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:
“They are all friends, brought together again to mark a momentous occasion,” says Carlo McCormick about what really matters to him when curating the 40th Anniversary of “the first and foundational mo...
There is such a thing called street knowledge – knowledge that equips you to navigate safely and successfully. The power of knowledge is something that we thought about this week in NYC when we ran i...
What are you celebrating this season? We’re celebrating BSA readers and fans with a holiday assorted chocolate box of 15 of the smartest and tastiest people we know. Each day until the new year we...
Get in, get out, no one gets hurt. Our few days in Miami were full of adventure on the street and at parties and receptions for artists. The party rages on tonight and this weekend at the fairs and i...
It's Easter! It's also 4/20! What kind of grass did that bunny leave in your basket this morning? While you are chewing the chocolate ears off of your new friend you can have look at some of th...