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- Reading responses must be AT LEAST 200 words.
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The Chicano Park Documentary was a very exciting and intriguing video to watch and I honestly never heard of it until now. This documentary discussed that each year, residents of San Diego’s Barrio Logan celebrate the events of April 22, 1970 when members of La Raza and other groups took over land slated for redevelopment and established the famous Chicano Park. I really enjoyed how this film had actual footage, photographs and even interviews to trace the history of Barrio Logan and the struggles to reclaim a part of “Aztlan”. The actual Aztec kingdom represents the powerful renewal of Chicano pride. The Barrio Logan was the actual home to Mexican immigrants which I had no idea of. Unfortunately, there was a depression that occurred and caused neighborhoods to be fragmented when Mexican-American residents were deported under government decree to protect the jobs of Anglos. As for Goldman’s, Murals of California talked about muralism and how it was the most important, widespread, cohesive, and publicized aspect of the Chicano art movement during the 1970s. “The Chicano muralism began as a grassroots explosion that swept numbers of artists, art students, and self-taught artists into that artistic activity.” It was interesting to find out that California leads the country in sheer quantity. Artists began using the walls of city buildings, housing projects, schools, and churches to depict Mexican-American culture. Chicano muralism has been linked to pre-Columbian peoples of the Americas, who recorded their rituals and history on thewalls of their pyramids, and Mexican revolutionary-era painters such as Jose Clemente Orozco, Diego Rivera, and David Alfaros Siqueiros, also known as lost tres grandes.
ReplyDeleteMichael Garcia
There was a lot of information discussed in both the documentary and the article that I had no clue about. it was very interesting to see the documentary because of how it explains the issues that Mexicans came across during the 1970s and how they would protest through murals. It was the best way to get heard and be able to say their concerns. As mentioned in the article, “Muralism was the most important, widespread, cohesive, and publicized aspect of the Chicano art movement during the 1970s.” This quote shows that the murals had the potential to make big changes during that time period. Many people were not aware of what a mural was and had never seen one before which is what made it more interesting when they started to put them everywhere. People in the communities thought that they were beautiful and the ones in the Chicano Park was the key in order to speak up and change things because of its location and significance that the people put in it. When it began in the early 70s, the “barrios” started to gain strength which is what motivated them to keep creating murals. What attracted me the most was the way artists used hospitals, buildings, schools, churches, and even housing projects to show the Mexican-American culture which became fundamental during that time period. (225)
ReplyDeleteBruno Morales
After watching the film and reading Goldman’s “Chicano Murals of California,” I was given a clearer understanding of the art form and the significance it has held amongst the Chicanos of San Diego. I have known that many Mexican Americans are congregated in various parts of the state of California, but I was unaware of the history of the Logan Barrio. It was unfortunate to learn that many lost their homeland as they were forced away by the establishment of new roads, and with this occurrence, the people’s sense of community and culture was gradually being taken from them. As shown in the film, the construction and cultivation of the Chicano Park has been a leading cause for the increase in social gathering within the Mexican American community. Furthermore, it brings about a greater impact on the hearts of its people and the “outsiders.” Through the reading I learned that these “outsiders,” or the “white” who disagree with the Chicanos, have opposed the mural art which is displayed throughout the pillars of the highways, and because of this, greater pressures are placed on the Mexican Americans to subdue their expressions of what they believe. However, the strive of the people to nourish and rebuild the unity, peace, and pride which was exhibited through the Logan Barrio continues so that the Chicano culture will remain alive for those to come in future generations.
ReplyDeleteCeline Brianna Salas
Before watching and reading about it, I did not know much about Chicanx Muralism; therefore, it was shocking to me to read the extensive number of murals made in California during that time. If there were so many of them painted in California, there must be more in other states and more modern too, so why have I not learned about this in my history class?
ReplyDeleteI like to paint and draw because it seems to me that I can somehow take the pain from my red paint into my brush, and stain the emotionless paper with it. My problems and emotions are not even comparable to the ones Chicanxs had to face when seeing their communities wrecked down, but it makes me aware of how devastated they might have been feeling. Their talent, hope, and purpose was not destroyed like their homes; indeed, those were reinforced and put into the walls of many places to show their past and present.
