Exodus: Utah Connections
Connecting Utah and the world

As the 2002 Olympics made clear, Utahns are a people who welcome others into our hearts and homes. Our legacy of hospitality and compassion comes from our deep and diverse roots, from the Mormon pioneers who came here to escape  religious persecution—to early immigrants who helped build our state, to recent refugees fleeing political, environmental and economic disaster. For more than 150 years, Utah has been a safe harbor for people from many lands. 

Not only do we welcome travelers as friends and guests, we in turn journey throughout the world as students and teachers, humanitarians and healers, missionaries and soldiers, people of science, art, commerce and agriculture. On our travels, we make global connections, and friends.

We are in the midst of a 21st Century exodus on a global scale, and it affects us here at home. Today, Salt Lake City is one of five national centers for refugee resettlement in the country. And our state is often a destination for hopeful new migrants. The challenges and opportunities our new situation presents will continue to be a powerful force within our community for years to come.

Exodus unveils to us this unprecedented movement of humankind on a global scale. The artist, Sebastião Salgado, explores issues of fundamental human rights: the right to life and liberty, the right to earn a living and to enjoy the fruits of our labor in peace, the right to personal identity.

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