Immigrant rights have always been contentious, especially in the last couple of years that have seen attempts to pass immigration reform stall, then move, then stall again. On both sides of the border, it can be a very sensitive issue in many respects.

But even so, Hector Rodríguez, a second grade teacher in Dallas, Texas, has created a comic about a superhero called "EL Peso Hero", which deals with this issue of immigrants rights from another... perspective.

Texas is a state where at least 1 in 6 inhabitants are immigrants, turning this debate into a very heated one, and Dallas in particular has a large number of Mexican migrants.

This Latino superhero created by Rodríguez faces problems that go from illegal crossings, to confrontations with the Border Patrol and even a fight against drug traffickers.

Rodríguez, having grown up in a border town, felt that the manner in which hispanics were represented in the media was just plain wrong, motivating him to write "El Peso Hero". The idea came about after he noticed that many of his students and Spanish speaking children in genera didn't have a superhero to relate too, at least not racially and with a similar cultural background.

During the first issue of "El Peso Hero", the hero faces a drug cartel and a corrupt political system in the city, while the second is near done, with Rodríguez planning to continue the story throughout six in total.

Even though Rodríguez admits that the issues touched upon in his stories can seem a bit strong, he trusts that children can discuss them openly with their parents, since many of them are their actual reality, and maybe can help to inspire solutions.

"The parents have actually come and said 'I'm really glad you're doing this, because it really needs to be addressed' ", said Rodríguez recently in an interview for the Dallas News. He also thanked the Hispanic community in welcoming "El Peso Hero."

"I have readers on both sides of [the political] spectrum. I hope to speak to many different people…though some viewers have put me in a specific group, I tend not to express my political views. I'm a storyteller, and the story speaks to different people in different ways."

Even though the project has won much notoriety on Facebook and Twitter, Rodríguez comments that he has also received many criticisms. ""Good or bad, the word is out, and the focus is on immigration."

Learn more about the "El Peso Hero" here at its main webpage.

Via Voxxi.com

VIDEO: "El Peso Hero"

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