Let Us Stop the Aggression toward the Working Class! Paremos la Agresion Hacia la Clase Trabajadora!

Date

1950

Creator

In this poster, Méndez endorses the 1950 and 1951 miners’ strikes against the American Smelting and Refining Company in Palau, Nueva Rosita, and Cloete. Small text at the bottom of the print urges the viewer to aid the miners in their struggle by sending donations to the union. Méndez presents a heroic depiction of a miner, identifiable by his helmet and mask, extending his arm to defend the woman and child behind him from a threatening bayonet. In his right hand, he grips a banner calling for a stop to "the aggression toward the working class." Through this powerful imagery, Méndez evokes an emotional response from the viewer in order to strengthen support for the miners’ cause. from Costa, Para la Gente: Art, Politics and Cultural Identity of the Taller de Gráfica Popular (Notre Dame, 2009)