by Dennis Dalman
“Green Card Voices,” a traveling exhibit featuring the lives of immigrants to central Minnesota, will be widely seen in Sartell during the month of May.
One of the immigrants featured in the show is Ulises Ayala of St. Joseph, who came to the United States from Mexico and is now a captain in the National Guard who is studying for a master’s degree via Minnesota State University, Mankato.
“Green Card Voices” will be displayed at the Sartell Community Center from April 30 through May 11. The exhibit is open to one and all and admission is free. After its Sartell debut at the community center, it will move on to all of Sartell’s five schools: May 7-11 at the two elementary schools, May 14-19 at Sartell Middle School; and May 21-25 at Sartell High School.
The lives of 18 immigrants are featured in “Green Card Voices.” A photo of each one is displayed on panels that are 8-feet tall, along with text and video of each person. The immigrants featured include people from countries that include Germany, Mexico, Somalia and El Salvador.
Sponsored by UniteCloud.com, the exhibit opened first at St. Cloud’s Whitney Center in January. The purpose of the exhibit is to promote understanding and insights into the life stories of the immigrants – their skills, their contributions, their cultural enrichments, their families, the struggles they’ve endured and the challenges of adapting to life in a new country.
