Mayor Biskupski Honors Immigrant Heritage Month With Community Celebration, Public Art Installation

SALT LAKE CITY, UT – Mayor Jackie Biskupski joined community members to commemorate Immigrant Heritage Month (IHM) yesterday at an outdoor celebration and art installation at McCarthey Plaza, adjacent to the Eccles Theater, in downtown Salt Lake City. Hundreds of Salt Lake City locals participated in the festivities to recognize the contributions of immigrants and their descendants to the United States over generations.

“Only a few generations ago, refugees fleeing religious persecution established Salt Lake City as a place of hope and opportunity,” said Mayor Jackie Biskupski. “All of us in Salt Lake City are bound by the history of the place we now call home, this includes ensuring Salt Lake City always remains a welcoming place for refugees and immigrants. The I♥️ SLC project is another example of this commitment.”

Throughout the day, community members honored their family’s immigrant heritage by pinning country flags representing their ancestry to the art installation. The art piece serves as a visual representation of our nation’s shared immigrant heritage and the diversity that connects us all to one another. By the end of the event, the heart was covered in flags from all around the world. Attendees enjoyed the unique social media opportunity to take a photo with the featured “I  SLC” art installation using #CelebrateImmigrants.

Following yesterday’s celebration, the “I  SLC” has been installed in its new home in front of the Eccles Theater on Main Street. The art piece will serve as a visual reminder of the city’s diversity, and will remain on public display for all to enjoy.”Eccles Theater is pleased to play a part in this year’s Immigrant Heritage Month as the host venue and exhibition site for the public art piece,” said Angela Vanderwell, Eccles Theater General Manager. “We embrace the diversity of our area and welcome the contributions of our newest residents to the arts and culture community in Salt Lake.”

The celebration also included a immigration resource fair where local organizations provided information to community members on voter registration; available DACA recipient, refugee, and immigration services; and resources for new Americans in the Salt Lake City area. These organizations included The Dream Center at The University of Utah, Utah Coalition of La Raza, University of Utah First Ascent Scholars, English Skills Learning Center, Catholic Community Services,Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, National Tongan American Society,Consulate of Mexico in Salt Lake City, and the Kostopulos Dream Foundation. In addition, the Salt Lake County Mayor’s Office of New Americans hosted a photo exhibit showing the diverse immigrant heritage

Immigrant Heritage Month, now in its fifth year, has grown into a powerful celebration of millions of individuals’ heritage. Yesterday’s event in Salt Lake City is the last stop on the Immigrant Heritage Month Tour. Previous stops included Washington, D.C.,Chicago, Atlanta, Houston, and San Diego.