On Friday evening, the New Haven Green hosted the opening of a public art installation titled “We Are: A Nation of Immigrants — New Haven.” The installation consists of larger than life portraits of refugees and immigrants, photographed by Joe Standard. Scattered around the Green, and adorning the walls of its three Churches, the images evoke empathy and inspire. Amal, a young girl who moved from Syria due to the war, and Gladys, who fled from Congo for the same reasons, give company to Kai, who left Mexico to study, and Christine, who moved from Philippines to become a research scientist. So, “We Are” holds up a mirror for the New Haven community, for us to understand each other and in that process, learn who we truly are.
