Time is Long, Lives Are Changed
A lot of artworks hanging in the corridor and the atrium of the Parker Gallery shows different kinds of art styles and painting techniques, but all of them share the same topic, “immigration.”
Vivian Poey, one of the curators of Crossing/Borders, is a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Mexico of a Cuban family. Last year, Poey scheduled an exhibition for this spring and then, because President Donald Trump rescinded the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, she knew some discussions about undocumented immigrants were going to be coming up in Congress and she decided to push up the immigrant exhibition. Poey and Amanda Miller contacted the artists whose lives have been impacted by immigration and who had done a portfolio work around that idea. They pushed the exhibition very quickly and gathered extensive artwork.
Vivian Poey, one of the curators of Crossing/Borders, is a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Mexico of a Cuban family. Last year, Poey scheduled an exhibition for this spring and then, because President Donald Trump rescinded the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, she knew some discussions about undocumented immigrants were going to be coming up in Congress and she decided to push up the immigrant exhibition. Poey and Amanda Miller contacted the artists whose lives have been impacted by immigration and who had done a portfolio work around that idea. They pushed the exhibition very quickly and gathered extensive artwork.
“Artists can let people begin to understand immigrants like anybody else– just human beings. They tell the stories and show the human
side of this political issue that becomes very humanized,” Poey said.
Gabriel Sosa, from a Cuban family, is a courthouse interpreter and also an artist. Sosa has translated letters sent to the court from friends or family of defendants.
He created a series based on these letters called “Letter of Support” in 2015, represented in the exhibition. A paragraph of “I knew” which is part of his work says, “I can say that he is a good man I have been in the construction business for many years. It is rare to come across someone as genuine and hardworking as…”
“I translate a lot of these letters as a part of my job and they always move me a lot because of they are very honest and straightforward,” Sosa said.
“If you notice, you can find none of them have a name. Actually, all of these letters are public record and you can ask for them at any courthouses. The reason that I did not put a specific name is it means this situation can happen any of us,” Sosa said.
Sosa is the second generation immigrant. His family moved to the United States in the 1960s. “It was such dramatic experience. The Cuban government changed their lives and changed really quickly. A lot of people left with their families, so they were kids and had this large accident that people leaving the country.” The pains of his relatives affect him deeply and inspire him doing his art works.
side of this political issue that becomes very humanized,” Poey said.
Gabriel Sosa, from a Cuban family, is a courthouse interpreter and also an artist. Sosa has translated letters sent to the court from friends or family of defendants.
He created a series based on these letters called “Letter of Support” in 2015, represented in the exhibition. A paragraph of “I knew” which is part of his work says, “I can say that he is a good man I have been in the construction business for many years. It is rare to come across someone as genuine and hardworking as…”
“I translate a lot of these letters as a part of my job and they always move me a lot because of they are very honest and straightforward,” Sosa said.
“If you notice, you can find none of them have a name. Actually, all of these letters are public record and you can ask for them at any courthouses. The reason that I did not put a specific name is it means this situation can happen any of us,” Sosa said.
Sosa is the second generation immigrant. His family moved to the United States in the 1960s. “It was such dramatic experience. The Cuban government changed their lives and changed really quickly. A lot of people left with their families, so they were kids and had this large accident that people leaving the country.” The pains of his relatives affect him deeply and inspire him doing his art works.
Sosa also has a work called “A Message to Deliver” which is an audio recording of the message from Marina, a relative who lives in Cuba, to Sosa’s aunt, whom they call Beni. In Sosa’s work, he says that “Marina and Beni were best friends when they lived in their hometown of Jatibonico, Cuba. Since Beni fled to Miami when they were 18 years old, they have never spoken or seen each other.”
In 2011, Sosa as the first person of his family made a trip to Cuba and it also was his first time to come back Cuba. He met a lot of his family in Cuba and Marina was one of them. He went to jatibonico, a small town in the middle of Cuba where his family is from, and Marina lives in the town. After he visited Marina and came back, Marina gave him a call and asked him to record for her and play to Beni when he came back Miami. Sosa put the telephone and his cell phone next to each other to record the message. When he was recording the message, he was so moved and tears were coming out.
