Posted on 05/15/2005 9:02:34 AM PDT by LouAvul
BALDWIN PARK, Calif. (AP) - A 12-year-old piece of public art has sparked a protest by a group that opposes illegal immigration.
The 20-foot-high arch has inscriptions that read, "It was better before they came" and "This land was Mexican once, was Indian always and is, and will be again."
It has angered members of Save Our State, a 7-month-old organization based in Ventura, which organized a protest Saturday that gained attention when it was announced on a local radio station.
"I find it incredibly offensive," said Joseph Turner, the group's executive director. He said the quotation "is seditious in nature. It essentially talks about returning this land to Mexico."
Turner said he wants the offending quotations removed before the Fourth of July.
The artwork, called "Danza Indigenas," was created by artist Judy Baca and commissioned by the city.
She said the structure is a "layered history piece" that honors American Indians, immigrants and others who have lived over the centuries on the land now known as Baldwin Park.
Baca said that Save Our State's complaint over one of the quotes was misguided.
"It was better before they came" was uttered by someone Baca described as "a white man from Arkansas, a civic leader" who was complaining about the arrival of Mexican Americans after World War II.
"When it went on the arch, its ambiguity became profound," she said. "The 'they' could be any 'they.'"
The protest turned into a heated two-hour rally with protesters on both sides taunting each other and arguing face-to-face before police arrived.
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
ping
I see violence.
They call us bigots, racists, Nazis and whatnot here 24/7
and this is a "conservative" board.
Let's make another 25 million of those legal while we're at it.
Great job, great photos again.
BTTT for later.
Sheesh.
Thanks, occutegirl for the reports and pics. Yowzers...
I don't think even the "artist" knows what she's talking about. She said "the structure is a 'layered history piece' that honors American Indians, immigrants and others who have lived over the centuries on the land now known as Baldwin Park."
"This land was Mexican once, was Indian always and is, and will be again." is from a poem written by Gloria Anzaldua. (You can read the entire poem here.)
Apparently, artist Judy Baca added the other part ("It was better before they came".) herself.
Baca said that Save Our State's complaint over one of the quotes was misguided.
"It was better before they came" was uttered by someone Baca described as "a white man from Arkansas [slick Willie, perhaps ??], a civic leader" who was complaining about the arrival of Mexican Americans after World War II.
"When it went on the arch, its ambiguity became profound," she said. "The 'they' could be any 'they.'"
I don't find it to be "profound", I think that Judy is just an airhead.
Yeah, she's real vague about the whole thing.
Although, it does seem like she's managed to stumble onto an easy way to make money.... just sell the stuff to some city officials who pay for it with other people's money. :-)
Indeed.
Ritual sacrifice, illiteracy, poverty and the eating of dogs
are the traditions of the land and by all means should be returned.
Viva la Raza!
Brr. While that's interesting from an architectual point of view it looks like the "nondecadent" stuff Hitler promoted. Parks should have monuments people of every stripe (even yellow ones going down their backs) can rally around. This is the mosaic sea serpent in Nashville's Fannie Mae Dees Park. While the awesome Parthenon a short drive away gets all the press this monument by Hispanic-descended American Pedro Silva speaks to the heart and spreads good feeling.
It was ok in the southern portion, but the northern part, especially close to the border sucks. It is filthy and full of criminals.
I wouldn't go back if I had buried money there.
Put a fence around it and let them celebrate la raza while they fester.
Lower case is intentional. It is a display of my total lack of respect for this cesspool country. I do not have a problem with Mexicans, my problem is with mexico. I hope that the Mexican people can take their country back from Fox and return themselves to the real pride they should have and the understanding that they don't need Jesus Jackson or any other race-pimp.
Protect our borders and coastlines from all foreign invaders!
Be Ever Vigilant!
Minutemen Patriots ~ Bump!
LOL...don't you know all culture is relative.
Thanks alot pictures make a world of difference.
He used to be, he was banned. Please come over to save our state dot org and talk with us.
Identical opinions per my many visits to Mexico, offical and not. Get 100 miles from the US/Mex Border and the people are the greatest in the world, helpful, friendly and very proud of their nation as we are ours. The bigger resort towns and cities aside those folks treat everyone as a potential friend vs a target to exploit or a victim.
Fox is just flushing his frito felons......
It IS LA.
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