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Shoes that help migrants cross border include compass, map

Associated Press
Nov. 16, 2005 02:30 PM

SAN DIEGO - The high-top sneakers cost $215 at a San Diego boutique, but the designer is giving them away to migrants before they cross to this side of the U.S.-Mexico border.

These are no ordinary shoes.

A compass and flashlight dangle from one shoelace. The pocket in the tongue is for money or pain relievers. A rough map of the border region is printed on a removable insole. advertisement


They are red, white and green, the colors of the Mexican flag. On the back ankle, a drawing of Mexico's patron saint of migrants.

On this side of the border, the shoes sit in art collections or the closets of well-heeled sneaker cognoscenti. On the other side, in Tijuana, it's a utilitarian affair: Immigrants to be are happy to have the sturdy, light-weight shoes for the hike - or dash - into the United States.

Their designer is Judi Werthein, an Argentine artist who moved to New York in 1997 - legally, she notes.

On recent evening in Tijuana, after giving away 50 pairs at a migrant shelter, Werthein waved the insole and pointed to Interstate 8, the main road between San Diego and Phoenix.

"This blue line is where you want to go," Werthein, 38, said in Spanish.

"Good luck! You're all very courageous," she told the cheering crowd of about 50 men huddled in a recreation room after dinner.

"God bless you!" several cried back.

Werthein has concluded that shoes are a border crosser's most important garment.

"The main problem that people have when they're crossing is their feet," Werthein. "If people are going to cross anyway, at least this will make it safer."

Only 1,000 pairs of the "Brinco" sneakers (it means "Jump" in Spanish) have been made - in China, for $17 each. The shoes were introduced in August at inSite, an art exhibition in San Diego and Tijuana whose sponsors include nonprofit foundations and private collectors.

Benefactors put up $40,000 for the project; Werthein gets a $5,000 stipend, plus expenses.

The shoes have kicked up a mini-controversy in art circles.

A San Diego surgeon told Werthein that she was encouraging illegal immigration - a charge she rejects, saying people will cross with or without her shoes. The surgeon's wife sided with her, Werthein said, and bought the shoes.

Chris and Eloisa Haudenschild display a pair of the sneakers at their resplendent San Diego home. Eloisa Haudenschild said the shoes portray an uncomfortable reality about the perils of crossing the border.

"It's a reality that we don't like to look at," she said. "That's what an artist points out."

Across the border, several curious migrants waiting for sunset along a cement river basin approached Werthein as she emptied a sport utility vehicle of white shoe boxes. One man already wore a dirty pair of Brincos. Another, Felipe de Jesus Olivar Canto, slipped into a size 11 and said he would use them instead of his black leather shoes.

"These are much more comfortable for hiking," according to Olivar Canto, who said he was heading for $6.75-an-hour work installing doors and windows in Santa Ana, about 90 miles north of border. "The ones I have are more dressy."

From there, Werthein went to Casa del Migrante, a Tijuana shelter that will receive a share of the proceeds from Brincos sold in the United States.

Jose Garcia, 30, eased into a size 10, which he said he would wear to cross the California desert on his way to Las Vegas or Phoenix.

"Those are way too heavy and they don't breathe," he said, pointing to clunky hiking boots that he tossed aside.

"Does it have a sensor to alert us to the Border Patrol?" joked Javier Lopez, 33, who said he had a $10-an-hour job hanging drywall waiting for him in Denver.

This isn't the first time Werthein has tried to appeal to art aficionados and low-wage workers alike. In 2002, she turned a room in the Bronx Museum into a salon, painting the walls pink and inviting the public to get their fingernails covered with work from the museum's collection.

Blends, a downtown San Diego boutique, displays the shoes on a black pedestal. Werthein says Blends and Printed Matter, a store in Manhattan, have sold about 350 pairs.

"I wouldn't wear them and I wouldn't want my husband to wear them," said Blends browser Antonieta LaRussa, 28. "But the cause is awesome. There's so much opposition to immigration. She's looking at it from the other side of the fence and asking why."

