Holly Barnet-Sanchez discusses the impact printmaking had on Chicanas in the mid-1970's. She discusses how the prints that Chicanas were making in that time period had an immense impact on the Chicana movement. Printmaking allowed for Chicanas to get their message to the public in a shocking and creative way, these women made their voices heard because they were often silenced by men creating artwork.
One of the most powerful images that came from that time-period is Yolanda Lopez's Who's the Illegal Alien, Pilgrim? not only because of the message it made then but because that same message holds true today. The image is of an Aztec warrior in the uncle sam pose confronting the viewer. This image is not so much asking who the real illegal alien is but rather demanding who it is. The crumpled up immigration papers is and the use of the word pilgrim is suggesting that white people are the real illegal aliens because they took this land from the natives who were here centuries before them.
It is incredible for me to think that this image is just as relevant today as it was in 1978 when Yolanda Lopez first created it. It upsets me that this image is still relevant, but it does not surprise me. I don't find it surprising that it's relevant because this country was founded on the racist, colonialist values that this image confronts and it is hard to dismantle centuries of mistreatment. But me being unsurprised is not me being complacent with the world around me, it means that I need to work harder for the justice my people deserve. Who's the Illegal Alien, Pilgrim? ignites that fire in me.
No comments:
Post a Comment