28 Mar
The Birth

Creation of the Latinamerican Flag

The artistic and multi-color design of the “Latin American Flag” was created out of the need to have a symbol that represents our beloved Latin American continent and the growing Latin population in the United States and the rest of the world.

The big social movements of our history always had a symbol of unity that represents them in their struggles during their process of transforming the world. People that march carrying a symbol, a single flag, are people that demonstrate their historical, social, cultural, and philosophical unity. Only through our unity, we will make Latin America big. However, the complex diversity of our community could not be represented in just one symbol; this flag had to reunite all the emblems of each one of the Latin American countries to allow the citizens of each one of our countries to feel identified with their symbols and at the same time allowing all of us to know each other better, strengthening our ties of unity and solidarity.

After several studies about the importance to unify and strengthen our Latin community and after several designs, it was possible to bring together all the flags of Latin America in a single flag.

This is how the “Latin American Flag” was born to pay homage to our Latin culture and our diversity.

Larry D’Arrigo

28 Mar
The Birth

Description of the Latinamerican Flag

On the top upper left-hand corner of the flag, there are 20 suns in gold color resting over a white background. Inside each sun, there is in the circular form the full-color flag of each one of the Latin American countries.

The countries are in alphabetical order: Argentina, Bolivia, Brasil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Republica Dominicana, Uruguay, Venezuela.

Around the white rectangular background, there are five horizontal blue stripes, four white stripes, and four red stripes.

The SUN means the brightness of Latinos.

BLUE, RED, and WHITE are the predominant colors in most Latin American flags.

Larry D’Arrigo

28 Mar
The Birth

Projections to the Latin American Flag

– Carry the Latin American Flag throughout the United States.

– Perform Ceremonies to Hoist the Latin American Flag in the Municipalities of each City in the United States where Latino communities live.

– Present the Flag to the different Organizations that work for the Latino community in the United States.

– In the United States we are more than 65 million Latinos of which 36 million would be eligible to vote in the next elections of 2024.

– Of those 36 million Latinos eligible to vote, less than half exercise their right to vote.

– Promote and raise awareness among the nearly 36 million Latinos eligible to vote of the importance and power we have if the majority of us register and go out to vote.

Latin America and the rest of the world

– Present and Perform Hoisting Ceremonies in the Governments of each of our countries in Latin America.

– Carry and present the Flag in the European countries where Latin American communities live.

– Create the Parks of Latin America in the United States, Latin America, and the rest of the world.

– Strengthen the concept of Latin America as the Great and Beloved Homeland as a single economic bloc with a single currency, just as Europe had to unite to strengthen its economy and face future challenges.

Larry D’Arrigo

28 Mar
The Birth

History of the Latin American Flag

After years of research into the need to have a symbol that represents all the nations of the Latin American continent, the Latin American Flag was created.
The flag will carry the pride of our national symbols, of the unity and strength of our continent and our community to all corners of the United States, Latin America, and the rest of the world where Latin American communities live
The flag is embraced and acclaimed by Politicians and Institutions like:

- 2009 Brian Stack, Union City Mayor, New Jersey 
- 2010 Joe Torres, Paterson City Mayor New Jersey
- 2010 Jerramiah Healy, Jersey City Mayor, New Jersey
- 2010 Helen Marshal, Queens Borough President
- 2011 Marty Markowitz, Brooklyn Borough President 
- 2011 Scott Stringer, Manhattan Borough President 
- 2011 The Colombian Civic Center 
- 2012 NYC Hispanic Parade Fifth Avenue 
- 2012 Nydia Velazquez USA Congresswoman 
- 2012 Ray Kelly Commissioner NYPD 
- 2013 Lulac, Queens Council
- 2013 Peruanos en Accion New York 
- 2014 Brooklyn Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
- 2014 NYC Hispanic Parade Fifth Avenue
- 2015 NYC Hispanic Parade Fifth Avenue
- 2015 Brooklyn Puerto Rican Parade
- 2016 Museum of Queens, of New York 
- 2017 Queens Hispanic Parade New York
- 2018 Queens Hispanic Parade New York 
- 2018 NYC Hispanic Parade Fifth Avenue 
- 2018 US Citizenship and Immigration Services of New York (USCIS) Latin American Flag Presentation 
- 2019 NYC Hispanic Parade Fifth Avenue.

The Proclamations that show the cities where the flag was raised so far and declared the official flag of the Latin community.

D’Arrigo has received multiple Awards both from the US Congress and from the Major cities in New York and New Jersey where the Mayors have proclaimed and raised one of his masterpieces the “Latin American Flag”. 
The flag has been acclaimed as the greatest artistic creation for the Latin community and it has flown under the New York and New Jersey sky for several weeks. In each of these cities a day or a week was dedicated to the flag.

The City of Paterson, New Jersey. declared May 22, 2010 as the “Larry D’Arrigo Day".

The new flag has had extensive coverage at the international level through different media such as:

El Comercio, Main Peruvian newspaper says: “The Peruvian artist, D’Arrigo, has accomplished a labor of love and altruism for the Latin American Community.”

El Diario la Prensa, Main Hispanic newspaper of New York says: “Peruvian artist designs a flag that symbolizes the Latin American Unity.

El Diario de Mexico says: “It is a great Flag.”

Associated Press Main World news agency says: “Larry D'Arrigo does not pretend to be Simon Bolivar, but with his work he expects to bring the Latin American unity among the millions of Hispanics that live in the USA.”

El Salvador Magazine from El Salvador says: “The Latin American Flag created by D’Arrigo is a Masterpiece for Latin America.”

Metro and Publimetro International newspaper from Chile, Ecuador, Peru, Mexico, Colombia, Guatemala, Puerto Rico, USA, say: “Peruvian in New York, designs a flag to unite the Latin Community.”