To research the best design over two years, Werthein interviewed shoe designers, migrants, aid workers, even an immigrant smuggler. She joined the Mexican government's Grupo Beta migrant-aid society on long border hikes. She heard from a Salvadoran woman in Tijuana who said she was kidnapped and raped by her smuggler.

Based on those interviews, she added a pocket - migrants told her they were often robbed. She also added the flashlight - many cross at night.

Some get lost - hence, the compass and map.

"If you get lost," she told the men at the shelter, "just go north."
 
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I'll throw in my two and a half cents...

Everyone bitches and moans about all the illegals taking our jobs, blah blah blah on and on and on till the end of time, yet PAY NO ATTENTION to the corporations who are shipping American jobs over to India and China by the TENS OF THOUSANDS just to up their profit margin and get around those mean ol tax laws.

I think we need to deal with Richie Rich and his corporate buddies who think outsourcing is the second coming of Christ before we start beating down Pedro and his buddies for mowing our lawns and cleaning our hotels.


Yes outsourcing sux, but you gotta ask yourself why it is happening. Unions, high minimum wage rates, and telecomunications technology have led to the outsourcing of many jobs in various industries. . . . . its not so much the corporations being "evil" as you stated, but more their reaction to problems with our society.

Its a dog eat dog world. Of course you would rather ship 100 jobs overseas than see your company close because u cant compete.
 
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oh shit here we go again

why dont some you go and do the work WE do. Until any of you can get some of these lazy fucks from begging off the streets, Or if you can convince some others fuckers to throw away the free government check and get a job then i suggest you take a good hard look at the flip side.
Now i can understand if we were doing like the hindus and taking over the world one quicky mart a time. But come on, your going to complain about a job that YOU dont want to do?! FUCK.Alot of people say, ''ohh there stealing our peoples jobs!'' Well i hope you know you talking about the lazy no count scum that would rather FUCK YOU AND THE GOVERNMENT for money than get a real job.

and by the way the YOU stands for all the ones that want to bash the Mexicans.


Yet your people break the law by entering the country illegally and expect a little sympathy from people like me.

the bottom line is that your people who cross the border illegally are criminals and should be dealt with accordingly BUT our politicians wont do jack fucking shit because they are scared of losing the "latino vote".

My goal is to become a judge one day (after my schooling is all said and done) and I will levy such harsh penalties on your people who come over here illegally and there isnt shit you can do about it because judges aren't accountable to the people of the united states in terms of getting "re-elected".

Once I'm on the bench, your people are fucked.
 
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Once I'm on the bench, your people are fucked.

the day YOU get on the bench in this country is the day i move to mexico or america junior...


Never underestimate a 145iq and sheer determination.

p.s. Since Celerity considers himself to be such an intellectual.....maybe he would like to challenge me to another game of chess online....seeing as I whooped his ass before 2 times in a row. :laugh:
 
Never underestimate a 145iq and sheer determination.

i;m not underestimating your intelligence... you're just too much of an asshole to ever influence enough people to actually become a judge...

and if you do manage it then this country will already be so far in the shitter that it won;t really matter and i'll be moving...

My goal is to become a judge one day (after my schooling is all said and done) and I will levy such harsh penalties on your people who come over here illegally and there isnt shit you can do about it because judges aren't accountable to the people of the united states in terms of getting "re-elected".
judges usually don;t have full reign over what penalties they can legally apply to an individual...

and it doesn;t matter if you are immune to re-election...
a bullet kills a judge just like any other person...
the "latino vote" will take care of that...
 
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Never underestimate a 145iq and sheer determination.

i;m not underestimating your intelligence... you're just too much of an asshole to ever influence enough people to actually become a judge...

and if you do manage it then this country will already be so far in the shitter that it won;t really matter and i'll be moving...

