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Latino/a Mobility in California History

Genevieve Carpio, Javier Cienfuegos, Ivonne Gonzalez, Karen Lazcano, Katherine Lee Berry, Joshua Mandell, Christofer Rodelo, Alfonso Toro, Authors
Latin@ Mobility Exhibit, page 3 of 11
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Chicana/o Iconography in San Diego and East Los Angeles Murals by Fonzy Toro

Introduction:

This exhibit is meant to question the eagle and la Virgen de Guadalupe’s relationship with the Chicana/o movement, their historical affiliations with the Latina/o community, and if people attach different meanings to these visuals. I want viewers to understand each image’s individual meaning and to examine how they change or stay the same when they are juxtaposed in a mural. These two particular images appear to play an integral role in many of these murals and utilize a mix of political and religious powers that have lead to the progression of the Chicana/o movement.The Virgin of Guadalupe often times represents an image of peace and care while the eagle has come to be symbolic of the United Farm Workers.


At a glimpse, these images on these Chicana/o murals appear to stand still, but I believe that these symbols are not actually stagnant, their symbolism travels and can be found in various murals in both San Diego and Los Angeles. At a deeper level, they are able to capture people’s attention through their color and stories. My project shows how as people migrate, their ideas also travel with them and this allow for various forms of conversations and exchanges to form. These symbols and murals are vessels that can often inspire and allow their viewers to mobilize for change and to grow without forgetting their history and past struggles.         

Object 1: La Virgen de Guadalupe Murals

The first slideshow displays a series of La Virgen de Guadalupe murals. The first two are found in the city of San Diego and the last two are murals of La Virgen de Guadalupe found in East Los Angeles. They are organized in this order to portray how the symbol of La Virgen de Guadalupe travels from city to city and possesses similar meaning from mural to mural. The song playing in the background, Ave Maria by Andrea Bocelli, creates a religious undertone to the imagery to amplify her holiness. It reminds the viewer of the Virgen de Guadalupe’s miraculous Christian power.

Object 2: The Eagle Murals

This slideshow shows visuals of murals that focus on the image of the eagle found in San Diego and in East Los Angeles. The eagle is presented in both a realistic form and in the shape of the United Farm Workers logo designed by Cesar Chavez. The song “Cesar Chavez” by Los Tigres del Norte plays in the background to enforce the political activism aspects of this image. Historically, the eagle is also an honorable symbol in the Aztec Empire and an image that represents bravery and freedom.

Object 3: Juxtaposition of La Virgen de Guadalupe and The Eagle

The final object presents three murals where La Virgen de Guadalupe and the Eagle are integrated and juxtaposed. It does not have any music attached to it so that the audience can take control and form their own ideas and understandings of the “mestizaje” (mix) of political and religious iconography found in the Chicana/o movement. Instead of focusing on religious iconography or on political iconography, these murals integrate both institutions creating a new set of ideas. The murals presented hail from both San Diego and East Los Angeles


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