We Are All Foreigners
صديقي أجنبي
صديقي أجنبي
mi Amiga es Extranjera
mój Kolega jest Obcokrajowcem
Our current drop is sending $30/per kit directly to new arrivals in Chicago. Migrants are being used as political pawns for our fucked up electorate that has choosen to fund death on the other side of the world instead of fix anything locally. Complete loss of any humanity.
Archive - HERE -
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LOOKBOOK - HERE -
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Based on the Bundesliga response to the Rostock-Lichtenhagen Riots of 1992(keep scrolling for more context), the phrase "Mein Freund ist Ausländer", meaning "My Friend is a Foreigner" replaced all commercial sponsors on kits during the last match day of '92. While this tiny act of putting different letters on some polyester fibers worn by those that chase a bag of air for a living won't solve any problems within itself, it has the potential to bring much needed awareness and be a catalyst for change.
Swapped 90’s BVB Logo to CBC, translated the German phrase to Spanish and Polish, as many people of Chicago(mostly immigrants) speak those languages. Selfishly, Polish also because me and the fam emigrated from Poland in 1994. And, of course, we tweaked the English to say "We Are All Foreigners." Feminine, masculine
, and neither or both, on purpose.
For those that want to support, we can offer customized options as these are clearly not the only languages on this burning rock, so if you want something different, any extra stuff at all(#s,names,abstract art,a picture of your mom, etc) you can pick a blank from our library or bring ur own kit and hit us up.
In our first drop we put our money where our mouth is and $20 for every kit from the original 2022 drop with English,Spanish, or Polish translations went to the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. An IL group doing invaluable work promoting the rights of immigrant and refugees to full and equal participation in the civic, cultural, social and political lie of our society. GO check them out, give of your time, monies, and efforts towards a group that is actually putting in real WORK along with their many many partner organizations.
We also made select vintage kits with "My friend is a Foreigner" translated into Arabic and sent 25$ each went to @imancentral to support the life changing work they are doing in Chicago. The Inner-city Muslim Action Network, IMAN, fosters wellness and healing by organizing for social change and cultivating the arts through a holistic health center. Working through people deeply invested in addressing structural and systematic injustices. Learn more about an organization that is actually doing something and support them here.
LOOKBOOK - HERE -
Based on the Bundesliga response to the Rostock-Lichtenhagen Riots of 1992(keep scrolling for more context), the phrase "Mein Freund ist Ausländer", meaning "My Friend is a Foreigner" replaced all commercial sponsors on kits during the last match day of '92. While this tiny act of putting different letters on some polyester fibers worn by those that chase a bag of air for a living won't solve any problems within itself, it has the potential to bring much needed awareness and be a catalyst for change.
Swapped 90’s BVB Logo to CBC, translated the German phrase to Spanish and Polish, as many people of Chicago(mostly immigrants) speak those languages. Selfishly, Polish also because me and the fam emigrated from Poland in 1994. And, of course, we tweaked the English to say "We Are All Foreigners." Feminine, masculine
, and neither or both, on purpose.
For those that want to support, we can offer customized options as these are clearly not the only languages on this burning rock, so if you want something different, any extra stuff at all(#s,names,abstract art,a picture of your mom, etc) you can pick a blank from our library or bring ur own kit and hit us up.
In our first drop we put our money where our mouth is and $20 for every kit from the original 2022 drop with English,Spanish, or Polish translations went to the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. An IL group doing invaluable work promoting the rights of immigrant and refugees to full and equal participation in the civic, cultural, social and political lie of our society. GO check them out, give of your time, monies, and efforts towards a group that is actually putting in real WORK along with their many many partner organizations.
We also made select vintage kits with "My friend is a Foreigner" translated into Arabic and sent 25$ each went to @imancentral to support the life changing work they are doing in Chicago. The Inner-city Muslim Action Network, IMAN, fosters wellness and healing by organizing for social change and cultivating the arts through a holistic health center. Working through people deeply invested in addressing structural and systematic injustices. Learn more about an organization that is actually doing something and support them here.
MORE LONG CONTEXTUAL READIN
G MATERIAL BELOW︎︎︎︎︎︎
In August of 1992 one of the worst racist & xenophobic attacks took place in Germany since WWII. A strong anti-foreigner sentiment had been building for years leading to increased attacks. All fueled by the media, Neo nazi sympathy, and political radicalization turned to violent extremism. Sound familiar? ehermm
This all culminating in a violent riot outside the Reception Center of Asylum seekers in Rostock-Lichtenhagen. Over the course of a few days, hundreds of rioters with rocks, molotov cocktails, and other projectiles attacked the main center before escalating their ef
forts to the neighboring apartment block, "The Sunflower House", where many Immigrant workers and families stayed. Many Vietnamese contract workers, along with Sinti and Roma people also camping outside waiting to apply.
Buildings stormed and set ablaze with people trapped inside. Chants of "Germany for the Germans, foreigners out!", "We'll get you all! You'll be roasted" - with thousands of applauding spectators and vendors selling snacks & drinks outside. Residents were barely able to escape by fleeing to the roof. Of course incompetent policing with an inability to keep people safe, especially those most in need, also played it's part. In vintage police movie and real life fashion - a total incompetent fuckery. Again, sounds familiar right?
Some downplayed the events, took no accountability or consequence, stayed silent and "helpless", while some actually chose to show their support. More campaigns, protests, and other initiatives against racism & xenophobia took place in hopes of ending the "speechlessness" and fostering change in Germany. Money and awareness was raised over various events but also a majority of those responsible were never actually held accountable. Many were never arrested and if they were got minimal punishment. Some locals were even given a free month’s rent while those that were actually attacked didn’t get shit, no rent waiver, no replacement of belongings lost, and not even an official apology. As is the case so many times, the white perspective is what matters and the other side is rarely taken into account. Maybe that’s slowly changing now?
And of course some attacks continued, like the November '92 arson that left 3 dead in Mölln. While this is only a very few and narrow sentences about those events from 30 years ago (please go read more and learn about it!).. and STILL happening in our world today...
Thanks for reading - email us with a screenshot of this and we’ll send you something for free :)