My goal is to become a judge one day (after my schooling is all said and done) and I will levy such harsh penalties on your people who come over here illegally and there isnt shit you can do about it because judges aren't accountable to the people of the united states in terms of getting "re-elected".
judges usually don;t have full reign over what penalties they can legally apply to an individual...

and it doesn;t matter if you are immune to re-election...
a bullet kills a judge just like any other person...
the "latino vote" will take care of that...


So much disinformation...I quite don't know where to start.

First off, once you graduate from your community college and enter into the real world, you will quickly come to find out that "assholes like me" are the ones who get further ahead in life.

Second of all, why don't you ask you community college business law professor about "precedent".

And finally you talk of some mexican killing me. Suprise, surprise. That is the only way you people solve your problems. Bunch of fucking third world, second class citizen savages.

Where the fuck is Hitler when you need him most?
 
what the fuck circle jerk boy...
i've been out of school for some time now...
and i;m not talking about some shitty ass community college...

and you go ahead and show me a precedent of a judge throwing the book at illegals...

And finally you talk of some mexican killing me. Suprise, surprise. That is the only way you people solve your problems. Bunch of fucking third world, second class citizen savages.
you people? who the fuck do you think you're talking to cum rag?
and you go about going after a judgeship in CA on a platform of harshly punishing illegals and making yourself out to be a racist and you see what happens hardon

Where the fuck is Hitler when you need him most?
i;m pretty sure his mental issues and incest got the best of him and he shot himself in the head like every other chicken shit
 
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what the fuck circle jerk boy...
i've been out of school for some time now...
and i;m not talking about some shitty ass community college...

and you go ahead and show me a precedent of a judge throwing the book at illegals...

And finally you talk of some mexican killing me. Suprise, surprise. That is the only way you people solve your problems. Bunch of fucking third world, second class citizen savages.
you people? who the fuck do you think you're talking to cum rag?
and you go about going after a judgeship in CA on a platform of harshly punishing illegals and making yourself out to be a racist and you see what happens hardon

Where the fuck is Hitler when you need him most?
i;m pretty sure his mental issues and incest got the best of him and he shot himself in the head like every other chicken shit


First off, this is really typical of your people. They react with emotion to a situation rather than calmly discussing. You are fitting the stereotype exactly with your inflammatory words and actions.

Second of all you have resorted to name calling. Again, a mark of unintelligence.

Christ, this is like arguing with a fucking chimp, albet a retarded chimp.

I refuse to stoop down to your low level and get into a shit-slinging match.

Give a mexican a little bit of education and they think they are Albert fucking Einstein. A little bit of knowledge is truly dangerous.

fin.
 
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Second of all you have resorted to name calling. Again, a mark of unintelligence.

May I submit the following quotes from karnash.

Any 10 foot tall Texan shitkicker
This guy is a bear? More like Teddy-fucking-Ruxpin.
Knew the flaming communist liberal fairy would come skipping out of the wood-work
I was giving the jolly green giant a hard time
it only turns into a flame war when the self-righteous fuckholes like bozo or bosco or whatever the fuck her name is take offense and get their fucking panties in a quiver over something I say
When any of you self righteous fucks take offense to something I say
You pussies make for some cheap entertainment


A agree. 100% resorting to name calling and gnashing of teeth is a mark of unintelligence. :thumbsup:
 
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Second of all you have resorted to name calling. Again, a mark of unintelligence.

May I submit the following quotes from karnash.

Any 10 foot tall Texan shitkicker
This guy is a bear? More like Teddy-fucking-Ruxpin.
Knew the flaming communist liberal fairy would come skipping out of the wood-work
I was giving the jolly green giant a hard time
it only turns into a flame war when the self-righteous fuckholes like bozo or bosco or whatever the fuck her name is take offense and get their fucking panties in a quiver over something I say
When any of you self righteous fucks take offense to something I say
You pussies make for some cheap entertainment


A agree. 100% resorting to name calling and gnashing of teeth is a mark of unintelligence. :thumbsup:
I'll raise it up for you..
:owned:
 
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but uh... i;m not mexican... :shrug2:
lmao!!! well done :thumbsup:
:owned:

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Second of all you have resorted to name calling. Again, a mark of unintelligence.

