The Welcome Neighbors Sign—A Pro-Immigration Design Artifact
How One Yard Sign Became a National Movement of Political Dissent
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12922443 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Elisabeth Kvernen (0009-0006-9601-1194), Janel Kragt Bakker (0000-0002-9029-641X) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 18 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 83-109 |
| Publication date | 2026-01-02 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Design and Culture (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1754-7075 • E-ISSN: 1754-7083 |
| Publisher | Routledge (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/17547075.2025.2600783 |
| OpenAlex | W7125504443 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 7 |
This article tells the story of a tri-colored yard sign, the “welcome neighbors sign,” that originated in a small religious community in Virginia. Through Mennonite social networks, the sign became a popular symbol of political resistance to the dominant immigration narrative around the 2016 presidential election cycle and beyond. Using a case study approach, this article explores the evolution of the sign from a neighborhood conversation to a national campaign, the political context in which the sign was created, its cultural and religious context within the Mennonite faith, its design and distribution, and, finally, its message and impact. This case study speaks to graphic designers who are interested in using their skills to influence social and political spaces. It examines how one small act of design had the power to spark a broader socio-political movement, and it considers how the use of nontraditional media can illuminate alternative stories and points of view, amplify disenfranchised voices, and create social change.
Dissent · Movement (music · Political dissent · Politics · Sign (mathematics · Yard · Asian American and Pacific Histories · Cultural History and Identity Formation · Race, History, and American Society
| Highly cited | No |
|---|