To celebrate IILA’s 110th anniversary, we commissioned artwork to honor our history
Learn more about this unique series by local artist, Ali Magaña
Introducing
“Remembering Who We Are”
Introducing
“Remembering Who We Are”
A series of mixed media pieces conveying the heart and vibrancy of IILA’s clients, staff, and services
About the Artwork
International Institute of Los Angeles (IILA) is proud to have assisted refugees and immigrants seeking safety and the chance to build new lives in Southern California since our founding in 1914. For over a century, we have provided essential services to help new arrivals achieve self-sufficiency and thrive. Over time, we also expanded our services to include a wide array of immigration legal assistance, nutrition services, case management for survivors of human trafficking, free to low-cost child care, transportation subsidies, utility bill assistance, and more.
To celebrate our 110th anniversary, we commissioned a series of mixed media artwork to hang in the lobby of our corporate office that highlights the great diversity and richness of our history. “Remembering Who We Are” is a 10-canvas series that includes depictions of clients, staff, and community members based on historical photos from the IILA archives. Local artist Ali Magaña blended traditional mediums like painting and drawing with non-traditional elements such as stencils, spray paint, and paint splatters to loosely capture aspects of our historical timeline as an agency. The abridged history conveyed in the artwork is briefly recounted below with the accompanying canvases.
A sample of photos from the IILA archives used by the artist
About the Artist
Ali Magaña
Ali Magaña is a whimsical graphic artist, originally from Guadalajara, Mexico, currently residing in Pasadena, California. Her work explores the intersection of Mexican kitsch and US popular culture, drawing inspiration from bold colors and textures. Ali is skilled in traditional techniques as well as a diverse array of off-canvas mediums including pottery and woodworking. For her, art is a playground where she creates works that convey the quirky and unexpected all while bringing joy to the viewer. Her work has been exhibited in galleries in both the US and Mexico. Learn more about Ali’s work at AliMagana.rocks and BuzzingBeeCo.com.
IILA History Through Art
IILA began as a branch of the YWCA (Young Women’s Christian Association) in 1914 in response to the needs of immigrant women and girls in Los Angeles and was unique for its time in embracing cultural diversity.
From 1914 to the early 1930s, IILA primarily served immigrant women and girls from Europe and East Asia.
During the Great Depression, we employed immigrant women as teachers, club leaders, and office assistants. We separated from the YWCA and became our own non-profit in 1936. From then on, we were able to offer services to entire families, including men and boys.
Beginning in 1948, IILA served refugees from Communist Bloc countries. IILA’s tradition of hosting annual Children’s Festivals is also represented in the lower righthand corner.
In 1975, IILA began resettlement of Vietnamese refugees in the Los Angeles area. Over the next few years, we also initiated a family child care program and opened the International Senior Multipurpose Center.
In 1982, we opened the Aliso Pico Multipurpose Center to serve the families living in the Aliso Pico housing projects.
Our Nutrition Division grew rapidly starting in 2001, when IILA purchased a commercial kitchen to make and deliver thousands of meals each month to child and adult care centers across the county.
Over the span of five months, we resettled nearly 900 Afghan newcomers after the fall of Kabul in August 2021. In spring of 2022, IILA began offering services to Ukrainian humanitarian parolees fleeing the Russian invasion.
We crafted and revealed our new mission statement in 2024, as part of our 110th anniversary year and strategic planning process for continued growth over the next five years.