La Ristra began in 2025 inside a downtown Tucson church, where immigrant families gathered for painting classes as immigration raids intensified. So La Ristra changed shape. Immigrant preparing artistic paint in Tucson, U.S. EFE/María LeónA State Built by Those It FrightensThe anxiety surrounding La Ristra is not abstract. La Ristra takes its name from the braided strings of freshly harvested green chiles traditionally hung to dry in places such as New Mexico. La Ristra enters the home without demanding that the home expose itself.