See Me

Immigration. It's a tough subject to discuss these days, especially in the States. There are difficult attitudes to overcome, particularly if you are an immigrant who happens to not be white or a native English speaker. The news frequently presents a specific image of these immigrants, and it generally isn't flattering.

Fortunately, in today's Illumination, a new exhibit in the Moving Walls series presents a different image of immigration. The exhibit focuses on the family ties and individual acts of bravery and self-sacrifice that immigrants and refugees experience, and shows these people as they want to be seen. The link above has examples of the art and photography produced by the people taking part in the exhibit, and it's stunning.

It shouldn't be such a bright spot, to see people as individuals with personalities and histories, families and dreams and hopes, rather than simply a group of "the other." At the same time, anything that reminds society that we need to treat each other with respect can only lead to better things.