Fashion & Politics: The Resistance Against Mexican Deportation

It does not come as a surprise to hear that vast deportations are happening every day during the current political climate of the United States. It should come as an even lesser surprise to witness that the community most targeted is the Latino community, and even within that community, it is, unfortunately, Mexicans who take the brunt of this wrongful persecution. With all the news coverage, on even apps such as TikTok, this unjust racial profiling and discrimination has become even more widespread than ever before, bringing forth a new wave of resistance and support for those in the Latin community.

For the most part, this recent extensive mass deportation involving Mexican immigrants and Mexican-Americans has managed to create a sense of unification and pride for their culture. Because of the erroneous and downright horrific true stories of ICE agents illegally detaining legal Mexican American citizens, it provided many with perspective: no one is safe from this racial profiling war.

Photo/Pinterest Photo/Pinterest

Experiencing this and viewing this has made many Mexican Americans compelled to showcase their culture and pride through their clothing. Fashion has always been a means of resistance against political movements, reclaiming a culture and identity, and often a statement of defiance against oppressors. For the Mexican community, this reigns true, for if they cannot verbally or otherwise show support in their everyday lives, they can most definitely display solidarity outwardly. Many do so by wearing jerseys, layering various pieces of traditional wear and even interweaving traditional ribbons through their braids.

This surge of pride is not one solely born out of resistance, but it is also born out of celebration. Most Latino people, including Mexicans, have a strong sense of identity that contains multitudes of vibrant colors, lively music, and intricate patterns that create their own unique expression within their native or ancestral countries as well as in the United States. It is in this sense of physical advocacy for the harsh and largely unnecessary brutal mistreatment of Mexican immigrants and Mexican Americans that has managed to rally support and further pride within the community. When words are not enough to battle everyday discrimination, fashion is ready and waiting to step right in, and for the Mexican community, this is not the start, but rather the rise of resistance through physical expression.

Editor: Sydney Annis

Graphic: Sarah Rakoski