“I’ve tried so many times to start a letter, but I cannot express myself like I used to. It seems to me that what I say will likely bring you down. I love you, and I do not know what else to say. I am here always, always, loving and remembering you,” Marina said in the recording that is part of Sosa’s artwork.
As Poey said, it is very terrible that families are split. When somebody gets sick, you cannot just go, and when somebody gets married, you cannot just come.
Vivian Peoy also showed a series of work called where I stand. Peoy did much research to do this series, This series shows the relationship between history and present.
“One thing I was working with is just trying to trace my background. So I was looking at my family and the history of Cuba. And I was trying to understand where various people in my family were, when the event was happening in Cuba. There is a Cuba Revolution recently, but before that, the Cuba War of independence which here is the Spanish-American War is another event,”Poey said.
These events pushed people to leave their homes and go to another country, like America. “I am aware of the very difficult violence political situation as a kind of the pressure that require people to leave their homes and go to another place. I am looking to my family history and I am seeing the generation after generation, they have been in this situation,”Poey said.
It is not a easy mission to trace the history. People do not want to talk about a part of history and tend to ignore it.
In 2011, Sosa as the first person of his family made a trip to Cuba and it also was his first time to come back Cuba. He met a lot of his family in Cuba and Marina was one of them. He went to jatibonico, a small town in the middle of Cuba where his family is from, and Marina lives in the town. After he visited Marina and came back, Marina gave him a call and asked him to record for her and play to Beni when he came back Miami. Sosa put the telephone and his cell phone next to each other to record the message. When he was recording the message, he was so moved and tears were coming out.
“I’ve tried so many times to start a letter, but I cannot express myself like I used to. It seems to me that what I say will likely bring you down. I love you, and I do not know what else to say. I am here always, always, loving and remembering you,” Marina said in the recording that is part of Sosa’s artwork.
As Poey said, it is very terrible that families are split. When somebody gets sick, you cannot just go, and when somebody gets married, you cannot just come.
Vivian Peoy also showed a series of work called where I stand. Peoy did much research to do this series, This series shows the relationship between history and present.
“One thing I was working with is just trying to trace my background. So I was looking at my family and the history of Cuba. And I was trying to understand where various people in my family were, when the event was happening in Cuba. There is a Cuba Revolution recently, but before that, the Cuba War of independence which here is the Spanish-American War is another event,”Poey said.
These events pushed people to leave their homes and go to another country, like America. “I am aware of the very difficult violence political situation as a kind of the pressure that require people to leave their homes and go to another place. I am looking to my family history and I am seeing the generation after generation, they have been in this situation,”Poey said.
It is not a easy mission to trace the history. People do not want to talk about a part of history and tend to ignore it.
Timeline of Cuban Immigration to the U.S. (In Curtesy of Vivian Poey)
“I knew my family somewhere there was somebody who was slave trader. There was somewhere in my history. Something you know but nobody talks about. So, I track it down. I went all the way back in the time and I found out who it was and I found out it was in the late 1700s. my great, great, great grandfather. He was one of the five companies that traded human beings. It is hard but it is a part of the need to understand your history, to understand where are you from and how history has shaped your present. Because he made money, the other generation was able to do things and in some ways I still benefit. So it is not a pleasant thing but it is important thing,”Poey said.
“Now, I was researching Haitian history, because my husband is from Haiti. I researched lots of maps over time. It is a very complicated history that has to do with Haiti, Cuba, France and Spain. When I looked at maps, even in that time, late 1700s, the map of the United States does not look like now. For some reasons, the United States becomes what it is now. It makes me think ‘shift.’ Time is long that things change. In some ways, we need to be responsible for how we living in the world and think about our responsibility to understand how our history impact us. My work is a way of understanding that,”Poey said.
“Now, I was researching Haitian history, because my husband is from Haiti. I researched lots of maps over time. It is a very complicated history that has to do with Haiti, Cuba, France and Spain. When I looked at maps, even in that time, late 1700s, the map of the United States does not look like now. For some reasons, the United States becomes what it is now. It makes me think ‘shift.’ Time is long that things change. In some ways, we need to be responsible for how we living in the world and think about our responsibility to understand how our history impact us. My work is a way of understanding that,”Poey said.
