Mauricio Ibarra Ponce de León, Consul General of Mexico in El Paso, discusses the "Maletas Migrantes" exhibit which recently opened at the MACC in El Paso, and changes he's seen in his 6 years of service. Here's a portion of their conversation which aired on KRWG Public Media on August 4:
KC Counts:
How long have you served in that role?
Mauricio Ibarra Ponce de León:
Actually I have been here for six years.
KC Counts:
And in that time, how have you seen things change along the way from your perspective?
Mauricio Ibarra Ponce de León:
Actually, it has been a lot of change in in several ways. Because I got here two months before the Walmart shooting, for example. So we have to go through the shooting, then the pandemic, the issues with the high immigration flow. So it has been a very interesting time, changing times, but it's very important to see how the community adapts. I always like mentioning that this is a very welcoming and collaborative community and from the top of the leadership at the federal, state and local levels here at the border, everybody talks to each other, everybody works with each other. So we try to solve any issues that may arise all together and that's why we have never seen, as in other places at the border, these chaotic events. No, here I think, we try to resolve everything in a more coordinated manner.
KC Counts:
Well, you mentioned immigration, you mentioned change and I think those two words can aptly describe what we're talking about today and what the focus of our conversation is, and that's the opening on Friday of the "Maletas Migrantes" exhibit. Why don't you tell us, for our listeners, give us a description of what they'll see at the Mexican American Cultural Center in El Paso.
Mauricio Ibarra Ponce de León:
Thank you. And thank you for the opportunity actually to invite the community to see this exhibit called "Maletas Migrantes" or migrant suitcases. This is an exhibit that was presented first at the Museum of the Revolution in Ciudad, Juarez, they have shown it twice in Ciudad Juarez. And for us, it was important to bring it to El Paso. This is the representation of suitcases that were painted and imagined by local artists, both from Juarez and El Paso of what a suitcase from a migrant could contain. What are their dreams or ideas? What's going on? So I think it's a very important exhibit that will make you think about this topic. That’s it at the end, it's very complicated and meets a world phenomenon that we live here every day, so it's a very interesting exhibit of how how these artists, these border artists see this phenomenon. So everybody will have the chance to go and see it. It's a free exhibit. You can see it anytime whenever you're around downtown El Paso and visit the MACC. If the people that are listening to this interview have not seen or have not visited the MACC, it's an impressive place, actually. We have the same objective in terms of how we promote culture for us as a Mexican Consulate. It's very important to bring a little piece of Mexican culture to our nationals here, but also to the community in general to show them a different part of Mexico, which is the cultural part, the historical part. How do we share cultural values, heritage, etcetera. So, for us, it's very important, this exhibit. So, I would like to invite the whole community to join us, to go to the MACC and see this exhibit. And again, this is an exhibit that will make you think about the situation that we are currently living everywhere.
KC Counts:
It's a lot to unpack, please forgive the pun, but let me ask you, if you have thought about what would you include? If you had your choice to make a piece of art like this.
Mauricio Ibarra Ponce de León:
Actually, I think that's the issue of this exhibit, to make you think of what would you take with you, what's important to you from, not necessarily from the commercial value of things, but things that you would need. You know, for me, for example, obviously having your documents together is very important. From birth certificates, passports, ID's, the information about your children or your family. So, those are, for me, those are important things. Things that that can make you remember where you're from, for example, some something that, that keeps you attached to the place of origin.
