The fourth composition,  Moneygram,  addresses economic issues directly.  If anyone doubts the commitment of these workers to their families, all skepticism can be erased by spending a Friday evening at a local store with a “Moneygram” sign in the window.  I have emphasized this idea by including scans of pesos (Mexico), lumpira (Honduras), quetzales (Guatemala) and dollar bills in the border of the image.  The center of the top border shows 8 pesos juxtaposed on a dollar bill –the current rate of exchange.  Along the edges, I have added photographs of small stores in Mexico, Central and South America where these funds will be spent.

For me, the workers in my compositions are participating in a silent revolution against the riptides of the global economy.  If there are laws that favor the cross-border migration of capital without protecting working people, the people will find a way to survive.  If pay in a maquiladora is only a few dollars a day, the workers will leave and migrate north where a U.S. minimum wage may make life in North Carolina difficult, but with careful saving, doubling up in housing, and hard work, the family at home can survive.

       (c)2007 Thanks for visiting!