Why do Children move?
Diseño | Crítica y opinión por · 10.09.2019
Text by Judith Pedroza
Illustration by Erik Nelson Rodriguez
Reflection: Children with no land
Reflexión: Los Ñiños sin Territorio.
Why do Children move?
Displacement, poverty, danger, and lack of opportunities. But also, families exist on both sides of the border as they have for generations, and remain connected.
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¿Por qué los niños emigran?
Despojo, peligro y falta de oportunidades. También porque existen familias divididas en los dos lados de la frontera por generaciones, aun así, se mantienen conectadas.
The bodies are dispersed across the continent, South to North. Who are these children? They are those who were left behind by their countries and by the new country on where they seek to live in; seeking the family who has been on the other side already–The ones behind kitchens, bathrooms, delivery trucks, farm lands, those serving your needs.
Los cuerpos se dispersan a través de el continente de sur a norte. ¿Quiénes son estos niños? Son, los que sus países dejaron de lado y que son invisibilizados por el país nuevo donde buscan vivir, reuniéndose con la familia que ha estado en el otro lado– Aquéllos detrás de las cocinas, los baños, camiones repartidores, granjas, aquéllos que sirven a tus necesidades.
Every immigrant that landed in this country worked with the most of the minimum. Exploited by the “respectable businessman.” The same immigrants later caged as their employers walk free.
Cada emigrante que llega a este nuevo país trabaja con lo más mínimo. Son explotados por los “hombres de negocios respetables”. Los mismos emigrantes son encarcelados, después mientras sus empleadores se liberan de toda responsabilidad.
With time, growth comes and instead of complaining: they clean, they wash, they cut, they prepare, they set, they warm, they take care of the kids in privilege. In their countries they used to do the same, carry, cleaning, taking care of their siblings.
Con el tiempo, el crecimiento llega y en vez de quejarse, ellos limpian, ellos lavan, ellos cortan, ellos preparan, ellos organizan, mantienen el calor, ellos cuidan de los niños en privilegio. En sus países ellos hacían lo mismo: cargar, limpiar, hacerse responsables de sus familiares.
The kids travel all the way up north from Latin America, bringing the history of displacement. Now the authorities cage them, lock them up, separate them, and take the right of a human child to be cared for and protected.
Los niños que viajan hacia el norte de toda Latinoamerica traen la historia del desplazo y despojo. Las autoridades los encarcelan, los encierran, los separan, les quitan sus derechos humanos de ser cuidados y protejidos.
Text by Judith Pedroza
Illustration: Erik Nelson Rodriguez
About the author: Judith Pedroza is an artist, writer, and organizer of independent artistic projects and exchanges in Mexico City, Tijuana, San Diego and Chicago. Her subjects are dignity, emancipation, future, history, design and experimental architecture. Her work has been shown in San Diego Museum of Art, Woodbury School of Architecture San Diego, La Jolla Athenaeum, ArteBA, Carillo Gil Museum Mexico City among others. She received an MA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago in Visual & Critical Studies 2015. “Asuntos de Arte” 2018 by Manivela press.
About the illustrator: Erik Nelson Rodriguez: I am a Chicago based illustrator and designer, and have published with NPR, WBEZ, Chicago Tribune, The New York Times, Chicago Reader, The Progressive magazine, and The Nib along with other publications both in print and online. I have been illustrating for years, and enjoy making the editorial companionship of illustrations combined with text. I also enjoy capturing emotions and telling stories through comics.