Here we go! — An Altar/Ofrenda before Election Day 11/05/2024

“Here We Go“, read the caption in the photo Pvt.1st Class Horacio Sanchez Valderas sent home after finishing basic training in 1943. Yuma Arizona was a far cry from Boganville, Guadalcanal and Iojima–the islands that he would be sent into combat in the South Pacific. The world was in the grasps of fascism. The Axis powers were led by dictators in Germany, Italy and Japan ranting to the masses about ideas of nationalism and supremacy.  The peace and prosperity of the world was being threatened by power hungry despots with nothing but their selfish egos and pride leading their actions. This did not happen overnight. It developed from a zenophobic movement that had been gaining power fueled by a world depression resulting from WWI. Germany led the way as Adolf Hitler stirred the masses of unemployed and downtrodden blaming the Jewish people and foreign immigrants for their problems. The situation in America was not much better after the Great Depression. The white supremist movement led by the KKK and the American Nationalist movement pushed for a white America with the rally cry “Make America Great Again”, blaming the problems in America on immigrants and calling for all immigrants to be deported. Only when the United States was finally attacked at Pearl Harbor did it become involved in the war.  My father was drafted and answered the call. Over 500,000 Latinos (including 350,000 Mexican Americans and 53,000 Puerto Ricans) answered the call as well and served in WWII. 

The unfortunate thing is that after 100 years, we as Americans have not learned from the past. We are at the precipice of a tumultuous transition in the timeline of history that is being fueled by the same bigoted white supremist ideas that have been present since the foundation of this country. My altar pays homage to my father who believed this country was worth fighting for. His words “Here We Go” are my hope for the future. 

#luisvalderasartist #fightingfascism #votelikeyoulifedependsonit #chicanosinthemilitary #mexicanamericansinhistory