El Pais Main Spain main newspaper says: “ Peruvian proposes unifying Latin American Flag.”

Univision TV Main USA Hispanic Channel says: “The Latin American Flag is one of the great works of Latin American Art.”

Azteca America one of the Main Mexico Channel dice: "La bandera Latinoamericana disenada por Larry D'Arrigo es un simbolo para la unidad Latina"

Forest Hills Magazine of Queens New York says: “Que bonita bandera”

The Queens Chronicle weekly newspaper of Queens, NY says: “Its a Wonderful Emblem for Latinos”

Larry D'Arrigo

28 Mar
The Birth

Performer of the Latin American Flag

2009 Union City Hall. New Jersey. Latin American Flag Raising Ceremony.
2010 Paterson City Hall, New Jersey. Latin American Flag Raising Ceremony.
2010 Queens Borough Hall, New York. Latin American Flag Raising Ceremony.
2010 Jersey City Hall.  New Jersey. Latin American Flag Raising Ceremony.
2011 Brooklyn Borough Hall, New York. Latin American Flag Raising Ceremony.
2012 Brooklyn Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, New York. Latin American Flag Presentation.
2012 Brooklyn Hispanic Parade, New York.
2013 Theatre Boulevard, Queens. New York. Latin American Flag Presentation.
2014 Carnegie Hall Theatre, New York. Latin American Flag Presentation and Flag Awarded to an NYC Comptroller Scoot Stringer.
2015 US Citizenship and Immigration Services of New York (USCIS) Latin American Flag Presentation.
2016 Queens Museum of New York. Latin American Flag Presentation.
2017 New York Hispanic Parade on Fifth Avenue.
2018 Queens Hispanic Parade, New York. 2019 Hispanic Parade on Fifth Avenue New York.

Newspapers and magazines Publications

2009 Interview “American Business” magazine, New Jersey, USA
2009 Review “Cambio” newspaper, New York, USA.
2009 Review “La Razon” newspaper, New York, USA 
2009 Review “Cine y Novelas” newspaper, New Jersey, USA.
2010 Review “The Queens Chronicle newspaper, New York, USA.
2010 Review “Forest Hills Celebrity” magazine, New York, USA.
2011 Review “Raices de Mexico” magazine, New York, USA.
2011 Review “El Migrante” newspaper, New York, USA.
2011 Review “El Imperio de la Paz” Colombian magazine, New York, USA.
2011 Interview “Ayllu Times” Peruvian newspaper, New York, USA.
2011 Interview “Associated Press” One of the biggest news agencies in the world.
2011 Review “El Comercio” newspaper, Peru. 2011 Review “El Nuevo Herald” newspaper, Miami, USA. 2011 Review “El Pais” newspaper, Spain.
2011 Review “La Hora” newspaper, Guatemala.
2011 Metro” and “Publimetro” International newspaper.
2011 Review “El Diario de Mexico” newspaper, New York. USA.
2011 Review “El Planeta” American newspaper, Boston Massachusetts USA.
2011 Review “El Mundo Hispanico” newspaper,  Atlanta. USA.
2012 Review “Nosotros” newspaper, New Jersey. USA.
2013 Review “El Diario/La Prensa” newspaper. USA.
2013 Review “Ayllu Times” newspaper. USA.

Television and Radio Interviews about my Artwork and the creation of the Latin American Flag.

2009 Univision 41 T.V. New York, “Al Despertar” hosted by Antonio Martinez. Oct 12.
2010 Univision USA National T.V. “Despierta America” hosted by Birmania Rios (New York)  Karla Martinez and Raul Gonzalez (Miami). March 9.
2011 Azteca America, USA National T.V. “Hoy en New York” hosted by  Natalia Sanchez. April 5.
2011 La Mira T.V. New York channel, aired by Willax T.V. of Peru. May 25.
2011 MNN New York official channel ” Gritalo New York ” hosted by Elizabeth Casey. July 20. 2012 Interview “Radio Cadena Caracol” Colombia.

 

 

28 Mar
The Birth

Larry D’Arrigo

He was born in the city of Callao, Peru. He studied drawing and painting at the School of Fine Arts of Lima-Peru between (1980-1987) and studied sculpture at the Art Student League New York between (2009-2016).

In 1999 he was invited to exhibit his work in New York, a city that embraced his work and where he has lived since then.

Already in New York, the encounter with all the world cultures led him to travel through the worlds of Surrealism, Superrealism Architecture, and Magical Realism. These experiences drive D’Arigo to express in his art the yearning for his homeland.

D’Arrigo says: “My painting is based on dreamlike elements and spaces. I work on my fantasies and dreams starting from reality, trying to find a balance between what we long for and what sometimes we cannot achieve.

My work travels between historical settings, and open or closed landscapes that gradually transform into surreal, labyrinthine scenes and sometimes silent, with soft and vibrant colors.

In my sculptures, I represent characters always standing tall, erect, and triumphant. They are beings who have overcome all problems and remain invincible and always upright, in triumphant poses.

In New York, D’Arrigo meets with scholars of Latino culture and experiences the Latin American sentiment and the need for a symbol that speaks of the beauty, color, culture, unity, peace, and brotherhood of the Latino people. So it was that he designed the Latin American Flag as a tribute to Latin Culture.

He says: I have created the Latin American flag out of the need for a symbol that represents our beloved Latin American continent and the growing Latino population in the United States and in the rest of the world.
The new flag has had extensive coverage nationally and internationally through various outlets.

Associated Press says; Larry D’Arrigo does not pretend to be Simón Bolívar, but with his creation, he hopes to achieve the unity of the Latin American continent and the millions of Latinos living in the United States.