In the wake of migrants and asylum seekers being targeted and removed at the United States’ southern border, Ottawa community organization decay events held an evening of music and art in support of the Texas-based Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES).
The fundraiser, called Viva, was held at LIVE! on Elgin on March 5 and showcased musical performances by Ottawa musicians Seivas and DJ Alecks.
RAICES, which is based in six locations across Texas, legally represents families and children in government custody, offers low-cost support for residency and citizenship applications and connects newcomers to health care, education and housing services.
Its work has been in the spotlight following a series of executive orders signed by U.S. President Donald Trump, which has significantly reduced mobility between the U.S.-Mexico border.
The orders declared a state of emergency at the country’s southern border and targeted refugees, asylum seekers and even those with green cards and birthright citizenship.
“In this political climate, we see a lot of division,” said Juan Duarte, who performs under the stage name Seivas. “It’s really important to help people in need, like Latinos in the U.S.”
“Recently, I’ve been trying to reshape my sound to go back to my Colombian roots,” he said.
Duarte said he found it rewarding to share his music and raise awareness about members of his community being targeted in the U.S..
Montreal-based artist Frey Gallego said the cause was close to their heart, since they have family living in the southern U.S.
“It’s very clear that with the government they have right now, they need support,” Gallego said. “We need to find ways to support them from Canada.”
Gallego sold collage prints at the event featuring photos of cactus and agave plants, taken on a recent trip to their family’s home country of Mexico. Their art explores themes of community and relationships with the environment.
“I’m always trying to tie ideas or reciprocity into my art,” Gallego said. “How we have personal relations to other beings.”
Raquel Torres, a 19 year-old communications student at Carleton University and artist living in Ottawa, sold hand-drawn stickers in support of RAICES. Her art depicted motifs of blueberries and strawberries, with the saying, “don’t bite the hand that feeds.”
According to the United States Department of Agriculture, 68 per cent of crop farm workers are immigrants and 42 per cent of those are undocumented. The highest share of undocumented workers reside in California, which is the largest producer of strawberries in the U.S.
Torres said it’s a privilege to express her political opinions through art, something her family, who was displaced throughout the 1980s due to political violence in Colombia, weren’t always able to do.
“I feel like I owe it to my family to resist where I have the means,” she said. “It’s really nice to be able to make my little stickers and help my community.”
Viva’s organizer, decay events, regularly hosts mutual aid and community events in Ottawa and Montreal. It plans to hold another music and arts benefit in support of RAICES in Montreal.
“Community is so important,” Gallego said. “While there are battles, we also need to embrace the joy of being with each other so that we can continue to push.”
Featured Image by Cassie Hartmann/the Charlatan.
