Lasting Effects of the Chicanx Movement (through an artistic lens)
Abstract:
This page will focus on art that was created during the Chicano movement from 1965- 1975. This movement was the largest civil rights movement by people of Mexican descent, which in turn left a lasting impact. Being that this movement was so large, its effects lasted far longer than the movement itself. A lot of this art was created between 1965- 1975, but there are also some pieces that were created after that as a result of this movement. This page will focus more on how art from this period has affected generations long after. Although the Chicano movement happened almost sixty years ago, younger audiences are still learning about it today.
Artists: Raúl José Jacquez, Alvaro Millan, Victor Ochoa, and Armando Rodríguez
Dimension: unknown; it was created on the pillars holding up the Coronado Bay Bridge
Location: Barrio Logan in Chicano Park, located in San Diego, California, USA
Created: 1977
Inspired by: This mural was created as a response to the controversy that came with Barrio Logan's junkyard. During this time many communities in the San Diego area were putting pressure on the government to remove junkyards from their communities because they only made the space look dirty.
Description: In big bold letters the words, "Varrio Si, Yonkes No!" which is Spanish for, Barrio Yes, Junkyards No. In the mural, the letter V in varrio is painted in a different color and that is done to highlight the fact that the V actually stands for victory. In this mural, we also see the three prominent colors of the Mexican flag, red, green, and white. The mural also depicts the Coronado Bay bridge in the back and some factories as well. In the center of this mural is a group of what looks to be Mexican people, holding picket signs and protesting.
Relation: This image was created in 1977, only two years after the Chicanx movement officially ended. At this time the movement and ideals brought along with the movement were still very prominent, everything was still very fresh and many artists were still being inspired by this to create works of art to represent what had been going on. Many Mexican-American artists used art as a way to express their cultural identity, this is exactly what Jacquez, Millan, Ochoa, and Rodriguez were doing when they created their murals on the bridge in Barrio Logan. This mural expresses the unique experiences and struggles that the people within this San Diego community were going through. There is a small sign within the mural that states, "Raza si, Migra no," this set of words is so impactful because it emphasizes that we should prioritize our race and not migration. In a way this is a cry for help as well, with all the deportations going on it is important to keep reminding others that Mexicans are humans and they are just as important as any other human in the United States, no citizenship status should be more important than that.
Picture was taken by: Oscar Castillo
Artist: Antonio Bernal
Dimension: exact size is unknown, but can be found on the side wall of an abandoned building. At the time that it was painted the building was not abandoned it belonged to the teatro campesino.
Location: Del Rey, California
Created: 1968
Based on: The Grape Boycott also known as the Delano Grape strike
Description: This image depicts the Grape Boycott also known as the Delano Grape strike from 1965. We can see many Mexican workers walking as they are protesting and they are also holding up a flag with the United Farmworkers symbol.
Relation: This mural was created during the Chicano movement it depicts the Grape Boycott that occurred in September of 1965. This mural was painted right outside of the Teatro Campesino which was a really important part of the Chicanx movement as well. The Teatro Campesino recruited farmworkers to act in plays. This served as a great distraction and a way to relieve stress for these farm workers. On top of this, the Teatro Campesino utilized the farmworkers to act in their plays to get a first-hand perspective on the conditions that they were in. The mural has a main focal point which is the flag with the symbol which was the main symbol used during this movement.
Artists: 4th-grade students from Broadway Elementary
Dimension: 8.5 x 11
Location: Broadway Elementary
Created: 2023
Based on: Grape Boycott signs during the '60s and '70s
Description: Red construction paper glued onto popsicle sticks with black wording "Unidos Para Siempre" "Pago Justo" "Si se Puede"
Relation: This artwork was created by the 4th-grade students at Broadway Elementary, these students are between the ages of 9 and 10 meaning they were born no earlier than 2012, much after the Chicanx movement had occurred. These students learned about the Grape Boycott of 1965, it is so impressive to see the lasting effects that the Chicanx movement has had even with these newer generations. Their artwork comes from the famous symbol of the farmworkers' association. This part of history is so important for anyone to know, finding this artwork in the 4th grader's classroom was truly inspiring.
Artists: Victor Ochoa
Dimension: unknown; it was created on the pillars holding up the Coronado Bay Bridge
Location: Barrio Logan, Chicano Park in San Diego, California
Created: 1981
Based on: This mural was created to mimic the look of old photography, and was based on the Mexican revolution.
Description: This mural uses very little color. Across the top of the mural are the words, "La Revolución Mexicana." At the bottom of this mural are the words, "I'd rather die on my feet than live on my knees." This mural also shows many prominent revolutionary leaders throughout the years.
Relation: This mural is a great representation of what resilience looks like. Many people during the Chicanx movement endured unexplainable hardships and struggles yet they persevered and came out even stronger. This mural goes to show that Mexican Americans during this time were standing up for themselves more than ever before. This mural also connects to the first mural depicted on the page, this was a victory for the Chicanx people which also explains the V that is highlighted in the first image on the page.