Week 9: Favianna Rodriguez

I was really touched by this artist because I have seen her work before. Being Undocumented I have grown aware of what the butterfly symbol means in my community and the strength and community it provides for a lot of families. The butterfly has grown to be a symbol that many undocumented individuals are able to recognize as a safe space or an ally. Social activism and the butterfly now have a synonymous connection that only a few people know about. The butterfly that is often seen around is the same one that I instantly recognized. It's the one that says "migration is beautiful". This butterfly is really important because of the text that is included but it also has a more cultural and significant design to it rather than leaving it simple. The rest of her work has similar features to it. From using similar characters that are seen in the inside of the butterfly and has really bright colors as those seen in the butterfly piece. The symbol of the butterfly is something that is recognized amongst the undocu-community but know I feel like her piece is also a staple of the history of the movement. She was strategic in her creation and wanted it to speak highly of what the current times were looking like but also using the chosen text to empower the community and bring to the light the way we think about borders and immigrants.