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.
So a little history for those of you who are clearly uninformed. #1 the “sleeping Mexican” was first depicted napping up against a saguaro cactus indicating the Sonoran desert culture of northern Sonora and southern Arizona as this is the only place the cactus grows naturally. #2 sombreros were worn in the desert by farmers and ranchers in the area to shade them from the desert sun. #3 The sleeping Mexican is a depiction of a hard working Mexican farmer/rancher who needed a rest after a long days work in the desert heat. It doesn’t nor has it ever depicted a “lazy Mexican”, but a hard working Mexican who needed a nap. Anyone who says its of a lazy Mexican is either misinformed or clearly race bating. I remember this debate in the 90’s at my high school in Tucson, AZ where the liberal white kids said it was racist, and the other 65% of the school who were Hispanic 100% disagreed with them and said it was part of the culture. My take, if you are not from the Sonoran desert, this character has nothing to do with you and you should keep your misguided interpretations to yourself.
My father and brothers in law would start working in the fields at 5:00; in summer time they would start even earlier. My now wife, sisters and mom would wake even earlier to prepare lunch for the men and make sure they would be on time. They owned their lands and still they would work 7-10 hrs in time of la siembra. When it was the most necessary, all family would go there, with the youngest women working also in the fields and the older preparing the fire, coffee and meals, as well as carrying water to the workers in the field.
This was in Southwest Jalisco but it is an agricultural practice in all states, with starting hours depending on the climate. In northern states they start even earlier due to the unforgiving heat. By the time the nine to fivers and tourists wake up, they would see the men resting, under the shade of buildings, cactus and their hats from the heat and at the same time with their sarapes and yes, sometimes a couple of tequila shots to keep their bones and bodies from the chilling sweat after a hard day work.
In a recent study (easy to find, sorry I don’t have the source at hand), Mexico, Colombia, Turkey and Egypt, as well as some other countries, are at the top of the list for more hours worked per average person.
Even when not all of us could endure the hard works of the rural towns, let us be proud as Mexicans, thanks to these hard workers.
When we have our day journal just starting, they already finished their full shift doing one of the toughest jobs to bring food to our table.