As Latinos across the country are displaced, the murals that tell our stories are also being wiped away. Ed Fuentes believes that Chicano murals (like this one) are full of political context and tell our history from our own perspective. They’re “storytellers with some bite,” the cultural journalist says.
The Chicano movement of the 1960s was a push to unify Mexican Americans against discrimination. Murals were an important part of this movement. They helped validate our struggles, recognize our heroes, and capture our perspective dating back to pre-Colombian times.
What happens when these murals are replaced by white walls and condos? Sadly, each destroyed creation erases part of our history.
This mural was painted in 1980 in New Mexico, and in 2019 officials decided to destroy it and make room for a museum. With no plans to reconstruct or salvage it, some community members are outraged.
Luckily, there are initiatives to archive some of these murals, highlighted in the films “Murals and Street Chicano Park” and USC’s “Calisphere.”
Murals are a way for the public to connect to Chicano history. We applaud efforts to preserve our culture and artistic public recognition of our contributions.