Migrant Imaginary

What is the future of migration in Philadelphia, and in the United States in general? This is a question with evolving answers, but one thing is true: migration is an act of imagination and resilience. Up against geography, language, and other challenges, migrants’ imaginations create cities, communities, and culture wherever they go. In this multimedia project from Ecuadorian muralist and self-described migrant Layqa Nuna Yawar, middle school and high school students dove into these complex questions. After all, these dreams are what helped to create the city of Philadelphia, and continue to shape it to this day.

Youth from our ongoing programs at Southeast by Southeast community center and Furness High School learned about the history of immigration in Philadelphia through an artistic lens, reflecting on personal and external narratives. Their artwork informed the final mural design, and is archived online at migrantimaginary.muralarts.org, built with web developer Ricardo Cabret, who also taught students the fundamentals of HTML coding.