LatinX Heritage Month: Let Creatividad In

For LatinX Heritage Month (September 15 - October 15), 72andSunny employees in New York and Los Angeles created internal programmes and creative expressions to celebrate the contributions Hispanic and Latino Americans have given to the USA's history, heritage and culture. NY rallied around the theme of 'Let Creatividad In', which explored the migrant crisis at America's southern border. Using the Dumbo office windows to change the Brooklyn skyline into a place of purpose, the team turned the foil emergency blanket given to detained migrants into works of art in an attempt to showcase the creative benefits of immigration. While the coverage of the humanitarian crisis is deeply important, 72andSunny believes there are far too few conversations about how immigration fuels the creative and intellectual output of this country. This LatinX Heritage month, 72andSunny wanted to change the narrative: immigrants aren’t just victims. They don’t just bring their hopes and dreams for a better future, but also their ideas, talents and creativity. 72andSunny’s bold art installation in its windows at 55 Water Street in Dumbo is a reminder to the city and the country that the border isn’t just keeping out people - it is stifling this nation’s creative potential. We’ve all seen the crisis at the border. 200 immigrant prisons, 600,000 immigrants held in detention centers just this year, separation of families and horrific conditions in the camps that’s nothing short of a humanitarian crisis. However, the border and the looming wall represent more than just a barrier to people joining this great nation. It is a blockage of impactful creativity. The people making this dangerous and life-altering journey are more than just refugees. They are minds bursting with creativity and there is more than enough proof of this in America’s cultural history. LatinX makes up some of this country’s top film directors, music artists, fashion designers, chefs, Broadway writers and more. 72andSunny’s mission is to expand and diversify the creative class. Our best and brightest come from varied backgrounds, upbringings, and cultural contexts. The creative contribution LatinX immigrants have made to this country is undeniable, and the creative class would be lucky to have more of them work with us.