Mi gente
November 2019
Location: 3365 Buford Hwy, Atlanta, GA 30329
Artist Statement:
When I first immigrated to Atlanta at seven years old, I was relieved to see panaderias and carnicerias up and down Buford Hwy—that there were places like we had at home. The Buford Hwy corridor became a community where my family could reimagine home and to this day, Buford Hwy is still home for me.
Painting “Mi Gente” felt like an act of gratitude to the community that welcomed me and contributed to my growth. The mural is a landscape constructed of monumental portraits embracing smaller vignettes inspired by the values and points of pride in the community. The values and points of pride surfaced through community engagement and conversations with community partners (The Latino Community Fund, Freedom University, and the Latin American Association). Although the history of the Latinx community in Georgia played an important role in the design of the mural, I wanted to create a space that also challenges my community to embrace our diversity with more inclusivity.
The public will likely recognize the portraits of some of our community leaders among the five large portraits of this mural. I included the activists like Arizbeth Sanchez as well as portraits of “every-day” folks. One of the major portraits is of a former student and another of a former student’s mother—because their roles in our community are just as essential as the roles of the leaders the public might recognize.
A series of vignettes are embraced by each of the portraits, sending a message of acceptance and inclusivity. While these quick snapshots can be interpreted in many ways depending on the viewer, I chose images that depict education, activism, spaces of joy, and moments that are special to the Buford corridor. I chose to highlight gender nonconforming love, to center the faces of our LBTQ+ community members, and to remind us that our community also includes indigenous and Afrolatinx people. Beyond the place where we are born or the place our ancestors were born—we are diverse in our immigration narratives, our skin color, and the kinds of labor we provide.
Through “Mi Gente,” I want to show that it’s possible to honor our history, hold dear what we are most proud of now, while also challenging ourselves to live up to a diversity that is truly reflective of who we are.
watch “Mi Gente Mural” by the Atlanta History Center
Click here for a guided tour of “Mi Gente” by the Atlanta History Center.