Hospitality is one of our virtues throughout history… Along with periodic phases of racism and immigrant bashing.
For Fall 2010, brown is the new black and Arizona is working the runway with Jan Brewer on the catwalk! But let’s not all lose our heads, neighbors. Street Artist YOTE is firing up the grill and putting the ignorance on ice to welcome the Spanish speakers for an Indian Summer barbecue in Arizona (which used to be part of Mexico).
“Bienvenidos”; It’s Biblical, for those who profess to live by the teachings of that book. Judeo-Christian values. Welcome, Bienvenidos. The Pilgrims certainly relied on those values when arriving to Plymouth for a better life and the American Indians practiced hospitality even without reading the guests’ holy book..
Since this is campaign season in the US and Arizona symbolizes the most recent immigrant-bashing wave, Street Artist YOTE has created colorful messaging to at least divert some of the hate toward a more sane and healthy discussion about immigration in this country. The “Bienvenidos” Campaign posters are meant to remind the kind-hearted among us to speak up and practice hospitality to the newest immigrants in our midst. To raise funds for his signs (as all real campaigns must) he’s got a limited edition of signed posters for your house. The proceeds of the sales of this poster will help him fund his project.
YOTE describes the campaign:
“Over the summer of 2010 I have experienced very contradicting feelings for the state of Arizona. It was not hard to see how laws like 1070, 2281 and 287(g) have caused fear to spread through local communities, the state, and the rest of the country. By juxtaposing the Arizona state flag with the word “Bienvenidos”, I hope to spread a positive and affirming message throughout our communities. This symbol will appear as a political campaign sign leading to the November 2nd election. Additionally this symbol will appear as a sticker for residences, business and rebels who wish to express that all people are welcome in their homes, stores and communities. My intention is that the “Bienvenidos” symbol will spread throughout the state to be both a visible resistance to laws like 1070 and a representation of the hope for safer communities in the state of Arizona and beyond. All proceeds from the limited edition of signed posters will go to the production of “Bienvenidos” campaign signs and stickers. Thank you.”
VOTE FOR YOTE
Here’s a LINK to his “Bienvenidos” print:
Other Articles You May Like from BSA:
The Bullfight! The historic tradition! The glorious danger of a confused and raging bull ready to charge at his tormentor. The bulging manhood of the Matador as he proudly steps around the coliseum in...
Ripped tiles. Wait, you can’t do that. Not traditional Portuguese Azulejo ceramic tiles… Add Fuel. “Youth Eternal” at Subliminal Projects. Echo Park, Los Angeles. (photo courtesy of Subliminal Pro...
Street Art is not about legal murals. There are a number of misconceptions by persons unfamiliar with history or the organic unregulated illegal and unrestricted practices of urban intervention r...
Back to the south of Paris today to see a trio of children on the new wall done in late September by Sydney based muralist Fintan Magee. Fintan Magee. For Wall Street Art in Savigny-le-Temple, Fr...
Murals sometimes need to be refreshed, and springtime is good time to do it before the weather in NYC gets too punishingly hot. We last showed you this wall in Williamsburg in 2011 when Tristan Eaton ...