Uncaged Art
WHEN I FIRST SAW THE ART OF the children of the Tornillo detention camp, I was struck by the colors. Vibrant, bold, luminous blues, yellows and reds, full of life and optimism. And then there were the birds: tropical birds with brilliant plumage, scarlet macaws (guacamayas), red-beaked parrots and lots of quetzals in dazzling green, blue and gold. In Guatemala the quetzal is a symbol of hope and freedom. “The quetzal,” one of the young artists told his teacher at Tornillo, “cannot be caged or it will die of sadness.”
This isn’t the kind of art you’d expect from children who have traveled 2,000 miles by foot, by bus or atop a train called the Beast. Some came alone or in groups with other kids from Central America. Others made the journey with their parents and were separated upon reaching the border and legally requesting asylum. They were bussed to a camp in the middle of
