ARTIST STATEMENT

The United States has had many variations on a "quota system" for immigration over its history, that is, allowing only a certain number of people from other countries, or within a certain demographic, etc, to immigrate during a particular year. This rigid and inflexible system cannot be nimble enough to respond to rapidly changing world events; events like war, famine, persecution, and natural disasters.

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Although the federal government now refers to the restricted numbers program as "per-country limitations", the quota system is still very much in effect. For example, currently refugee admissions are capped at 45,000 people, the lowest number since 1980 when the refugee program was created by Congress. There is a bill working its way through the Senate now that would cut the number of immigrant seeking permanent status in half. People are more than numbers.