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Cuban Population in 50 States in Fiscal Year 2016
The data from U.S. Census Bureau shows that in recent 10 years, Cuban immigrants doubled and continued increasing. Most Cuban immigrants live in Florida, California, New Jersey, New York State and Texas.
Arts Soaring, History Speaking
Yvrose Cotard with her three daughters Anne, Kim and Ketty posed next to four big acrylic on cloth portraits, which her son Rocky Cotard had paint for them with big smiles. The crowd captured the precious moment for the Cotards which migrated to the United States 18 years ago.
Rocky Cotard is a senior illustration major student at Lesley University. Cotard’s works attracted the most traffic in the Spring 2018 Illustration Senior Show on April 12. The dark colors of the skin combined light colors of the clothing and necklaces had recreated four beautiful black females.
Rocky Cotard is a senior illustration major student at Lesley University. Cotard’s works attracted the most traffic in the Spring 2018 Illustration Senior Show on April 12. The dark colors of the skin combined light colors of the clothing and necklaces had recreated four beautiful black females.
The series paintings of Cotard’s black Haitian female family members showed his proud of being a Haitian-American artist. Cotard is working on a new painting of the series about his great-aunt in Haiti. She was the one through the dictatorship history. “It’s a history that hasn’t been told. And that my generation of Haitian people, I don’t think they know very much about.”
Rocky Cotard moved from Haiti to the U.S. with his mother at the age of 6. As he grew up, he found that in the U.S. “I found on ancestry.org and I haven’t found too much,” Cotard said, “to be honest, in the black experience it still feels like you are immigrant even you’ve here for centuries and generations.”
His works opened a conversation that he wants to have but doesn’t knows how to have. He could talk with an Uber driver about the system that existed within Haitian regime by starting with his project. “I just think it’s easier for me to have conversation about my culture,” Cotard said.
There are more artists like Cotard who are proud of their families history and incorporate it into their works. Their willingness and eagerness to chase their roots deeply influences their local communities within artworks.
Mosheh Tucker is a black artist major in Fine Art at Lesley University. He and Cotard held an exhibition called “Portraits and Power” at Sherrill Library in Boston from March 1. to April 6, which is about black women.
“I was born in Boston. My mother’s family comes from Haiti and my father is African-American whose family were brought to the U.S. by slavery for several generations,” Tucker said, “The rest of my family history was blurred but I was eager to know more.”
Tucker started his project by interviewing his 16-year-old sister Emmanuella Tucker two years ago. Tucker acted confidently as an artist interviewing someone. “This is my interview, you gonna to sit down and I’m gonna to film you, you are going to answer these questions,” Tucker said to Emmanuella at the beginning of the interview.
Twenty minutes later, Tucker was quiet, trembled with his questions, and he said to Emmanuella: “Okay, let’s erase these questions, I’m not going to ask these questions anymore, let’s just have a conversation now.”
Emmanuella just turned to the age establishing the confidence she need as a young girl. Tucker would judge Samara on what she did. When they were young, as an older brother, Tucker was afraid that Samara listen to certain type of music because she was no longer prefer the music from her own community. Something went on school made Samara angry and make her feel down. At first, in Mosheh’s eyes, Samara was got angry for no reason.
The truth was classmates made fun of Samara because of her skin color. However, she was not comfortable to express her feeling. That conversation shocked Tucker. He started the project questioning the status and the difficulties that black woman has.
Rocky Cotard moved from Haiti to the U.S. with his mother at the age of 6. As he grew up, he found that in the U.S. “I found on ancestry.org and I haven’t found too much,” Cotard said, “to be honest, in the black experience it still feels like you are immigrant even you’ve here for centuries and generations.”
His works opened a conversation that he wants to have but doesn’t knows how to have. He could talk with an Uber driver about the system that existed within Haitian regime by starting with his project. “I just think it’s easier for me to have conversation about my culture,” Cotard said.
There are more artists like Cotard who are proud of their families history and incorporate it into their works. Their willingness and eagerness to chase their roots deeply influences their local communities within artworks.
Mosheh Tucker is a black artist major in Fine Art at Lesley University. He and Cotard held an exhibition called “Portraits and Power” at Sherrill Library in Boston from March 1. to April 6, which is about black women.
