Immigration is a divisive political topic in our country — but I don’t think it should be. Even before its inception as an independent nation, the United States of America has been a land of immigrants. With the exception of Native Americans, everyone in this country is here because somebody, at some point, immigrated here. While a natural fear of the unfamiliar breeds suspicion of those with different backgrounds, traditions and even language, there’s a greater common denominator that unites us all — and I believe that has its roots in immigration. People have a variety of motives for immigrating, but the decision to leave the familiarity of “home” to settle in unfamiliar surroundings requires courage, determination, and a hope-filled vision of the future. These attributes, which we (as Americans) like to describe as distinctly “American” are a byproduct of our shared immigrant culture. 

Nation of Immigrants, which showed in 2014 at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center in West Valley City, brought together a group of 24 artists, many of whom are immigrants themselves. Their work in a variety of media represented immigrant stories ranging from the Mayflower to the present day. Each artist’s work was dedicated to an immigrant, and their immigrant stories were published in a full-color exhibition catalogue, alongside images of the artists’ works. The show coincided with Journey Stories, a traveling exhibition from the Smithsonian.

Although immigration is a hot political topic, the purpose of this show was not to make a political statement. Instead, my hope was to emphasize that that which unites us is greater than that which divides us, and to celebrate our shared cultural heritage as a Nation of Immigrants.

My Work

As was the case for all of the artists in Nation of Immigrants, my work for this show was acutely personal, and focused on Christina McNeil, my great-great-great-grandmother. Born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1831, at age 17 she joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Her family did not embrace her newfound faith, and Christina went to live with Margaret Caldwell, a widow and fellow convert. After years of saving, and with the help of the Church’s Perpetual Emigration Fund, they were able to join a group of Latter-day Saints who left Liverpool, England in May of 1856 to sail to the US. 

Christina accompanied Margaret and four of her children in the Willie Handcart Company, traveling on foot the 1,350 miles from Iowa City to the Salt Lake Valley, pushing their belongings in a large, two-wheeled cart. 

Along with the Martin Handcart Company, the Willie Company left late in the season, ran low on supplies, and encountered harrowing weather conditions. Many members of the company succumbed to starvation and frigid temperatures. Christina turned 24 that September on the plains.

She’d had an opportunity to spare herself that suffering when an army officer at a trading post tried to convince her to stay with him and forsake what he saw as a perilous and pointless endeavor. She instead remained true to her faith, and completed the journey, arriving in the Salt Lake Valley on November 9, 1856. She passed away August 1, 1901, less than two months shy of her 70th birthday.

My triptych, “Eternity Was Our Covering,” takes its title from Abraham 2:16, Pearl of Great Price, thus referencing immigrant journeys of ancestors both ancient and modern. 

Sources:

• “A Short Biography of Christina McNeil,” Robert N. Reynolds

• “Short History of Christina McNeil,” Wilma Florence Reynolds Powers

installation