toddlers all remind spectators that those depicted are not just workers whose value can be reduced to their economic contribution. They have lives outside of work. They have social, emotional, and civic values. They are deserving of respect. The austere, hardened look on the faces of some of the farmwork Fig 7. (1978) Boycott Lettuce & Grapes. United States, 1978. [Chicago: Women's Graphics Collective]. Photograph retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/93505187/. ers speaks to the strength of character produced by hardship. They are not wholly defined by their struggles, however. Amidst the stern determination, smiling faces remind onlookers of the vitality with which farmworkers relish life and that they, too, can be happy. Mendoza’s installation also embraces the full humanity of undocumented immigrants in ways that counter their historical representation as impoverished freeloaders whose interests are at odds with those of American citizens. Their faces emit warmth rather than confrontation (in contrast to the fierce Aztec warrior in the Boycott Grapes poster). Rather than rallying cries or calls for boycotts, the text on the posters celebrates values for which American citizens, too, might want to be remembered. Mario’s face is surrounded by a Spanish proverb that honors his commitment to love in life and beyond. Juan is described as a “noble father, brother, and son,” as someone who was “trapped in work, dreaming of building a little house 21
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