The “Immigrant Mother” statue in Milwaukee’s Cathedral Square Park is a tribute to the immigrant experience and the sacrifices of motherhood. Created by renowned Croatian sculptor Ivan Meštrović, the bronze statue was dedicated to the journey of those European immigrant mothers who came to Milwaukee between the 1850s and 1920s seeking work, stability, and a future for their children.
Milwaukee has long been hailed as a city of immigrants, a place where newcomers could pursue opportunity and freedom in the heartland of America. Yet that proud heritage has been undercut by a history of discrimination, flight, and a paradoxical hostility toward today’s immigrants.
The city was shaped by an array of European settlers who faced bigotry and challenges when they first arrived. Over time, they gained economic advantages, moved to the suburbs, and then turned their backs on the people who now seek the same opportunities that made Milwaukee’s earliest communities thrive…