HUMANS BEFORE PAPERS
Inspired by the artworks I have seen so far in this course and by current circumstances in this country, I have chosen to talk about the theme of immigration. This involves all the things going on, like deportation, family separation, and the aftermath. I was inspired by Ali Ferzat’s minimalistic drawings that subtly critiqued the atrocities of the immigrant diaspora happening in Syria during 2010. I could heavily connect it to what is going on in the states right now.
Ali Ferzat’s minimalistic black and white political cartoons
had deep and moving messages that could appeal to one’s eyes and also convey
the said message. Inspired by his minimalistic style, I created a poster to
spread awareness about ICE, deportations, and changes in current policies and also
evoke emotion in the hearts of the viewers so they can look at the immigrants
with a humane lens rather than an alienated one. Immigrants also have families
they go back home to; they have real lives, and they just cannot be stripped
away from what they’ve built. Such policy changes have consequences, and this is
what I am going to highlight through my intervention. My poster consists of a
small drawing that I made with stick figures and a text bubble with the simplest
words to evoke emotions and humanity in people. It also consists of a QR code
that directs people to a website that keeps an eye on ICE activity
throughout the country based on each location, backed up by real-time videos,
photos, and other resources. This allows people to keep being aware of their surroundings
and take necessary precautions to avoid the area and interactions with law
enforcement officials. Furthermore, through this resource, people could also
document and post interactions online and spread the word easily. I think more
people could use this website, as it does not seem very common among people.
The message behind my poster is very clear and easily felt.
The drawing shows two siblings, and one of the siblings, who seems younger, asks
the older one, "Where's Mommy?" to which the other sibling doesn’t reply. It's
like they do not have any answers or simply do not know how to comprehend their
reality of family separation. The empty chair at the dinner symbolizes displacement
and the emotional consequences of such policies. The final line says, “Humans before
papers," which simply reinforces the idea that we are all human and our papers
or immigration status should not decide our fate.
For my intervention, I placed the poster in my workplace, which is a bagel shop in Edison, New Jersey. I chose this location because this is my community, and I feel great towards it, just like any other person. Additionally, it is a local hub for the community where people of all age groups, races, and political beliefs stop for a bagel and a cup of coffee. By adding this poster to the bulletin board alongside the usual promotions and routine settings, I disrupted the normal atmosphere, which urged people to talk about it. Within a short time, several coworkers and customers began discussing the policies and the current political situation. While most people seemed to like the poster and agree with the message, a couple of other people did not. They asked twisted questions and caused a chaotic conversation, then went about their day. However, the outcome was successful as it created a discussion and will continue to do so every day as long as my poster is on the bulletin board.
As stated in The Art of Activism, “One of the most
important goals of activist art is to encourage social and political change…"
Activist art often creates a dialogue and forces people to think about these
problems.” My intervention did exactly that. It moved beyond private opinion
and became socially involved. Another quote that connects directly to my
project is "Political art tends to be socially concerned, and ‘activist’ art
tends to be socially involved.” My poster was not just expressing frustration;
it physically entered a shared space and activated conversation among people
who may not normally engage with this issue.
Through this intervention, I learned that activism does not
need to be carried out on a large scale to be effective. Even a single poster
in a local bagel shop can interrupt routine, provoke thought, and remind people
that behind every policy are real human lives.
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