People With No Names: The Undocumented #127

Yesterday, the County Supervisors of Tucson, Arizona voted to have our county (Pima County) be "Immigrant Welcoming".  The City of Tucson has made this a 'welcoming city'.  This is especially noteworthy because Pima County has the most border area of any county in the U.S.A.  Human dignity and human life are being given respect.  This small 8 x 10 oil study is a depiction of 3 immigrants being captured and surrounded at gunpoint by 5 U.S. Border Patrol agents.  It is another version of the last two paintings posted.  This image references a real event that occurred along the U.S. Mexico border.  Despite the new policy in Pima County,  THIS is the welcome that immigrants can expect until we have an 'immigrant welcoming' policy at the Federal level.  Still, 'Bravo' Pima County Supervisors!

Why I Paint What I Paint

This is NOT a portrait (retrato) of an immigrant.  This is a portrait of 16 year old Jose Antonio Elena Rodriguez.  He was in Nogales near the wall that separates the United States and Mexico.  The Huffington Post says, "An autopsy report indicates a Mexican Teen who apparently was shot to death by a U.S. Border Patrol agent in October was struck by at least eight bullets, all but one hitting him in the back".  He and other youths were throwing rocks at the Border Patrol.   An anonymous source commented that  "Border Agents are generally allowed to use lethal force against rock throwers".