Born in El Paso to a Mexican father and an American mother, Luis Alfonso Jimenez's works often emphasize his Mexican American heritage. Here, a bald eagle stands atop a cactus as a rattlesnake slithers along the back of the work, referencing the national symbol of both the United States and the Mexican flag. Combining scale, color, and pose to achieve a heroic effect, the eagle cuts a menacing profile, fitting for an animal representing the strength of two nations.