“I was born in Boston. My mother’s family comes from Haiti and my father is African-American whose family were brought to the U.S. by slavery for several generations,” Tucker said, “The rest of my family history was blurred but I was eager to know more.”
Tucker started his project by interviewing his 16-year-old sister Emmanuella Tucker two years ago. Tucker acted confidently as an artist interviewing someone. “This is my interview, you gonna to sit down and I’m gonna to film you, you are going to answer these questions,” Tucker said to Emmanuella at the beginning of the interview.
Twenty minutes later, Tucker was quiet, trembled with his questions, and he said to Emmanuella: “Okay, let’s erase these questions, I’m not going to ask these questions anymore, let’s just have a conversation now.”
Emmanuella just turned to the age establishing the confidence she need as a young girl. Tucker would judge Samara on what she did. When they were young, as an older brother, Tucker was afraid that Samara listen to certain type of music because she was no longer prefer the music from her own community. Something went on school made Samara angry and make her feel down. At first, in Mosheh’s eyes, Samara was got angry for no reason.
The truth was classmates made fun of Samara because of her skin color. However, she was not comfortable to express her feeling. That conversation shocked Tucker. He started the project questioning the status and the difficulties that black woman has.
Studying at a white prominent school at Lesley University, Tucker was trying to “taking the space” through his art works. Tucker used heavy paints experimentally in his three oil paintings. The subject he created was looking directly at the audiences. Rendering confidently, vibrantly, Tucker allowed those black figures to had present in a space where it was not present. He tried to create a conversation between the viewers and the paintings. “You don’t welcome here, so I’m going to exist here,” Tucker said.
The matter of identification emerged from his works. “A lot of African-American people don’t know where they from outside of the U.S.” Tucker said, “unless you take time to do that. Sometimes it takes a lot of time, energy and money.”
Tucker was proud of being a Haitian descent and a black artist. Boston is a city dominated by its Irish population. However, Haitians has found itself in a position to play an important role in building institutions, starting enterprises and building broad political coalitions with other groups.
“I think it’s very important to know my own history. It also has great influences on my works,” Tucker said, “there are a stigma of Haitian talking about their slavery history. Being in a discriminate society in the U.S., I think it is important to find our culture and history.” With the growing population, more and more Haitians like Tucker tries to find their family histories.
The matter of identification emerged from his works. “A lot of African-American people don’t know where they from outside of the U.S.” Tucker said, “unless you take time to do that. Sometimes it takes a lot of time, energy and money.”
Tucker was proud of being a Haitian descent and a black artist. Boston is a city dominated by its Irish population. However, Haitians has found itself in a position to play an important role in building institutions, starting enterprises and building broad political coalitions with other groups.
“I think it’s very important to know my own history. It also has great influences on my works,” Tucker said, “there are a stigma of Haitian talking about their slavery history. Being in a discriminate society in the U.S., I think it is important to find our culture and history.” With the growing population, more and more Haitians like Tucker tries to find their family histories.
Haitian Population in 50 States in Fiscal Year 2016
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Statistics from U.S Census Bureau show that visas issued to Haitian had a drop in 2014. After the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti, the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security made Haitians eligible for temporary seasonal work visas in 2012. A program was created in 2014 using that visa to match Haitian farmworkers with U.S. farms where US workers were unavailable. The goal of the program was to contribute to the post-earthquake recovery while deterring illegal migration and benefiting the U.S. farm economy.
The top three states most Haitian immigrants living in are Florida, New York and Massachusetts.
The top three states most Haitian immigrants living in are Florida, New York and Massachusetts.
Sources:
U.S. Census Bureau, 2012-2016 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
U.S. Census Bureau, 2012-2016 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates
Vivian Poey Portfolio
Gabriel Sosa Portfolio
Cuban Immigrants History
Haitian Immigrants History
Mosheh Tucker Portfolio
Rocky Cotard Portfolio
Read Our Methodology Here
U.S. Census Bureau, 2012-2016 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
U.S. Census Bureau, 2012-2016 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates
Vivian Poey Portfolio
Gabriel Sosa Portfolio
Cuban Immigrants History
Haitian Immigrants History
Mosheh Tucker Portfolio
Rocky Cotard Portfolio
Read Our Methodology Here