▁" 2 5 0 1 ▁M igr antes ". ▁ ▁Life ▁Ale j andro ▁Santiago ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Te oc oc uil co ▁de ▁Mar cos ▁Pere z , ▁O ax aca , ▁ 6 0   km ▁n ortheast ▁of ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁O ax aca . ▁When ▁he ▁was ▁ 9 , ▁he ▁moved ▁with ▁his ▁family ▁to ▁O ax aca ▁city . ▁Santiago ▁studied ▁at ▁the ▁Centro ▁de ▁Edu c acion ▁Art istica ▁and ▁was ▁among ▁the ▁first ▁gradu ates ▁of ▁the ▁R uf ino ▁Tam ay o ▁Pl astic ▁Arts ▁work shop . ▁ ▁After ▁a ▁de cade ▁of ▁purs uing ▁his ▁art ▁in ▁the ▁US ▁and ▁Europe ▁and ▁ach ieving ▁international ▁acc laim , ▁Santiago ▁returned ▁to ▁his ▁h omet own . ▁Str uck ▁by ▁how ▁few ▁people ▁remained , ▁he ▁" v owed ▁to ▁honor ▁the ▁depart ed ▁and ▁' rep op ulate ' ▁his ▁imp over ished ▁h omet own ." ▁ ▁Over ▁six ▁years , ▁beginning ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 2 , ▁Santiago ▁realized ▁his ▁vision ▁of ▁a ▁monument al ▁installation ▁art ▁piece ▁that ▁symbol izes ▁the ▁migr ants ▁who ▁left ▁village ▁life ▁in ▁rural ▁Mexico ▁in ▁search ▁of ▁jobs ▁in ▁the ▁US . ▁With ▁the ▁help ▁of ▁a ▁grant ▁from ▁the ▁Rock ef eller ▁Foundation ▁and ▁a ▁team ▁of ▁more ▁than ▁ 3 0 ▁workers , ▁Santiago ▁craft ed ▁" 2 5 0 1 ▁M igr antes " ▁out ▁of ▁cl ay . ▁ ▁The ▁figures ▁f use ▁characteristics ▁of ▁pre his pan