In the documentary you can see the vivid images the community enlarged under the bridge, but while I was reading the small amount of pictures made me wonder how the other murals they were writing about looked, and I went online searching for them. All of the ones I could find made me feel something different, and made me ask myself how my own mural would look like. Since these are modern times, I hoped not to find any struggle related to my race; I hoped not to have anything to paint my wall, but my hopes did not last a second when I realized my mural could be about a wall itself…
Ingrid Davila
When I began to read and see the documentary I didn’t think I was going to be these interesting I learned a lot and clear my confusions towards the Chicano art movement. The Logan barrio opened my eyes towards how Mexican Americans, how even then they suffered and many lost their homelands and their only living due to the constructions of new roads. As the film shows the construction and cultivation of the Chicano park has been a leading cause for the increase in social gathering within the Mexican American community. Not only that but you can also see the vivid images of the community enlarged under the bridge. It also gave me a good sense of how important Muralism it was back then, many would express their ideas there and some had a string meaning. They would show their emotions and this would grab the attention of the people. Making it even more special and making it wide spread. This would use any building that was able to use to make their voice hurt. This grab my attention since now a days it’s a felony if they see you painting a mural without a permission and it also depends what your going to draw in order to be authorize.
ReplyDelete-MARIA LEAL
This past class, the professor was talking about how we should pay attention to the music that the films had, and right off the bat, as soon as the "Chicano Park Documentary" started playing I payed attention to the music. And it really does make a big difference and it brings this whole new vibe to to the documentary. In my opinion is has this melancholy rhythm but also a sense of pride. Whats also very unique about it is that they lyrics are in both Spanish and English. Aside from the music, this video was very informative. Never in my life had I heard of this Chicano Park. Now, throughout this class I have learned that Chicanos had roamed this land before it belonged to the Americans. and they would cross the land freely. "That line that guards that difference between cultures, between languages, between the United States into Mexico." That statement alone, to me is very powerful and hypocritical considering our history and how the U.S was founded. We've been taught that this is land is the land where dreams can come true and where the harder you work the more you can receive, but on the contrary everything was taken away from the Mexican Americans. So with this park they hold a lot of pride. It was a home away from home. Where they came together.
ReplyDeleteJoanne Lopez
I had knowledge of the Chicano muralism; but after reading and watching the film I understood more clearly and had more knowledge. Chicanos and Chicanas would protest for equitable solutions to problems facing Hispanic and Mexican communities. If I were to have been in those times, I would have participated in this kind of protesting. Not only for my rights but as a whole. My pride, cultural values, hopes and aspirations are as important as theirs. What interest me the most was to read that artists, art students, and self-taught artists were not the only ones that were part of this way of protesting. Also, it included political and economic people. For example, San Dieguen Mario Torero said, painted a mural of Chè Guevara with the slogan “We Are Not a Minority.” This shows that artist were really straightforward in showing that they wanted change.
ReplyDeleteStephanie Nicole Cantu
After reading “Goldman, Chicanos Murals of California” I learned that there was a lot of murals in California. I knew there were some but not a lot of them, viewing the different kinds of murals, some of my favorites are the ones that demonstrates the different cultures of which we came from. Creating a mural it’s a really hard-work, I’ve been in art several years and dong just a small drawing takes time and dedication. In person the only mural I have ever seen is the one in mission about the cowboys football and the one in McAllen with the birds on it personally I love that mural. I hope someday to be able to do a mural so that future generations could see it and learn from it. In the film “Chicano Park Documentary” there was a lot of information. I love the culture of the dances! My mom was part of one group she was capita of the “Dansa de Indios” it was a huge group were they would go and dance for the Virgin de Guadalupe or other saints. I never got to see the dances that were done in Mexico but here I got the opportunity of watching one and it was wonderful I like the meaning they give the dance.
ReplyDelete-Mayra Saldaña
After reading Goldman’s “Chicano Murals of California and the Chicano Park Documentary, it was something nice and interesting to watch and read. I did not know much about murals yet alone Chicanx murals. This art form was something big for the Chicanos and Chicanas of San Diego. It was during the 1970s, the Chicano community and also the people from the “barrio” would bring their murals and put them everywhere. Like me, I did not know what a mural was and these others that passed through the Chicano Park didn’t either so they were astonished and really liked all the murals all over the park. This was a stepping stone to changing things because of their location in the “barrio”. Because of this, the people in the “barrio” kept painting murals and started thinking and feeling stronger rather than just barrio people. The artists also started using the walls of the cities and buildings and also start painting on houses, churches and schools to emphasize the Mexican culture. I thought this was an awesome strategy because their murals did make a difference and did push them to be a stronger community. They did make big changes and it was fundamental for our culture.
