… let us walk together. And we, in Oaxaca city, have been for the past several weeks thanks to Oaxaca born artist Alejandro Santiago.
The streets and sidewalks around Santo Domingo have been peopled with “La Ruta del Migrante – Caminemos Juntos,” his heart wrenching sculptures representing the 2,501 migrantes, men and women, who have left his pueblo of San Pedro Teococuilco almost deserted.
No two sculptures are the same; each is a tribute to the unique individuals who, most certainly with great reluctance, left the homes of their families and ancestors to make their way north in search of jobs. The pain in their contorted bodies, their faces, and their feet causes me to pause every time I pass. I’ll let the images speak for themselves and ask the questions societies all over the world need to answer.
These migrantes on the streets of Oaxaca are scheduled to disappear at the end of the month and I don’t know where they are next headed. However, two documentaries have been made about Santiago’s tribute to migrantes: Twenty Five Hundred & One by Patricia Van Ryker and 2501 Migrants: A Journey directed by Yolanda Cruz.
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