Brushstroke by brushstroke, young Latino artists explore what it means to be an immigrant in Georgia

Jennifer Velázquez Mendoza crossed the border to the United States with her parents when she was four years old. Leaving the Mexican state of Guanajuato, she felt like she’d left a piece of herself behind—an experience she drew on when painting Sin Vida No Hay Futuro, the winning work in the college category of a popular youth art contest that returned last month after four-year hiatus. Sponsored by the Latin American Association (LAA), Portraying the Immigrant Experience invited students aged 12 to 25 to consider themes of migration, identity, and heritage. 

Sin Vida No Hay Futuro—“Without life, there is no future”—depicts a girl at the wall on the Mexico-U.S. border, her face betraying confusion, sadness, and fear. Like this painting, a lot of Jennifer’s art relies on her personal history of immigration. “I believe it’s important to talk about those topics that we often feel uncomfortable discussing,” said Jennifer, who’s now a 22-year-old student pursuing a degree in studio art at Oglethorpe University. “I want to invite people to engage, not just immigrants, but anyone who wants to learn about our community.”

She debuted the piece at a busy gathering honoring Hispanic Heritage Month at the LAA’s Brookhaven headquarters. One day in late September, the normally quiet offices came alive with sound and color: On the wall, posters about English classes and health resources were plastered over with flags from across Latin America, and a DJ played Latin music while arriving guests snacked on pan dulce and sipped coffee. Upstairs, vendors served more food—elotes, Colombian empanadas—and sold everything from imported Mexican bags to handmade candles shaped like the Virgin Mary. 

A hallway, meanwhile, became the gallery hosting the art contest, which the LAA suspended in 2020 amid the Covid-19 pandemic—and which asked young artists to depict how they view their lives at Latinos in the U.S.

 The 70 submissions the LAA received explored issues like “crossing the border, coming to the U.S. and living in a different world, leaving a piece of themselves back in their home country and being judged for not speaking the language,” said Laura Estefenn Diaz Ganados, marketing and communications manager for the 52-year-old nonprofit, which advocates for and provides services to Georgia’s Latino communities. “We were not expecting such beautiful pieces, both in terms of technique and meaning.”

In the high school category, José Gabriel Chacón Mendoza, a student at Discovery High School in Lawrenceville, took home the first prize with Sori We Don Spik Ingli, a collage that incorporates symbols like an immigration officer with an eagle on his shoulder, a Mayan sun, and a dragon. It’s meant to explore the absurdity of having to apologize for not speaking English perfectly, José explained. 

“Art is not about what the artist wants people to understand, but what the viewer feels and understands through their own experiences,” he said. Of Colombian descent, José plans to put his prize money toward college studies—though he might use some of it to repair his father’s beloved cuckoo clock as a present for his upcoming 50th birthday. 

In the middle school category, Gabrielle Cifuentes, a 13-year-old with Jamaican and Panamanian roots, won for her watercolor painting Essential, which portrays a woman sitting on top of the world and holding a puzzle piece, symbolizing the Latino community’s contributions. “I hope to remind people that no matter how small you may feel in this vast world, we are all unique and beautiful in our own way,” Gabrielle said.

To the sound of Mexican mariachi singer Yaritza Rodríguez—“La Voz Dulce de Atlanta”—the smiling winners posed with their artwork as their families hovered around them. The winning pieces, along with honorable mentions, will be printed on banners and displayed throughout October at Sara J. Gonzalez Park in Northwest Atlanta.

With the success of this year’s contest, the LAA plans to continue hosting the event annually. Laura was inspired by the depth of expression in the submissions, she said: “They are very observant of the situation around them, and even if they are not necessarily communicating it verbally, they are expressing it through art. I want the broader community to understand that we are here, we are making an impact, and we should support and respect each other.”

“The story of me, my parents, and other friends from the university who have immigrated are stories that matter,” Jennifer said. “Art and the paintings create a space to have conversations where people don’t feel forced or ashamed. I want us to have those conversations. Not just immigrants, but all.”