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George W. Bush Paints A Statement About The Power Of Immigrants In His Next Art Book

Former President George Bush's next book will feature portraits he's painted of 43 immigrants, from Dallas Mavericks great Dirk Nowitzki to Gilbert Tuhabonye, a legendary runner from Burundi.
George W. Bush Presidential Center
Former President George Bush's next book will feature portraits he's painted of 43 immigrants, from Dallas Mavericks great Dirk Nowitzki to Gilbert Tuhabonye, a legendary runner from Burundi.

While the current president closes borders and shuts off avenues to asylum, George W. Bush is making a statement about immigration with his paintbrush.

The former president's Dallas-based library announced Thursday that he's releasing a book next spring illustrated with portraits he's painted of immigrants.

The title is "Out of Many, One" — a translation of the national motto E Pluribus Unum. It will include 43 stories about 43 immigrants with portraits of the nation's 43rd president. Subjects range from golf great Annika Sorenstam to retired Dallas Maverick Dirk Nowitzki to Gilbert Tuhabonye, a runner who moved to the U.S. after surviving genocide in Burundi.

In a statement Thursday from the Bush Presidential Center, the former president is quoted saying, “While I recognize that immigration can be an emotional issue, I reject the premise that it is a partisan issue. It is perhaps the most American of issues, and it should be one that unites us."

The book comes out next March — timed to a Bush library exhibit of the former president's portraits.

Laura Collins specializes in immigration at the Bush Center.

“We really believe immigrants are good for the economy, we think they’re really good for our culture and they enrich us in so many ways and the conversation about them is not always positive," Collins tells KERA. "So how do we make sure and bring a spotlight to the contributions we know they are making in our communities every day?”

Collins points out that the book is really an extension of the former president's longstanding views on immigration and will include solutions.

"We want to make sure that every time we're having a conversation about this, we're advancing something that's gong to fix a problem rather than just highlighting that there is a problem or creating more divisiveness," Collins said. 

The press materials don't mention President Trump, with whom Bush has a distant relationship at best. And as the presidential campaign heats up, that relationship has become even more distant. The New York Times has reported that the former president won't support his fellow Republican's re-election bid this fall.

Got a tip? Rick Holter is Vice President of News fo KERA. Email Rick at rholter@kera.org. You can follow him on Twitter at @rickholter.

KERA News is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider making a tax-deductible gift today. Thank you.

Rick Holter was KERA's vice president of news. He oversaw news coverage on all of KERA's platforms – radio, digital and television. Under his leadership, KERA News earned more than 200 local, regional and national awards, including the station's first two national Edward R. Murrow Awards. He and the KERA News staff were also part of NPR's Ebola-coverage team that won a George Foster Peabody Award, broadcasting's highest honor.
Stella M. Chávez is KERA’s immigration/demographics reporter/blogger. Her journalism roots run deep: She spent a decade and a half in newspapers – including seven years at The Dallas Morning News, where she covered education and won the Livingston Award for National Reporting, which is given annually to the best journalists across the country under age 35.