Aqui y Alla
This transnational mural brings together immigrant Mexican youth in Philadelphia and young people in Chihuahua, Mexico. The title of the piece, meaning "here and there," connects the two communities in their struggles for identity, safety, and community.
The young people in Mexico painted murals on transferable cloth that were added to the mural by the immigrant Mexican youth in South Philadelphia. Together, the pieces will bridge the children on both ends of the immigration process, finding commonalities and kinship.
According to the Brookings Institute: "Among its peer regions, metropolitan Philadelphia has the largest and fastest growing immigrant population, which now stands at over 500,000, comprising 9 percent of the total population." The Mexican immigrant population flourishes especially, particularly in South Philadelphia as the old Italian standbys move to the suburbs. A very topical issue, immigration is at the forefront of our news and political debate, making artistic proclamations like this one of belonging, connection, and celebration of culture all the more valuable.