May I submit the following quotes from karnash.

Any 10 foot tall Texan shitkicker
This guy is a bear? More like Teddy-fucking-Ruxpin.
Knew the flaming communist liberal fairy would come skipping out of the wood-work
I was giving the jolly green giant a hard time
it only turns into a flame war when the self-righteous fuckholes like bozo or bosco or whatever the fuck her name is take offense and get their fucking panties in a quiver over something I say
When any of you self righteous fucks take offense to something I say
You pussies make for some cheap entertainment


A agree. 100% resorting to name calling and gnashing of teeth is a mark of unintelligence. :thumbsup:
I'll raise it up for you..
:owned:
:werd: :concur:
definatly :owned:
 
okay you all bitch about illegals but if I could find guys to do the work with paper I would hire them. Right now I have kids 16-18 that expect 14 -16 an hour to pick up garbage and clean the site. The fobs will do it for 7-9, who would you hire?
 
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Honestly? The people who are legally allowed to be there. My principles are not for sale and I refuse to compromise them simply for a little extra profit. I'd buy a few less toys and eat out a little less often all the while feeling good that I'm not supporting illegal immigration. :)

Unfortunately society has degraded to a point that business ethics are rare to nonexistant.

And hcivic: I agree. There's no reason that anyone without experience should be expecting that much to do cleanup. Here we hire people all the time for 5645 cleanup at 8 bucks an hour.
 
my point is the illegals do the work at a fair rate. Its the lazy fucking canadains that want shitloads to do a task that a grade 5 could do .
 
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My biggest problem with illegal immigrants is how ridiculously easy it is to come into this country the legal way.

My next problem is how many immigrants in general seem to refuse to learn English. Most don't even seem to be concerned enough to try. Don't expect me to speak your language in my own country because you're too fucking lazy to learn English. And you better not start getting pissy with me about not speaking your language, either. I don't know how many times I've had to listen to a six year old try to translate for their parents. It really makes me mad when they've been living here for for decades, possibly even generations, and still can't even communite a basic idea in English. And why the fuck are immigrants allowed to take their Oath in their native language? This is one of the problems. They're not required to be able to function in American society because American society is now supposed to bend over backwards for them. I've said this many times before, one of my best friends if from Southern Brazil and he could hold a fluent conversation after six months...six months.

Oh, then there's the "it'll take care of itself" attitude. Look after your fucking kids. Stop letting them run around like little animals. Stop putting the six year old in charge of the five, four, three, two, and one year olds.

Integrate with American society or go back where you came from. That statement applies to immigrants of every nationality.


If its so rediculously easy to come to the U.S why do you think we come illegally! :dry: ohh maybe you talking about Puerto Ricans. Or maybe Cubans.hell all they have to do is touch land from the boat and they can stay. I might be wrong though.

Also how about you try to learn spanish starting now! yes you can but its not easy. Its even harder when you 40 and have to work every fucking day of your life for half as much money so your kids can eat and have some clothes! Trust me i've been there. My dad can speak some english. Enough to hava conversation. I was lucky because i've been here since i was 6. It's not easy becoming a citizen. They cahnge requirements very often and its alway for the worst.

AND TO THE FUTURE JUDGE

I can sense your hates towards me and my people.........fuckit i can sense you hate towards me. Fine i dont give shit you college pussy.
first of all we cant vote. were ILLEGAL! The majotity of the LATINO VOTERS are puerto rican and cubans etc. peple with legal documents. Tell me what you would do if jobs are scarce,you have 2 young ones,a wife. Umless you a bigger prick than i think you are, you would go where there is oppertunity. NO MATTER WHAT IT TAKES..... gotta go MEET MY GIRL. ohh by the way shes a blonde :p damn you americans can breed some nice blondes. :laugh:
 
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