ReplyDeleteGiselle Sanchez
Looking at the Chicano Park documentary and viewing the reading, I was amazed to know something more about our culture. The fact that Chicano culture decide to paint murals I believe it is a very important part of our culture. I think that in a way it helps reinforce and show more about what our culture is all about. The Chicano murals are also used to express some injustices, as well as religion, culture, politics and as time passed more themes came to be. It would be wonderful to one of these days go to east Los Angeles and see all these murals that mark our identity. As I was reading further on, I saw that one of the earliest murals was thought to be made around 1968 that inclined more into politics. The way people talk about these Chicano murals in the video made me realize how important these murals these are for our cultural identity, like I mentioned above. One thing that popped out the most or that kind of interest me was the fact that the virgin Mary was used to make murals that helped portrayed the woman in our culture. I really enjoyed learning this side of my culture. Here in the valley I have seen a mural in the San Juan pool, which I enjoy looking at when I pass through there. I wish there would be more murals down here in the valley that represent our culture.
ReplyDeleteGuadalupe Cazares
In the “Chicano Park” documentary were able to get an inside look to many different personal stories and give us an inside look on what happens in the Chicano community. It also exposes how life back then had no borders and what life was life before the establishment of California. People would roman freely back in the day there was no border, no wall, no division, it was like crossing the street now a day. Like mentioned in the documentary “there was no border dividing the culture, language and people”. The Chicano park which is one of the main focus of this video is located near the Bay under a bridge in San Diego California. Throughout the video we hear the narrator talk about barrio Logan which is the neighborhood where all these beautiful murals took place. During the process of the painting in the Chicano park we can see how this project unified the community. Many different type of groups got together to paint and express their feelings through art. The way they showed the murals in the video made them look so detailed and creative, it kind of remained me of the graffiti wall in Austin, Texas. Of course, all of these murals had a specific purpose, and this is to gather the community and mark the rebirth of Barrio Logan as a piece of land and freedom for Mexican Americans. An interesting fact about Chicano Park is that every year there is an anniversary celebration on April 22nd until this day. This makes me proud that there’s still communities that continue the tradition and are strongly belief in their roots.
ReplyDeleteBrandi Rae Rodriguez
After watching the film “Chicano Park” I realize how as the years pass on “la lucha” does not stop for Chicanos living in the U.S. I think barro Logan is an example of the Mexican culture and how a community can be influence by Chicanos in the region to achieve the same goal: a park. I think the idea of putting their art in murals was correct, since the government did not support them I can see it as a way of protesting against them, also representing culture and way of life of the people from the barrio. The representation of the murals was first intended to represent history and religion, for example historic figures as pancho villa and in religion as the virgin Mary, but later they realize that murals should also represents how people in the barrio lived, I think the murals are pure art from chicanos. After reading Goldman “Chicano Murals of California”, It’s incredible the history of the murals through the years. The murals not only represented Chicanos but also represented the life of artist, for example women muralist, where three Chicanas combine their talent to create a beautiful work named “para el Mercado”. I think these types of murals can transmit a lot of information from Chicanos, for example in this mural the Latin American market place is well represented, because it represents the relation between people and nature which is related to our culture.
ReplyDeleteLuis Reyna
After watching the film “Chicano Park” and reading Goldman’s “Chicano Murals of California”, it was interesting, I learned things that I didn’t know but know now. In the film it talked about, that on April 22, 1970 Barrio Logan has this huge celebration every year to celebrate when the Raza took over. Its craxy how back then there wasn’t a border and people were able to pass freely with no questioned asked. Until 1924 a check point was set up. In the film Laura Rodriguez mentioned that they had never heard the word undocumented, alien, crossing the border wasn’t a big issue back then it was like crossing the street and coming back. After the depression, a lot of them were forced to leave their homes because they were going to construct buildings. Some of the Chicanos didn’t even know what was going on, all they knew was that they had a certain day to move out. It was sad that most of them had to pack and leave their homes and their hard work behind. The images in the film were upsetting, destroying a barrio like is so unhuman, all their hard work getting destroyed like is depressing. Some of them expressed their feeling by painting, all the painting and murals had a meaning to them.
