Artwork / Archives / Apple Pie / This Looks Like a Job for a Chicano! (Mexican-American, Luis)
This Looks Like a Job for a Chicano! (Mexican-American, Luis)
2008
acrylic on bird’s eye piqué
19 x 25 inches
I asked each of the participants in Apple Pie to write something about what it means to be an American. This is Luis’ response.
Citizen
My new borders
Are these
Loud orders taken
By the men
Of my father’s...
No, of our
Sour and neglected nation
I wake, my own neighbor—
The loud, large family or
The silent, solo man.
My old home
Is this:
A colorlous cul-de-sac
So quiet
That riot is near,
And sounds
Like mariachi.
I sleep, a citizen old,
Who bold writes dreams
And scenes
And schemes of two
Nations,
Tongues,
And homes.
When I met with Luis to photograph and interview him for Apple Pie, I already knew that I wanted to combine his likeness with Superman’s. Much like with this portrait, I’d been searching for a first or second generation American with a particular heritage who’d be happy to embody a specific American icon as a way of making social commentary—in this case highlighting the way that Mexican immigrants are a vital strength in the US economy.
You can see images of the making of This Looks Like a Job for a Chicano! in this blog post.
