We know that one way an ethnic group holds onto its heritage is to preserve its art, even as it transforms itself in a new place. Looking at and rethinking the role of art made by recent immigrants can give us insights into ourselves as well the as newcomers in our midst.
Immigrant art includes many things; it is not a unified movement; it is as varied as the artists themselves. What it does share is its source: it is the art of new Americans, re-working their own threads and drawing on their own image banks. It is often the work of those less interested in assimilating than in telling, preserving, and saving their history. It is the art of the transplanted soul, seeking new roots, not rejecting old ones. It often merges memory, history, custom and traditions as the artist bearing witness. Often it is celebratory, even when framed in the sadness or loss.