ReplyDeleteSandy Martinez
After reading Goldman's article and watching "the Chicano Park" documentary I acquired some depth knowledge from both resources on information that I was completely unaware about. The chicano park documentary was a very inspiring video because it showed Barrio Logan, a Latinx community, rallying together to construct a park they deserved under a bridge that forced many Mexicans off their homes and destroyed many hometown businesses. Barrio Logan, a neighborhood down south of California, was a small town that contained serveral homely culture businesses to chicano families, and during the 1950's it was transformed from a residential area to an industrial one as families were forced off their property and deported to the other side of the border. The "buying" of property from the city separated our people from one another and was very heart breaking to see, but the community found a way to revive the Atzlan tradition by taking it upon themselves to cultivate a park with influencing murals depicted on the walls of the bridge on April 22, 1970. Being that muralism had became popular in the 1970's, it became used as a powerful tactic to demonstrate and inspire the Mexican community showing how far they've come in America from past to present. Various artists gathered together weeks after the park was built to finish these murals; one of which included popular political leaders such as Cesar Chavez, etc, to influence our culture's pride to take on economic issues. Now the park is used by the entire Latinx community as a reflection to their culture and political issues faced, all of which remains lied there before and after the industrialization era.
ReplyDeleteAdrian Martinez
The reading “Goodman’s, “Chicano Murals of California”” and the documentary “Chicano Park” was very interesting and really caught my attention. Before the reading and the documentary, I didn’t know anything about the Chicano murals. The murals were really important because the people from the “Barrio” didn’t feel that comfortable about themselves. I love how one thing can change something dramatically in a positive way. Like in California, it said that people would bring their murals to the park for display and this inspired more people to make art. Soon, paintings weren’t just made in murals and displayed in the park, but it also spread out to making painting on the walls around the “Barrios” were they lived. The art would express culture, politics, or something that wasn’t been treated right. Till this day, art is one big way to express what you feel or think about something that you agree or disagree with and that is awesome. After all this, I have this feeling of wanting to go to Barrio Logan and see all these painting that have been made. I feel that if I see these wonderful paintings, I myself will feel even more proud of being a Chicano.
ReplyDeleteIvan Lira
I have heard the words “Chicano muralisms” but I had no idea about it. The Chicano park video showed me how the Chicanos came together to protest the problems they were facing by painting a lot of murals around San Diego in en 1970’s, all this made Chicanos stronger and they all formed a great community where anyone helped each other. The reason of making these murals was to remember the history of the Ancestors of the Chicanos, their heroes, and land. I saw some paintings of the Chicano movement where farmworkers were fighting for their rights, I think that painting was representing the strength of a Chicano, its intention was to remember others that Chicanos have courage and are hard workers. Some agreed with the murals, others no because they thought murals were scary. In my opinion, I prefer this type of protest where people show they discomfort instead of people using violence to protest. The Chicano park served as an area where all the barrios joined to discuss the local issues, I saw a lot of paintings or phrases that Chicanos used to protest these issues. One that impressed me was the one that students painted showing how their ancestors looked before and then how a Chicano looked in the 1970’s. I think the objective of this painting was to say that It does matter how a Chicano looks, but how he/she is, a strong person with courage.
ReplyDeleteMissael Salinas
I never knew that the Chicano Park was a real place located in California. I love how this park has monuments dedicated to the history of the chicano heritage. It's amazing hoe each monument has a history and represent our heritage. More than that, I love how we have a park dedicated to our heritage. It's not that common where you see this in the united states but you will see things such as, the anglos, English and other cultures that traveled into the united states. What really got my attention was how there was a non existent border. That's the most interesting point. It's crazy how the people could enter and leave the country without being checked. This is so important to me because this is where we spread our culture to the united states. It's fascinating how our culture was already spreading. Even now that our culture is "limited" because of the border that was added. However, it does not stop our culture from spreading and that's exactly what I love about it.
