ABOUT THIS PROJECT'S JOURNEY
The original concept focused on the stories of newly arrived immigrant women via their telephones or social media content. The idea was to create a waterfall of acrylic messages between women and their loved ones, that could provide a glimpse of what is important as women make the difficult decision of crossing from one country to another, from Mexico to the United States. After traveling to Brownsville Texas, to the Matamoros (Mexico) Resource Center, and volunteering with La Frontera welcoming shelter in Laredo Texas, and speaking with multiple women (and men) who had recently crossed the border, I began to hear of their original phones having been lost or stolen, or they erased or couldn't access their past messages, or they simply used voice recorded messages via WhatsApp or Messenger.
The pandemic also brought about unexpected changes, like the tripling in the price of acrylic and other construction materials. The concept was re-worked, based on discussions with the women, with approval of the Institute for Diversity and Civic Life. Shortly after the hunt for refrigerator doors began. Images used were photographed with permission at La Frontera welcoming shelter in Laredo or provided by each woman. It was not by design but by coincidence that each interview featured here is from a different country in Latin America. The strength and resiliency, along with the fear and pain endured, of each woman is noted in their words. The triple trauma is present in every conversation - what triggered leaving their home country, what was enduring on the journey, and what is suffered in the host country. The burden of their multiple identities as women, mothers, immigrants, and women of color is palpable as their ties with loved ones in their home country are painfully stretched and they live and flourish despite the scars.
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This project could not be possible without the support of:
The Institute for Diversity and Civic Life
La Frontera Shelter (Catholic Charities), Laredo
Fridge door donors: Maxine's mom, Rudy Morales, and Fénix Fire staff
The ever-dedicated art & life partner, Alex Garcés
and the incredible immigrant women crossing borders and reminding us that migration is human nature
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Thank you all! V.G.