The Beauty and Impact of the Murals in Chicano Park
My Name is Luke Landreth, and this is “The Beauty and Impact of the Murals in Chicano Park,” and will be published under a CC BY-NC license.
As the title suggests, the portfolio will be about the dozens of murals on the support pillars of I-5 in San Diego. More importantly, how they showcase the history of Chicano culture, and the Park itself, the relationship with nature, and struggles that the people living there have endured. There are several specific themes that these murals cover, but there are a few that I will pick out. The first is the struggles the people faced with the building of the interstate on top of their home, and the way they kept it alive. The second is the relationship between people and nature, both for ill and for good. The third is the influence of past histories and cultures, especially from ancient Mesoamerican cultures, and more recent Mexican events.
The first of which is the Mural “All the Way to the Bay.” It showcases a key part of the park with its construction and legal processes. Chicano Park experienced several legal issues during and even before its proper construction and designation. There were times when construction crews would go to the park and try to demolish areas that were “designated” towards the highway. It was then that the protests to keep the park a designated place for the Chicano people living there. One such protester was Ronnie Trujillo. He began the protest “Hasta la Bahia,” which means “All the Way to the Bay.” He and his group of protestors believed that the designated area of the park should reach the California Bay, which have been mostly successful, as the area currently is almost all the way to the bay.
“La Revolution Mexicana” is much more on the nose for what it discusses and represents. It pays ohmage to Emiliano Zapata and the Mexican Revolution. He was one of the figureheads of the Revolution against the fragile government of President Francisco Madero, then the tyrannical government of Victoriano Huerta after his party assassinated Madero. The Mexican Revolution is a very important event in any Mexican descendant’s history. It shaped the modern Mexican politics, government, and culture. Without it, the Mexico we know today would be something completely different, and possibly, something very bad. But with the success of the revolution, it is a cause for celebration.
This mural is a bit less specified than the rest thus far. From extensive research, the artists and title of the piece are not specified. However, what is more important here is the iconography present. Everything depicted in this mural are integral pieces of Mesoamerican culture and history. The temple, called a Ziggurat, is believed to connect people and the gods. Their gods are depicted here too, with several gods and deities being scattered across the whole of the mural. Then there is the central, circular figure. The Mayan Callendar, which fun fact, has since ended, as the last day based on the calendar was in 2012. These images are a very important part of Chicano culture, as it represents their ancient history and beliefs.
The last mural is much more modern, being made within the last decade. For some context, the Kumeyaay are Native Californians indigenous San Diego, and fall under the Chicano umbrella. Back to the mural, “Haawka: May the Fire in Your Heart Burn Bright” depicts the Kumeyaay people and their relationship with both nature and the outside forces on Chicano Park. The mural revolves around the bright oak tree in the center of the portrait. Oak trees have an important place to the Kumeyaay, as they were a great source of life and prosperity to them, and the symbol signifies the same. Around the oak tree are people of several generations planting and protecting both the trees and nature as a whole. There are sea animals thriving and swimming together. There is a group of people writing signs for a protest, and people out on a protest for conservation. Last, in the top right, is a snake and a businessman. This represents corporate greed, and how it can get in the way of these conservation efforts; the evil snake of corruption. Altogether, the mural shows that nature is very important to the Kumeyaay, and the Chicano People as a collective. It gives the idea that if you take care and give to nature, nature will take care and give back to you.
The selected art form completely reflects the society it is in. Interstate 5 was created right through the small city of Barrio Logan, a community heavily populated by Mexican Americans and Mexican Immigrants. When the interstate was constructed, several citizens’ homes were displaced. As a result, they began a campaign to reclaim the areas underneath the highway as their own, which is what we now know as Chicano Park. It shows the struggles that the residents of the area endured around the time of the interstate’s construction, as well as their history and culture. Of course, the most distinct part of Chicano Park are the several murals painted on the supports of the highway. They are what show the struggles, the history, and the culture of the Mexican people living in the Barrio Logan area. While unorthodox, as painting on the underside of an interstate is rather unique, it is one of the best insights into the culture.
