Krystle Lemonias

 Immigrant Black women have contributed richly to the United States’ cultural diversity and the workforce despite the systemic inequalities they face. My artwork explores their labor and the social complexities of the spaces they occupy in relation to class, citizenship, economic inequity, and labor rights.

In using the baby clothes of the children my mother cares for, I recount untold stories of women doing these jobs. This process moves me to critically examine my identity as I record the lived experiences of Caribbean people. Perhaps more diverse representations of Black immigrants will help cultivate a more inclusive country. This work shows Caribbean women as multifaceted individuals with agency. Individuals who, whether documented or undocumented, are essential participants in America’s workforce.