Faces of Latino Immigrants Challenge Stereotypes in New Exhibit
By Sarah Espada
Live WireStaff Writer
The face in the latest exhibit by Christine Breslin touch on a timely, global subject. “Immigration: A Suspension of Stereotypic Perception, Illuminating Portraits and Stories of Latino Residents” is filled with moving photographs. The photographs are portraits taken of Latin American immigrants from countries such as the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia and others.
The exhibit opened at Manchester Community College’s Hans Weiss Newspace Gallery Sept. 13 with a reception where Breslin discussed her work. Breslin’s inspiration for this exhibit was to showcase the stories and faces of Latino immigrants living in Connecticut.
You could tell this series of images meant a lot to Breslin personally in the way she speaks about immigrants.
“Most of the Latino immigrants have left their country of origin for opportunities to better their lives here, and many have worked hard to stay here,” she said during the reception. “Many have had to leave their families behind while they worked here to make a better life for them. All love this country, even though many of the subjects said they feel that as people of color they also feel other in this country.”
Breslin is a professional photographer located in West Hartford. She specializes in portrait photography. She has both an MFA and a BFA in Photography and her work is shown in TheNew Britain Museum of American Art.
As the name suggests, the purpose of the exhibit it to draw attention to our own stereotypical beliefs about immigrants and take a step back from those beliefs. This is a crucial time for exhibits like these to be seen, since the political climate at the moment is so unfriendly towards immigrants.
The exhibit runs through Oct. 16. Breslin said she chose this time to show her photographs as a way to commemorate Hispanic Heritage Month.
Breslin said she wanted “to pay tribute to the contributions made by Hispanic and Latino Americans and their important presence in the U.S., and to celebrate their heritage and culture.”
The Gallery, in the lobby of the Arts, Sciences and Technology building, is open Monday through Friday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. For more information visit https://www.manchestercc.edu/hans-weiss-newspace.