In 2017, artist Barbara Fox (BF) designed a coin for the state of New Jersey, celebrating immigrant families as they enter through Ellis Island in pursuit of the American Dream. In this drawing, “Dreams of Tomorrow,” the coin is carried on the tips of the fingers of good people who believe in the freedom to worship, seen as religious symbols in the top finger; the value of immigrants on US soil, seen as the hub of the boat in the bottom finger; and hope, in the form of a butterfly. Those ideals are faint and fade in the background, as we all question the reality of today’s immigrant dream. The coin is distorted. Instead of the Ellis Island hospital as a symbol of health and stability, there is concrete and barbed wire, representing the threat of unjust incarceration by ICE. Instead of the words E Pluribus Unum, there is a continuation of prison walls. Waves have transformed into a waterfall of figures, representing the loss of the immigrant dream. A few of the figures have escaped the waves to encircle the family coin, symbolic of hope and a better tomorrow.
Dr. Hoda Z. M. Amer is an Egyptian American pathologist, writer, and aspiring artist. She grew up in international communities and developed a passion for cultures and languages. Her drawings often show “figures” that express themes of spirituality, womanhood, and mental health through movement and design.