ReplyDelete-Yarazeth Ramirez
Chicano Park Documentary was inspiring in many ways. It was great to see how a community came together and took action against the local government for the good of their barrio. I found it irritating how the local government relocated and manipulated the Mexican-Americans in that area, as during the depression Chicano labor was not needed so they were rounded up and were given a date to move out. And when WWII came and the demand for Mexican workers was needed to work for military ship yards, so they were let back into that area. I was amused at how some people felt as if they had no voice in this country, how they just let their local government make choices for them whether it benefited them of not. As the San Diego – Coronado Bridge was built the community felt a sense of loss, irritated by that and by the new industrial zoning, frustration grew within the community. When civil rights movements along with other minority movements that organizing themselves, the community started believing in themselves and that they can have a voice and make a difference in their barrio. In April 22, 1970, threatened by building a Highway patrol station where they were promised a park, the community came together and reclaimed the land as their own. That was symbolic as it reminded them of their Mexican ancestors who fought in the Mexican revolution, fighting and crying “tierra y libertad.” Goldman’s “Chicano Murals of California” was an interesting article with the in-depth approach as to how murals gained traction. As not having a voice or means of communication, Mexican-Americans resorted to muralism to depict their struggles, protests and demands they valued as a community. The mural movement grew hand in hand with the Chicano movement, influenced by boycotts of the UFWM, and other minority groups. I was stunned to read how some artist would spend so many hours, and money, just to get their idea across without any compensation. That is how strongly they believed in the powerful impact their work can have on the community. (347)
ReplyDelete-Víctor D. Gaytán
Before watching the Chicano Park Documentary, I did not know there was such thing as a Chicano park. This documentary shows how important it is for a community to come together because when everyone comes together with a purpose, they make it happen and a lady says how they made human chains to stop the tractors from working because that was their territory, it was territory for the park. The murals were also amazing because it is art that is on them and every painting, every image has an important meaning, it was the Chicano history painted on them. A lot of people also got together to paint the murals, which shows the importance of coming together because the murals were beautiful.
ReplyDeleteYadira de Leon
Murals have always been a part of sending a message or expressing their feelings, it’s a type of art that is created so that others can see and know about. There’s different types of murals but they all lead to the same thing, the message that is being sent out. The murals in California really made me wonder what it is that they were feeling the Chicanos when they were being discriminated and when their patience was put to the test. The immense time, dedication and feeling that they put onto this art is outstanding and admirable because everything that they cannot express with words is put onto walls with drawing and phrases that can catch a glimpse of their frustration. The culture has grown so much from what is used to be that it is now more recognized and has become more influential to other communities. The chicano culture has been known for their bravery, their strength, their talent and passion for food and art. That’s what the murals scream, everything that represents a chicano and a latino community from wherever it is that they are living, they make sure that others feel identified with them and that the world knows that they are still standing strong!
ReplyDeleteAshley Escalante
Watching the “Chicano Park Documentary” gave a clear understanding on how Chicano communities actually lived. I loved the fact that the documentary portraits Chicanos the way they are. I loved the fraternity and solidarity this community had amongst them and how important was for them to preserve their culture, their land, and their way of living.
ReplyDeleteI would love to travel back in time and experience first hand how these people lived, to be able to enjoy life and appreciate what we have without worrying about the things we want.
It caught my attention the part of the documentary when Laura Rodriguez mentions that she grew up being very happy despite of them being very poor. “We had everything here” she states.
Barrio Logan was more than just a piece of land or a place to live. It is more like a binary concept that represented all the suffering from their ancestors and hope in the future. It also represented unity, culture, and most importantly, identity.
Once again, I feel proud of our people, the way they defended their territory to build a Chicano Park when at the eyes of the government there was a need for more security. Challenging the government to enhance the Chicano culture, was indeed a true heroic act.
Rossy Tapia Cervantes
Again, through this documentary ‘Chicano Park’ and through the reading “Chicano Murals of California” written by Shifra M. Goldman, we see the Mexican Americans harassed and brutally oppressed by the white man. And again, we see the various protests my people were courageous enough to express. The various techniques in which they decided to make their voices be heard was Murals in which the art would speak for itself. These murals showed the Mexicans Americans aspirations to become equal to the rest of the community. Through these protests the people gathered to effectively show their strength in numbers, strength that would go against the Anglo people. Through this course I have felt very proud of my heritage. The Mexican Americans continued to be treated as less than, but they continue to strive for equality. Using the murals as a form of protest only goes to show the life Chicanos have within. Any way they can express their goal to be treated better they will. The Chicano Mural Movement was another factor that helped them with their cause for freedom against oppression and again continue to be I amazed. But honestly not so much surprised because I know my heritage and being free-spirted and brave runs in our culture.
ReplyDelete-Alma De La Llana