Illegality
I chose to use the phrase “No Human Being Is Illegal” to bring attention to issues of illegality and criminality in Latinx representation. Many of the media examples we’ve observed in class portray Latinx people as being undocumented and/or criminals. This negative and stereotypical representation of Latinx people has helped garner support for harsh immigration laws that serve to militarize the border and criminalize immigrants. I want to combat the use of words like “illegal” and “alien” when describing noncitizens because of their legal and societal implications. No person is illegal. Being in the country without proper documentation is not a criminal offense. We need to be mindful to the violent language that is used by the media. This poster was inspired a poster campaign I studied in a previous course. Artist and Activist Ernesto Yerena Montejano focuses a lot of his work on issues of immigration reform and illegality. Below is one of my favorite works of his.
More information about his work can be found here.