in your community.

Read about the coloring book here.

Read about the June 13 concert in Columbus here.

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