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Arizona sure loves its Mexicans!
Taos-based author John Hamilton Farr went to Tucson on family business and was stunned by the “Sleeping Mexican” statues all around his mom’s old hood. He photographed these guys “within a two or three block radius of my mother’s old place…less than 10 minutes!”
He brought the statuary to the attention of official neighborhood Arizonians. Their reply? “What’s racist about that?”
People are asking the same question in San Antonio and Tucscon.
Nine big versions of Farr’s photos are below.
And can you answer the trick question: What’s racist about that?
Sleeping Mexican statues? What’s racist about that? Answer in COMMENTS below!
{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
The real question is why Arizona didn’t have the statues deported.
you are soooo right!
Pocho ocho reasons why Arizona didn’t have the statues deported:
8 – Handcuffs wouldn’t fit
7 – ? anyone?
7. Arpaio needs more chain gang laborers.
7.- can’t track them all down…they’re sneaky!
6.- too expensive to transport all the way to the border (even by UPS)
5.-Arizonans won’t have the sense of “home” anymore in their front yards
4.-Arizona doesn’t want to be portrayed as a “racist State”
3.-besides the “Don’t tread on me” flag, this is how you know you’re in Az.
2.-have to dress’em up in pink first!
1.-need to find the way to blame Obama for this too!
It’s racist because I have NEVER EVER seen a Mexican sleeping under a cactus nor leaning on one…Mexicans are hard workers and this statue reinforces the stereotype of a lazy Mexican taking a “siesta”. Siestas are cultural and they take them in Europe as well, but I have never seen a statue of a Frenchman taking a siesta leaning on the Eiffel Tower or sleeping on the Seine…
What annoys me the most is the few Mexicans trying to defend the statue. Claiming that the statue was completely misconstrue as a over-exhausted Mexican that dreams of a better future. Well, that not what what the general consensus believe and perceive it to be. This ridiculous stereotype further perpetuals negative imagines of Mexicans. It’s time to open your eyes and realize that we must fight against these portrayals.
Lo triste es que probablemente hayan sido producidas en Mexico
yo miraba esos adornos adorables! mi papa es mexicano y enserio nunca vi a esos adornos como un insulto! los gringos son haters kisieran estar tomando una siesta como nosotros! no tienen vida para vivir y no dejan vivir! we need a break once in a while! el mundo da vuelta no solo jira para ellos! so viva mexico y los mexicanos!
BIEN DICHO MI AMOR LYNN GUILLEN!!
http://www.laprensasa.com/1644_front-page-news/1499894_city-says-no-sleeping-mexican-for-restored-marquee.html
The moral equivalent of lawn jockeys? Gee, how could anyone be confused? Imagine my amazement when this story hit the papers…at least there’s a (sorta) happy ending.
On the other hand, the reason we’re having this discussion is (in some circles) attributed to the notion that SOME people didn’t think the Mission Drive In and all of THOSE people going to the movies just didn’t seem right next to the “Queen of the Missions.” ::sigh::
We had a painted house number plate in the 1960′s with a sleeping mexican against a cactus. It represents the mexican “siesta”. What’s wrong with that?
Wonderful retro art by the way. Appreciate it for what it is. Chill out
Shades of El Frito Bandito!
When I was a kid, I thought he was trying to keep cool from the hot sun, not really being lazy.
My only issue with it is when it leans on a cactus. People are going to think we have indestructible backs.
I have over 500 of these little guys in my collection. Many made in occupied Japan. I started collecting them when I read Phillip Herrera’s book “The Sleeping Mexican Phenomenon” that he wrote as a masters thesis. Phillip lived in Whittier, California and you should have seen his collection. This book give you a good idea of how this stereotype got started. When I started collecting them in the early 80′s I could find them everywhere in the swap meets but no more. I know a lady in Tucson that has over 2000 in her collection. These collectible can classified as “reprehensible collectibles” same as the black, mammies memorabilia that are now collected by many major African-American movie stars. Many of these are worth a lot of money.