To Immigrants with Love
A City of Boston, pro-immigrant mural project inspired by the national campaign "To Immigrants With Love."
The City of Boston supports and stands with our immigrant communities. Our project “To Immigrants With Love” focuses on Boston’s past and present immigrants, and celebrates all they bring to our City. This is part of a larger effort to better connect immigrants to City services and resources.
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Community help
Looking for other resources? You might find what you're looking for through our community resource directory.
East Boston mural subjects
East Boston mural subjects
Veronica Robles
East Boston Mural subject
Veronica Robles came to Boston from Mexico in 2000. Since her arrival, she has served as a cultural ambassador, educator, and community activist in the City of Boston.
Robles' many roles are often leadership ones. Notably, she founded and serves as the executive director of the Veronica Robles Cultural Center. The Center supports community action and economic growth in East Boston. It also offers Latin American arts and culture programs.
Recently, Robles was appointed to the leadership board for the Boston Creates initiative. She also sits on the board of directors for the East Boston Chamber of Commerce.
Veronica Robles’ passion for community service has had a visible impact in East Boston. As a proud immigrant and member of the East Boston community, she is excited to be a subject for “To Immigrants With Love.” Learn more about Veronica Robles.
Carmello Scire
East Boston Mural subject
Carmello Scire immigrated from Sicily to Boston in the early 1930s. He went on to become an entrepreneur, founding the catering company Carlo’s Carmelo in East Boston. For over 75 years, the catering company has been serving the East Boston community.
Carmello passed Carlo's Carmelo down to his son, Sammy Scire, and his wife Carmela. The business then passed on to Carmello’s grandson, Steve Scire. With the help of his family, Steve runs the business today. Its current name, Sammy Carlo’s Delicatessen and Catering, pays tribute to the generations that have run the business before him.
Steve remembers his immigrant grandfather's values. Carmello's ingenuity, innovation, and dedication to community are at the heart of the family business and its products.
“To Immigrants With Love” focuses on immigrant communities like East Boston. The Scire family has served this community for over 75 years. Their belief in community service makes them an ideal subject for our project.
Roslindale mural subjects
Roslindale mural subjects
Alex Castillo
Roslindale Mural subject
When business-owner Alex Castillo left the Dominican Republic as a child in 1996, he had big dreams. He wanted to receive an education and have a better life. After arriving in Queens, New York, Castillo quickly began pursuing these dreams.
This eventually led him to move to Boston in 2004. In Boston, Castillo continued his education. And Fujitsu, the fifth largest IT service provider in the world, employed him right out of school.
Today, Castillo works two jobs, both as an employee and business owner. While he continues to work his job at Fujitsu, he also runs his Roslindale business Digitech Electronic Solutions. Located at 616 Hyde Park Avenue, Castillo and his business have served the Roslindale community for twelve years.
Castillo is proud to be an immigrant, a United States citizen, a Bostonian, and a business owner. He is also passionate about giving back to the community, which welcomed him in 2004. A recent immigrant and business owner, Castillo is excited to be a subject for “To Immigrants With Love.”
Louis and Beatrice White
Roslindale Mural subject
Russian immigrants Louis and Beatrice White were Louis and Beatrice Weitzman before arriving at Ellis Island in the early 1900s. Like many immigrants at the time, their name was changed when they came to the United States. And like many immigrants, they built a life for themselves in Boston.
Louis and Beatrice came to Boston during Prohibition, where Louis worked as a butcher. The couple then became business owners, opening White's Super Market in Roslindale in 1933.The Whites were always forward-thinking. After Prohibition, they bought a liquor license for their supermarket. This decision eventually led to the supermarket becoming a full liquor store.
The Whites entrepreneurial spirit continued. The liquor store became the first discounted liquor store in Massachusetts. It also was one of the first liquor stores to use female clerks. The business has now expanded to include locations in Medford and Quincy.
Today the family business is Atlas Wine & Liquors. The White's grandchildren (Jeff and Peter Fine and Natalie Fernsebner), run the business. Jeff, Peter and Natalie are proud of their family’s immigrant story and to be a part of "To Immigrants With Love."
'Immigrant Grand-mothers' mural
We created an "Immigrant Grandmothers" mural in East Boston, with the photos of local grandmothers as the inspiration.
Project information
The Mayor's Office for Immigrant Advancement and the Mayor's Mural Crew have partnered to launch "To Immigrants With Love." This is inspired by the Define American and I Am An Immigrant national campaign of the same name.
Boston’s immigrants and their contributions have shaped our City. From community leaders to entrepreneurs, our immigrants move us forward. “To Immigrants With Love" represents Boston's commitment to stand with our immigrant communities.
The campaign both celebrates immigrants and fosters civic engagement in our immigrant communities, through:
- murals
- multimedia projects
- social media outreach, and
- a website with City resources and services.
Transforming neighborhoods
The City of Boston works to support all Boston neighborhoods. “To Immigrants With Love" builds on the City's work through the murals and website.
Our partner, the Mayor’s Mural Crew, transforms locations through beautiful public art. Additionally, the website connects immigrants to City programs. This connection gives immigrants the tools to transform their own communities.
THE NEIGHBORHOODS
We chose East Boston and Roslindale as the locations for the murals. Immigrants have shaped both neighborhoods in the past and continue to play a large role in the area.
SUPPORTING THE LOCAL ECONOMY
The murals will be on Atlas Wine & Liquors in Roslindale and Dr. Dental in East Boston. We partnered with local businesses to support the surrounding neighborhood.
The murals are also visible and accessible from the street. This will help connect more immigrant residents to City services and resources.
Neighborhood profiles
NeighborhoodsOften referred to as “Boston’s Ellis Island,” East Boston is a microcosm of American history and early immigration efforts. The strong immigrant influence in East Boston continues today, making it an ideal location for “To Immigrants With Love.
Founded in 1636, East Boston quickly became one of the country’s leading seaports by the late 1800s. By the early 1900s, the East Boston Immigration Center was created, making it the United States’ second busiest arrival port for immigrants.
By the numbersFrom 1980 to 2000, East Boston’s population grew from 4 percent to 50 percent people of color. As of today:
- 45 percent of East Boston residents were born in another country
- about 40 percent of East Boston residents are not U.S. citizens
- 11 percent of East Boston residents are citizens by naturalization, and
- about 46 percent of East Boston residents are native born U.S. citizens.
Named after a town in Scotland, Roslindale has been shaped by waves of immigrants from its beginnings. Within the past 20 years, the percentage of people of color living in the neighborhood has jumped from 9 percent to 44 percent.
Roslindale became a part of West Roxbury in 1868, eventually becoming a part of Boston in 1873. The neighborhood later fell on difficult times in the 1960s. An influx of Greek immigrants in the mid 1970s stabilized the area, beginning a new era of immigration and socioeconomic change.
By the numbersToday, it is considered home to a diverse population in terms of race, culture, and socioeconomic position:
- about 11 percent of Roslindale residents are not U.S. citizens
- 15 percent of Roslindale residents are citizens by naturalization, and
- about 71 percent of Roslindale residents are native born U.S. citizens.
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Have questions? Contact us:
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Community help
Looking for other resources? You might find what you're looking for through our community resource directory.
