Amal, the giant puppet representing Syrian refugees, came to Tucson’s Armory Park on Saturday. She was accompanied by a group of what appeared to be local lowriders in their customized cars and a police escort. Interesting combination there!
Perhaps equally interesting is that while Amal is a political statement supporting Syrian refugees who have been fleeing by boat and some drowning on the way to Europe–remember the little 4-year-old boy’s body washed up on a Turkish beach?–here in Tucson she appeared as a guest at a children’s festival that had almost no political overtones. I wonder how many realized she realized that she represents child refugees, ones that do not have parents with them. Solo child immigrants, as we all know, are an issue here at the border in Arizona. At the festival there were a few women wearing hijabs and their children who, no doubt, understood what Amal is all about. (I love that the daughter is wearing a witch costume– a change in cultural references.)
Fun at the Hola! festival
Before Amal made her appearance, the Hola! Festival sponsored by the Tucson Children’s Museum was underway. There were Afro-American dancers and mariachi bands one after another.
White canopies lined 6th Ave. under the trees of Armory Park. Each housed an organization that supports/helps children. And across the street trucks offering food and information were parked. Love the gila monster and the javelinas on the Saguaro National Park official truck.
Amal even dances in Armory Park
Then I noticed a group of (mostly) girls in Mexican folkloric costumes. It turns out they were there to welcome and honor Amal — not just to perform on the stage on 6th Ave. After a few minutes of her “watching” the dancers in the center of Armory Park, her puppet masters had her dance with the folkloric group.
Slowly surrounded by crowds, Amal made her way through Armory Park. Adults were almost more excited than the children to see her.
Amal is based on a character in a play developed in a Calais, France refugee center then adapted to being an 12-foot-tall puppet. She has been walking across Europe and the U.S. since 2021. Her name means Hope.
Amal left the park and joined the Hola! festival.
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