Since time immemorial, la mariposa monarca (monarch butterfly) journeys through the Americas to sustain its life. In the cool, clear skies of October, indigenous people reverently welcome the returning souls on wings aloft, all reuniting in central Mexican forests and valleys. The cycle continues from beginnings unknown to infinite ends. The Aging in the Americas Conference selected la monarca to symbolize the threads that unite us across the Americas in understanding and reverently preserving the dignity and integrity of a life cycle that knows no beginnings or ends.

The CAA commissioned Roberto Salas, who used pre-Columbian images and images from both industrialized and post-industrialized Americas, to create la monarca. He is a Chicano artist who received his MFA from the University of New Mexico. He is the Director of the art galleries El Taller Cruzando Traques, which is located in San Diego, California, and Studio Maguey, in El Paso, Texas.

Recently, the CAA developed an updated logo derived from the original pictured above. In its new format, the logo is still recognizable as la monarca, but it is bolder and more identifiable. This new logo can be found on the heading of this website.