Artist Statement

     America is known as the melting pot. The idea that everyone of any race, gender, religion, etc. is accepted and given equal rights. It’s ironic that that is America’s supposed ideology when so many people are being treated unfairly. Immigrants are being told to go home where they came from, although many having been born in the United States of America. Just because of what they wear or look like they are being put into a box with a label and not being considered as an individual being. Hurtful and aggressive comments towards those who are different does not seem to be what America claims it stands for yet it is all too common demonstrated in society.

     It is ironic that not only are we not practicing what we preach, but that we forget we are all and once were immigrants. Nobody but the Native Americans were here at first when the British decided to colonize and they didn’t get the option to tell them to “go home” or “go back to where you [they] came from.”

     My photo has an American flag with the words ‘Go Home’ written on it boldly and aggressively. I feel as though it could be interpreted in many different ways but I chose to take it as defacing the flag is another thing against American values yet we are already not upholding what America claims to value, why not just ignore another one? I also chose this to show that Americans can be any type of person and so going home is a rude and most likely ignorant statement. If I could re-shoot I would have somebody writing the words or show the entire flag instead of a small part. But I chose to dull the colors to make it more somber.