An Immigrant’s PerspectiveLESSON 4 — Appendix

Informed about Immigration: Interpreting Statistics

PART IDirections: In the computer lab, visit the following page on the PewResearch Hispanic Trends Center website:

“Hispanics of Mexican Origin in the United States, 2011,” by Anna Brown and Eileen Patten /www.pewhispanic.org/2013/06/19/hispanics-of-mexican-origin-in-the-united-states-2011/Use this “Demographic Profile” and other sections of the PewResearch Hispanic Trends Center website to answer the following questions:

1. What is the PewResearch Hispanic Trends Center?

2. Where did the PewResearch Hispanic Trends Center get its data for this profile on “Hispanics of Mexican Origin”?

3. How does this “Demographic Profile” define “Hispanic of Mexican Origin”?

4. What is the largest population of people “Hispanic origin” living in the United States?

5. How many “Hispanics of Mexican origin” were living in the United States in 2011?

6. What percentage of Mexicans in the United States is foreign born? How does this compare to the foreign born rate of the United States population overall?

7. When did most immigrants from Mexico arrive in the United States?

8. What percentage of Mexican immigrants are United States citizens?

9. What are the 5 states with the highest population of people of Mexican origin? How many “Hispanics of Mexican origin” live in Illinois?

An Immigrant’s Perspective, Curricular Unit for Grades 6–12;Developed by the National Museum of Mexican Art with funding from the Terra Foundation for American Art, 2014

10. What state has the most “Hispanics of Mexican origin”?

11. Are there more U.S. citizens or non-U.S. citizens of Mexican origin living in the United States?

12. Describe the situation of English versus other languages spoken at home for “Hispanics of Mexican origin” living in the United States.

13. What is the average income for “Hispanics of Mexican origin” 16 and older? How does this compare to the rest of the United States?

14. In what industries are the most “Hispanics of Mexican origin” employed?

15. What is the average household size for “Hispanics of Mexican origin”?

Extension: Answer the same questions as above for a group of a different origin (Argentinian, Columbian, Cuban, etc.). Find links to this data on the right-hand side of the web page under “Report Materials.” Compare your findings for this group to your findings about “Hispanics of Mexican origin.”

PART IIDirections: Go to the following page on the PewHispanic Trends Center website and answer the questions below:

“Population Decline of Unauthorized Immigrants Stalls, May Have Reversed: New Esti-mate: 11.7 million in 2012,” by Jeffrey S. Passel, D’Vera Cohn and Ana Gonzales-Barrerahttp://www.pewhispanic.org/2013/09/23/population-decline-of-unauthorized-immigrants-stalls-may-have-reversed/

1. How many Mexican unauthorized immigrants were in the U.S. in 2012? How had this number changed since 2007?

2. What percentage of unauthorized U.S. immigrants are of Mexican origin?

3. What caused a sharp decline in the U.S. population of unauthorized immigrants from 2007-2009?

4. Look at Figure 2. Describe how Border Patrol apprehension of unauthorized Mexican immigrants has changed from 1995-2012.

An Immigrant’s Perspective, Curricular Unit for Grades 6–12;Developed by the National Museum of Mexican Art with funding from the Terra Foundation for American Art, 2014

Luis Jiménez, Crossing the Rio Bravo / Cruzando el Río Bravo, 1987, color lithograph with chine-collé, 87/90, 38 3/4” x 28 3/4” (paper size), National Museum of Mexican Art Permanent Collection, 1993.10, Museum Purchase Fund.

Holding on for dear life, a woman clamps both legs over the shoulders of a powerful, sturdy man, flexing every muscle of her calves and thighs. She hunches forward with fierce determination and fixes her eyes ahead. The man, his thick pants rolled up in order to trudge through tall grasses, jerks his head to the right, straining his neck. Does he glance back in the direction he came from, or does he spot a threat to himself and the precious load on his back?

What could be so urgent—or so dangerous—to make these two take such a drastic, uncom-fortable stance? One clue to this mystery lies safely tucked under the woman’s shawl: a baby, small enough to enfold in her clothing. Another clue is this print’s title: Crossing the Rio Bravo. The Río Bravo, or the Rio Grande, as it is called in English, is a river that forms part of the modern-day border between the United States and Mexico. From this we can gather that not only is the couple holding onto each other for safety in an extremely dangerous—sometimes deadly—river crossing attempted by thousands every year; they are moving forward to a new life in the United States at the other side of the river. With this information, we can ask ourselves about the new life they will soon be starting. Are they excited for new opportunities for themselves and the young child they bring with them? Are they worried about the challenges of life in a different country? What other emotions might they be feeling in this moment?

Imagine you are watching this brave act through the grasses of the riverbank. Luis Jiménez, the artist who created this work, makes it easy for us to see these two in our minds’ eye; he outlines every segment of their arms, legs, and facial features—almost like an anatomy lesson—and makes strong shadows using dense areas of dark lines (the back of the man’s leg, for example) and bright, almost white areas showing reflected light (the front of his thigh). Jiménez’s ability to help us imagine these individuals in 3-D is not surprising, since he was a famous sculptor in addition to a printmaker. In fact, Jiménez made a life-size sculpture of this very image the same year he printed this. Perhaps his experi-ence sculpting taught him that twisting the man at the waist and neck, leaning the woman forward, and showing the man’s right leg mid-stride would propel these 2-D characters off the paper and into our imaginations as fellow human beings undertaking something full of danger and hope at the same time.

