TYLER, Texas — On the walls of the stage of D’Vine Event Center, three hand-painted Monarch butterflies adorn the stage in a diagonal line. As people walk into the center for a Tyler nonprofit's Cinco de Mayo celebration and official inauguration, another Monarch butterfly adorns the wall.
“The Monarch butterfly is a symbol for the immigrant,” said Monarca Initiative co-founder and co-executive director Josefina Vazquez. “The Monarch flies to the north to Canada and the United States back to Michoacan [Mexico]. That’s why the Monarch is the symbol for the immigrant because of its trajectory. The monarch butterfly is one of the most resilient butterflies and it can live on average six or seven months.”
The celebration, held April 26, was Monarca Initiative’s first time presenting itself since being founded two years ago by co-founders and co-executive directors Lorena Rebagliati and Vazquez. They created Monarca Initiative to help immigrants in Tyler and to form community.
Read more from our news partner, the Tyler Morning Telegraph.