There is more than one way to say "I'm an American." Especially if you are an American that also identifies with another culture and speaks other languages.
This project celebrates pride in a multi-lingual country.
When the 45th President placed a ban on who
can live in the United States and who cannot, he
took the government back 100 years.
There are so many "types" of American, as seen through
the variety of languages spoken by its citizens.
This is also a nod to the languages spoken by
Americans of past generations that have been
discriminated. The languages included in this project
are: Hebrew, Kurdish, Somali, Japanese,
Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Navajo.
As an Art Direction intern, I wanted to sell
English-speaking Americans the idea that
“Americans” can and do speak any language—
that is the founding principle of our nation. I
wanted to help fight against the travel ban by donating to the group who are giving free legal services but since I’m an unpaid-intern I tried to take a creative spin on the
classic fundraiser bake-sale by exchanging pins and stickers for a donation.
The money will be sent to the Council on American-Islamic Relations, nation’s largest Muslim
civil rights and advocacy organization, which has been providing free legal counseling for those
detained at airports by the ban.
I don’t want to "Americanize" other cultures and histories, nor did I want to condense an
entire culture into an icon. I don’t believe in forcing people to choose a label or identity. This is
not meant to make a blanket statement about those who identify as both from the USA and from
another country. Funds raised from the Navajo-based items will be sent to the people working to protect Standing
Rock. We are working on a Lakota-based design too.
More info: Etsy
An Arabic-Speaking American
Translates to "I'm an American"
