EL VIAJE DE MI ABUELITA

When my grandmother was 18, she immigrated from Mexico to Chicago, IL. Her life greatly changed, as she had to adapt to a different way of life and a different culture. In this piece, I captured three stages of her life, which also embody the attributes, I find most admirable about her. ‘Sweat’, for the hardworking quality of her humble background in Mexico. ‘Passion’ for her vivaciousness in her faith and her morals. And ‘Joy’ for the life she has accumulated here in America, where her 11 children and 50+ grandkids are influenced by her daily. I hope her story, filled with pain and joy, highlights the importance of diversity in America, as well as the fusion of two cultures that make this country beautiful.

I submitted this piece to Moving Margins: Option for the Poor and Vulnerable exhibition Center for Social Concerns’ Catholic Social Tradition conference at the University of Notre Dame, and I was nominated for first place.