THE FACE OF AN IMMIGRANT64

THE FACE OF AN IMMIGRANT

Out of Many, One, George W. Bush’s portrait exhibition and companion book, George W. Bush’s portrait exhibition and companion book, illuminate the journeys of Americans who came here seeking a better life.

BY TERRI PROVENCAL

Madeleine Albright, the first female Secretary of State; Henry Kissinger the former National Security Advisor and 56th Secretary of State; Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki; Hamdi Ulukaya the founder of Chobani; Medal of Honor recipient Florent Groberg—these are but some of the well-known faces of US immigrants.

Their likenesses are among 43 portraits by George W. Bush, rendered to examine the immigration controversy in our country. Out of Many, One at the Bush Center, on view through January 3, 2022, presents these oil paintings alongside interactive displays in an important conversation about what remains one of the most outsized debates in our country and a partisan issue.

If the exhibition title sounds familiar, you were paying attention in your US government class. It’s taken from the Great Seal of the United States. E pluribus unum, translated from Latin to “out of many, one,” appears on the scroll of the Great Seal on US currency, in the US Senate Chamber, on state flags, and elsewhere as the national motto of the US since 1782.

Bush and the exhibition assert that our nation is strengthened by the cultural fabric woven by immigrants. And if you have ever had any doubt, read the stories within the companion book: Out of Many, One: Portraits of America’s Immigrants. Through conversations shared with and retold by President Bush or, in some cases, told by the subject themselves, the tome features each painting from the exhibition along with the subject’s personal journey. In this light, readers are reminded of the bravery of both famous and relatively unknown citizens, many of whom fled the most dangerous of circumstances in their native countries.

For example, born to Jewish parents, Kissinger and his family fled Nazi Germany, arriving in the US on Labor Day with one suitcase shared among them. Bush’s admiration for Kissinger is evident in both his oil painting and narrative.

Thear Suzuki escaped the Cambodian genocide, living in refugee camps the first eight years of her life. Through the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Migration and Refugee Services, her family was ultimately relocated to Dallas. It wasn’t always easy—her family received threatening calls telling them to move home while first living in West Dallas housing projects. Bravery prevailed, however, and Suzuki later became the student body president at Skyline High School, and her influential third-grade teacher nominated her for a scholarship to Southern Methodist University. Today, as a principal and talent leader at Ernst & Young, Suzuki now helps others in need through the Texas Women’s Foundation, the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum, and the Boy Scouts of America.

Of the NBA’s sixth-ranked all-time scorer, Dirk Nowitzki, who dreamed of “coming to the US and playing for the best league in the world,” Bush writes, “Defying physics he could launch his alreadyseven-foot frame high enough into the stratosphere that it was nearly indefensible…” His status as an NBA Most Valuable Player aids the welfare of children through his Dirk Nowitzki Foundation.

The George W. Bush Institute’s Immigration Policy states: Since America’s founding, immigration has been a vital part of our Nation’s story: It helped transform an 18th-century farming colony into the world’s leading innovator and manufacturer—a superpower. America continues to be strengthened by those who come here in search of a better life. Every year that passes without reforming our nation’s immigration policy means missed opportunities to ensure the future prosperity, vitality, and security of our country. When immigrants assimilate and advance in our society, they realize their dreams, renew our spirit, and add to the unity of America. P