Images of a Mexican wrapped in a sarape, leaning against a wall or cactus and taking a nap proliferate in Mexican restaurants across the country. Some say this image is a stereotype that promotes the idea that Mexicans are lazy and poor. But others point to the history of the “Sleeping Mexican” in folk art going back to Diego Rivera and Mardonio Magaña.
At a new Mexican restaurant in Charlotte, North Carolina, where a petition to remove “Sleeping Mexican” statues has stirred up controversy, reporter Nick de la Canal looks at some of this backstory and what it could mean for future versions of this iconic depiction.
Featured image by Nick de la Canal
I cannot for the life of me find a photo online of the Mardonio Magaña sculpture referred to in this piece. Trying to use this podcast segment in my classes and this is the only thing I can’t get a good visual for! Can anyone help? Thanks!
Derogarotary cultural icon of course! Similar to negative iconography/stererotipes of African-Americans from the late 19th and early 20th century. It seems like these negative stereotypical images (with the mustache, sombrero and poncho) keep being perpetuated every Cinco de Mayo and holloween. A lazy or drunken Mexican. Just because they were potrayed in images or sculptures in the 30’s and 40’s doesn’t mean they are acceptable in today’s modern society. Our rich cultural heritage has better icons to choose from.
Stereo typed, for sure. Yes, it is part of history. But, it depicts people in a negative way. I see them as bad as the statues people used to have of the African Americans. It can’t show how hard a person worked to get so tired. It has lost its artistic translation.
Can we get a statue of a completely disconnected American toiling tirelessly for a faceless corporation, slavishly and stupidly working his way into an early grave for little to no reward? If taking a nap can be turned into a derogatory image, surely our cultural norm of acting against one’s self-interests can be too.
I have lived in the US Mexico border for the past 34 years. I have seen Mexican doctors, lawyer, architects and engineers. I have seen Mexican teachers, waiters, waitresses, construction workers and agricultural workers. I have seen Mexicans curing people, building homes, cleaning houses, caring for children, picking crops and flying airplanes. But, in my travels in Mexico and the US, I have yet to see a Mexican wearing a big sombrero, a poncho and sleeping in public. The only people I have seen wearing big Mexican sombreros are tourists, returning to the US from a vacation in Mexico carrying big sombreros, ponchos and cases of tequila. Mexican labor force in the United states is highly sought for being hardworking. In fact, the bulk of the stuff that we voluntarily stuff into are mouths has been planted, harvested, picked, killed, butchered, canned, boxed or bottled by a Mexican. The Mexicans that I have seen sleeping do it in the privacy of their homes, and not in public, or next to cacti or holding a bottle of tequila.
The fucktards should leave stuff alone, everyone seems they need something to bitch about, if you dont like the art then dont eat at the resturant.
People look at that and think he is lazy, truth is he finished his work hours ago so why not take a nap while the rest of the gringos are still laboring?
Pepe’s don’t bother me. No different than an Irish Leprechaun. Just a hard worker taking a break recharging his soul from a hard life.
Sombrero comes from Spanish “sombra” which means “shade”. Sombreros are worn to provide a shadow to protect spanish workers from the sun. The “Sleepy Mexican” statue represents resting after working, if anything. All you have to do is add 2 and 2 together and not be so sensitive.
So let’s erase history, tear down statues. Folks it is what it it is. move on and let God sort out the big stuff.
Really dumb. These are (were?) cool statues and they depict someone taking an afternoon nap in a traditional Mexican outfit in the summer heat. Why is sleeping lazy? It looks comfortable to me and reminds you to take some time out from our stressy lives and enjoy. In fact it makes Mexico look like a place I’d want to visit. Siesta is a tradition in many countries with hot climates. Of course its probably been kicked down and stomped on by hypersensitive babies like so many other works of art. This is why we can’t have nice things.