Dulce Pinzón’s The Real Story of the Superheroes

By Deputy Editor Thea Lim

On the SCI FI Wire (surprise!) I saw this:

This photo is one of 20 colour photographs taken by Dulce Pinzón for her exhibition “The Real Story of the Superheroes,” running at the Joan Hisaoka Healing Arts Gallery in DC, from November 4 -28.

On her website Pinzón writes:

After September 11, the notion of the “hero” began to rear its head in the public consciousness more and more frequently. The notion served a necessity in a time of national and global crisis to acknowledge those who showed extraordinary courage or determination in the face of danger, sometimes even sacrificing their lives in an attempt to save others. However, in the whirlwind of journalism surrounding these deservedly front-page disasters and emergencies, it is easy to take for granted the heroes who sacrifice immeasurable life and labor in their day to day lives for the good of others, but do so in a somewhat less spectacular setting.

The Mexican immigrant worker in New York is a perfect example of the hero who has gone unnoticed. It is common for a Mexican worker in New York to work extraordinary hours in extreme conditions for very low wages which are saved at great cost and sacrifice and sent to families and communities in Mexico who rely on them to survive…

The principal objective of this series is to pay homage to these brave and determined men and women that somehow manage, without the help of any supernatural power, to withstand extreme conditions of labor in order to help their families and communities survive and prosper.

Each photo includes the worker/superhero’s name, hometown, the number of years they have worked in New York, and the amount of money they send every year.  The text accompanying the photo up top states:

NOE REYES from the State of Puebla works as a delivery boy in Brooklyn New York. He Sends 500 dollars a week.

Here’s another one:

The copy on this one states:

MARIA LUISA ROMERO from the State of Puebla works in a Laundromat in Brooklyn New York. She Sends 150 dollars a week

And one more:

FEDERICO MARTINEZ from the State of Puebla works as a taxi driver in New York. He Sends 250 dollars a week.

To see all the photos, visit Dulce Pinzón’s website, or if you’re lucky enough to be in DC, go see it in the flesh!

However I would avoid the SCI FI Wire site.  The commenters there don’t appreciate Pinzón’s vision…