Spanglish Puns and Pans: Los Burrachos, 2003, Mixed Media on Baking Pan, 14"x9"x3"

Much of my inspiration came from Mexican folk art and kitchenware. Because I'm a cartoonist, I work with satire. I wanted to poke fun of Americana domestic goddess culture in a new Mestiza way. A Mestiza/o is a Mexican mulatto/a originally used to define Mexicans of mixed Indian and Spaniard (and other European peoples). I am half Puerto Rican and ¼ French, ¼ Unknown (Mexican Indigenous or Italian?) I was never taught Spanish because my parents were told by the school districts that learning both languages would confuse me, and that I would not excel in school. My parents wanted the best for me and decided I should learn English instead. Later, as a teenager, I took Spanish classes but never had people to practice with. So I only know Spanish in fragments and oftentimes I get confused with certain words that sound the similar. For example jamón and jabón. Jamón means ham. Jabón means soap. I wanted to use English and Spanish to create some funny puns that speak of my own struggles with language.