Making Work Visible

This piece, a reinterpretation of the American flag, represents the exploitation of Latinx immigrants by American capitalists, who not only profit off their labor, but commodify their connections to family and home.

The title Pan-Americano refers to America the continent, source of a transnational working class, rather than America the country, which exploits immigrant labor. “Pan Americano” also means “American bread,” referring to the politically-driven economic necessity that brings immigrants to this country.

The inverted Boss Revolution cards reclaim the popular images of revolution that this widely used company has appropriated. Meanwhile the Western Union form is filled out with the lyrics of a famous Latin American resistance song.

The photographs evoke the myriad boundaries that break up our communities, from the US-Mexico border, to ICE detention centers and prisons, to barbed-wire topped fences across our neighborhoods.

The empty white stripes are a critique of the fragility and cultural void of whiteness and the hollow nature of the American dream. By incorporating the white wall I also pose a question about the complicity of “white cube galleries” in upholding this oppressive system.

The piece references David Hammons’ African-American flag, recognizing the centrality not only of Black art and culture in America, but of Black struggle as the forefront for progressive change for all working people in this country.

The artist is a Chicana restaurant worker, CUNY student and community organizer.