On April 9, 2006, tens of thousands of people marched down State Street for humane immigration reform – a protest outnumbering those of the Vietnam War and Civil Rights Movement in Salt Lake City. An organizer of the march itself, University of Utah professor Armando Solórzano, recently created an exhibit, “Invisible No More: Latinx’s Dignity March in Utah,” to honor the march and give voice to the millions of undocumented immigrants throughout the state and country.
Solórzano said the exhibit’s purpose is not only to educate the community but to provide undocumented immigrants in Utah the chance to feel recognized.
“A lot of people recognize themselves in the march,” he said. “This is not only a historical exhibition; it’s alive.”
The exhibit, located in Mestizo Coffeehouse, is free and open to the public until Oct. 15 in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month.
It consists of 60 framed photos as well as poems, newspaper articles and original t-shirts from the event spread throughout the shop. All captions are provided in both English and Spanish.
Photos throughout the exhibit display pictures of Latinx parents holding children on their shoulders, signs reading, “Without me, your economy goes down,” and crowds of marchers wearing white to promote peace.
“I work under the assumption that an image talks a thousand times more than words,” Solórzano said.
Multiple photos of the crowd are displayed at the exhibit, some of which have been thought to be doctored to show more attendees.
While city police reported 25,000 attendees, Solórzano estimated around 43,000 and denied any photograph tampering.
Solórzano explained the inspiration for a photo exhibit came from a teaching method used in Latinx education involving photo analysis. He added because English is the official language of the state, and many Latinx people do not know English, they are taught to analyze photos to learn a story. Similarly, Solórzano wanted to teach the community about the march through this lens.
Not only do the photos represent Utah’s past, but the future, Solórzano said.
“I want [viewers] to recognize the amazing capacity of the people,” he said.
Solórzano said he has seen both positive and negative outcomes since the 2006 march.
He pointed to various children in photos who are now students at the U.
“All these kids were marching on their parents’ shoulders, which to me is very symbolic,” he said. “It is the immigrants that carry the future of this nation.”
On the other hand, he said he feels the Latinx community is still under-resourced and discriminated against in Utah.
“Many times people tell us to go home,” he said. “Well, this is our home … This is the land of my ancestors. This is where they work, this is where they die, this is where I am and this is where we are going to be.”
David Galvan, co-owner of Mestizo Coffeehouse, translated “mestizo” to mean “mixed blood,” or a combination of many different cultures. Galvan described Mestizo as a shop founded by artists who wanted to create a safe community space for those of all cultures. which created the perfect environment for the exhibit.
Galvan also said the U has been a “huge collaborator” with Mestizo and has created relationships with various members of faculty and staff, including Solórzano.
“Invisible No More: Latinx’s Dignity March in Utah” has been displayed numerous times in areas such as Washington, D.C. and Mexico City to honor the millions of immigrants in the United States and remind them of their right to dignity.
“We will take the challenge to prove who we are and defend the rights of immigrants,” Solórzano said. “They have the right to have a country and to be protected.”
