WE ARE ALL IMMIGRANTS

I painted this mural at the Maya Angelo Middle and High School in South Central, Los Angeles.
It is based off a photo I took walking around the neighborhood a few days before starting the wall.
I was walking around looking for ideas to paint and passed by a Mexican America family, cooking in their front yard. Started chatting with them and they quickly became friendly and offered some food. I asked if I could take photos to have as ideas for my mural and they happily agreed. In one of the photos I took Nico (the 4 year old kid in the front right) all of a sudden jumped in to frame confused. Knowing that he wanted be in the photo but wasn’t sure where to stand. He in front of the shot just where the patch of sun light was hitting, while the family was laughing and telling him to come with them. I thought this was a charming moment. It felt honest and mundane enough.
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The concept of this wall is very similar to this feeling of simplicity in every day life. Our palpable and quotidian truth. The people we live and spend time with and the interaction between us.
During my time at the school I was able to give a mural workshop on the subject of “Home”. Together with @l.e.other teaching over 40 kids. Despite our different backgrounds, and age gaps this commonality became very obvious. I created a strong bond with many of them. We played football (soccer) every day, ate together, chatted, laughed and painted. Our differences some how only served as a strong link for interaction and conversation. Hearing kids list things like helicopter sounds, sirens, gangs or shots, as well as Tacos, Pupusas, toys on the front yard and palm trees. When asked what reminds them of home. Brings me to think that even though the context is different the feeling of home is the same. I have the impression we are all very similar, and we create borders as opposed to bridges with in our differences. This reminds me that in essence, for what ever this foolish word means, “We are all immigrants”. Photos by @wiseknave and @axelvoid