An Immigrant’s Perspective, Curricular Unit for Grades 6–12;Developed by the National Museum of Mexican Art with funding from the Terra Foundation for American Art, 2014

Luis Jiménez, Crossing the Rio Bravo / Cruzando el Río Bravo, 1987, color lithograph with chine-collé, 87/90, 38 3/4” x 28 3/4” (paper size), National Museum of Mexican Art Permanent Collection, 1993.10, Museum Purchase Fund, photo credit: Kathleen Culbert-Aguilar

Teacher Biography: Luis Jiménez (July 30, 1940–June 13, 2006)

Luis Jiménez was an artist best known for his vivid, multicolored fiberglass and epoxy sculptures. He was also an accomplished printmaker and draftsman, creating many color lithographs and colored-pencil drawings throughout his career.

Born in El Paso, Texas, to a father who was an undocumented Mexican immigrant and a Chicano mother, Jiménez learned to weld, wire, and airbrush in his father’s neon-sign shop. He completed his BFA in 1964 at the University of Texas at Austin, moved briefly to Mexico City, and then to New York City, where he produced artwork that parodied 1960s American pop culture.

Returning to the Southwest in the early 1970s, Jiménez began sculpting outdoor figures that examined and celebrated the cultures and myths from both sides of the Mexican-United States border. The phenomena he explores in his work range from the settlement of the western United States to the political upheavals that continue into the present. Significantly, Jiménez chooses to explore the impact of these factors on the individual, not just on groups. Vaqueros, origin myths from ancient Mexico, pro-tests, immigration, and Honky-tonk dancing are just a few of the subjects his work addresses.

In his works, Jiménez transforms the experiences of common man and woman into heroic, iconic images that remain strongly imprinted on the mind. In many cases, public installation of Jiménez’s sculptures has provoked discussion and controversy. This is often due to their garish colors, sensual-ity, and the social commentary they contain. Controversy over his artwork continues after his death, as in the case of Blue Mustang, his 32-foot tall statue of an electric-eyed, cobalt blue and anatomically correct male horse at the Denver International Airport. The sculpture has drawn praise and hatred since its installation. Jiménez always considered this kind of dialogue and provocation an inherent part of the public art process.

Works like Blue Mustang are made starting with preparatory drawings to work out the conceptual and formal configurations of the sculpture. The final products are made from fiberglass cast in a mold, which is then painted and coated with epoxy. These works are often a unique balance between pop culture and high art—in the case of Blue Mustang alluding to traditional equestrian monuments while utilizing dramatic size, wild colors, and glowing lights to evoke pop culture.

Despite the controversy that often surrounds him, Jiménez achieved a great deal of critical suc-cess during his lifetime: National Endowment for the Arts grants, numerous solo shows, a retrospective at the Albuquerque Museum (1994) and countless sculpture commissions displayed in public places and museums across the country. The artist was killed in 2006 when a section of the 9,000-pound Blue Mustang fiberglass sculpture fell on him during its construction.

An Immigrant’s Perspective, Curricular Unit for Grades 6–12;Developed by the National Museum of Mexican Art with funding from the Terra Foundation for American Art, 2014

Student Biography: Luis Jiménez (July 30, 1940–June 13, 2006)

Luis Jiménez was an artist who was famous for his bright, multicolored sculptures made of fiber-glass, a strong, shiny plastic used for making boats, cars, bathtubs, and more. He was also skilled at printmaking and drawing and created many color lithographs and colored-pencil drawings such as Crossing the Rio Bravo.

Jiménez was born in El Paso, Texas. His father was an undocumented Mexican immigrant and his mother was Chicana.* He learned to weld, wire, and airbrush in his father’s neon-sign shop, skills he would use later to create his fiberglass sculptures. He completed a degree in fine arts at the University of Texas at Austin in 1964, moved briefly to Mexico City, and then to New York City, where he produced artwork that mocked 1960s American pop culture.

Jiménez returned to the Southwest in the early 1970s and began sculpting outdoor figures that explored the cultures and myths of both sides of the Mexico-United States border. His artwork deals with topics like the settlement of the western United States, historic and current-day politics of the South-west, vaqueros (Mexican cowboys), myths from ancient Mexico, protests, immigration, Honky-tonk dancing, and more. Jiménez explores the impact of these themes on individual people, not just on groups of people. That is why the people in his sculptures and drawings have such distinct features.

In his artwork, Jiménez makes the experiences of common people seem heroic. His images have become icons and are difficult to forget. In many cases, Jiménez’s public sculptures have provoked discussion and controversy. Their flashy colors, sensuality, and social messages are sometimes con-sidered offensive by certain groups. Controversy over his artwork has continued even after his death, as in the case of Blue Mustang, Jiménez’s 32-foot tall statue of an electric-eyed, bright blue male horse at the Denver International Airport. Find a photo of this sculpture online or ask your teacher to find it for the class. The sculpture has drawn praise and hatred since it was installed. Jiménez always considered public discussion an important part of public art.**

Jiménez begins making sculptures like Blue Mustang by sketching out a plan. The final sculpture is made by pouring melted fiberglass into a mold. He then paints the fiberglass and coats it with epoxy for an extremely glossy finish. These sculptures often maintain a unique balance between popular culture and high art. For example, Blue Mustang is similar to majestic statues of leaders on horseback found in city monuments worldwide, but its dramatic size, wild colors, and glowing lights are more in tune with popular culture like TV, the movies, and amusement parks.

Despite the controversy that often surrounded him, Jiménez was recognized as a successful artist during his lifetime. He died in 2006, but his highly visible work continues impacting people all over the world.

*Chicano/Chicana: An American citizen of Mexican origin or a Mexican-American.** Art that is planned and created with the specific intention of being located in the physical public domain, usually outside and accessible to all. It often has a special significance to its location and can incorporate community involvement and collaboration.

An Immigrant’s Perspective, Curricular Unit for Grades 6–12;Developed by the National Museum of Mexican Art with funding from the Terra Foundation for American Art, 2014