【Arnold Reyes Archives】

Walk into the graffiti-covered phone booth and Arnold Reyes Archivespick up the phone — a person on the other end wants to tell you their story.

A new interactive art installation in New York City's Times Square is using old phone booths to share the stories of immigrants. Titled Once Upon a Place, the installation lets tourists and NYC locals enter one of three repurposed 1980s booths, pick up the phone, and hear the oral history of a recent New York City immigrant.

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A phone book inside each booth teaches visitors more about every storyteller's community — both in New York and the country from which they immigrated. The phone book also has a space for visitors to write down stories about their own families, heritage, and journeys.

Afghan-American artist Aman Mojadidi recorded the oral histories featured in the installation over the course of several months, hoping to use art to create a safe environment for immigrants to share their experiences.

Participants were asked to tell their stories in whatever language they felt most comfortable using — either English or their native language. Once Upon a Placeincludes 70 of these stories without translations, each one lasting anywhere from two to 15 minutes.

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"I arrived as an undocumented immigrant," one participant said. "I made it my mission to transform the lives of undocumented students into leaders and role models."

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Mojadidi, who is an immigrant himself, completed the installation as part of his residency with contemporary art organization Times Square Arts. He connected with NYC residents who immigrated from places like Belgium, Nigeria, China, Mexico, Tibet, and beyond.

"Aman's work connects us to the individual journeys of others by the simple act of picking up a telephone receiver," Debra Simon, director of Times Square Arts, said in a statement. "The stories we hear come from a diverse group of immigrants who are connected by the decision to move to New York City."

More than one-third of all New York City residents were born outside the United States, with an estimated 800 languages spoken across the five boroughs. But their stories often aren't heard, with immigrant histories silenced due to shame and stigma — especially around undocumented immigration.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Some stories featured in Once Upon a Placedocument the experiences of refugees while others describe immigrants who came in pursuit of the American Dream. Together, the oral histories cover a range of experiences, showing there isn't a singular narrative to immigration.

"For me, the most important outcome of Once Upon a Placeis that, no matter how different the experiences of migration might be among the storytellers, visitors will hear the common humanity in their voices," Mojadidi said.

Once Upon a Placewill be on display in Times Square until Sept. 5.

Related Video: What it's like to be a gay immigrant

Topics Social Good New York City Immigration

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