Travel: Annie Fay Blog

Chicano Park Ethnographic Research Paper for Museums + Social Justice

12/15/2019

I researched San Diego's Chicano Park for my Museums + Social Justice final this semester. If you are not already familiar with the rich history of the park, or have not visited, I would highly recommend viewing the murals and exploring the surrounding area in Barrio Logan. I learned so much through taking this class and I hope to use my knew knowledge to cultivate positive changes in our world. Enjoy (:

Chicano Park

Chicano Park is the largest outdoor mural collection in the country. Today, the park features paintings, sculptures, and other art dedicated to Chicanx and Latinx heritage. Chicano Park is located in Logan Heights (Barrio Logan) within San Diego, California. In the early 1900s, “Logan Heights had contained the "second largest Chicano Barrio community on the west coast, with a population of almost twenty thousand,”” (Murals). However, gentrification in San Diego continued to push Chicano residents out of Logan Heights for decades, and by 1979, the population had dwindled from 20,000 to about 5,000 (Rosen 93).

Pricing people out of their own homes was what initially stoked the fire that led to the community outrage and fight for the park. In addition to gentrification concerns, “The revival of muralism in the barrio...” was brought on by an increase in gang and drug violence, employment discrimination, English-only laws, and a lack of political power (Rosen 101). Residents fought against adversity and, between 1969 and 1975, Chicano political activism was at an all time high. The Chicano Movement, also called the Chicano Civil Rights Movement, was dedicated to achieving Mexican American empowerment. The movement specifically helped to reform education by implementing bilingual teaching practices and also fighting to allow agricultural workers to unionize. It is important to note that the particular social and economic issues that the movement dealt with “...coincided with the most productive period of Chicano muralism,” which provides the historical context for the Chicano Park murals (Rosen 101).

In the very beginning of this turbulent era, Barrio Logan residents were promised a park and people waited for months for the development and construction to begin. Instead, on April 22, 1970, construction workers showed up to build a Highway Patrol station. Activists took over the lot planting cacti, agave, and flowers. They then proceeded to raise the flag of Aztlán (the ancestral home of the Aztec people) and “...symbolically called the land Chicano Park, “La Tierra Mia,” as a historic reclamation of their Aztecan homeland,” (Lovell 106-107). The community continued to protest the construction, and at one meeting, an artist named Salvador Torres “expressed his vision of local Chicano painters and sculptors turning the bridge pylons into things of beauty, reflecting the Mexican-American culture,” (Murals). With this proposal from Torres in mind, residents continued to fight for the park they were promised, even occupying the land for over a week, until negotiations were in their favor. As Kera Lovell wrote in “Everyone Gets a Blister”: Sexism, Gender Empowerment, and Race in the People’s Park Movement, “Rather than ripping out the new concrete pillars that overshadowed their once-vibrant community, the creators of Chicano Park embraced them. On Earth Day 1971, the park officially opened as Barrio Logan’s Chicano Park with vivid murals painted on the pillars depicting male revolutionary leaders of color who had been erased in white American colonial textbooks,” (Lovell 105). In alignment with the history of resilience and the formation of parks as a form of protest, locals embraced the pillars rather than petitioning for them to be removed and on March 23, 1973, the mural making officially began.

After seven years of painting and persistence, in 1980, “Barrio Logan’s Chicano Park was found eligible for the National Register under Criterion A at the local level of significance due to its critical association with the Chicano Civil Rights Movement...” and has been considered an official historical site by the San Diego Historical Site Board ever since (Rosen 96). Sites like this, otherwise known as People’s Parks, existed well before the 80s. Since the Cold War era, “...activist coalitions across the world spontaneously converted dozens of vacant lots into liberated zones as forms of spatial protest,” (Lovell 103). Just like Chicano Park, the history of People’s Parks helps to reveal how activism and social justice can sprout up in urban environments rather than strictly formal museums or institutions. In the case of Chicano Park, insurgent park creation serves as a method of protest that simultaneously functions “...as both a tool to challenge histories of settler colonialism as well as a practice of it,” (Lovell 104).

San Diego’s population is diverse but often divided—especially between white citizens and Chicanx/Latinx community members. The history or pattern of biculturalism in San Diego persists at Chicano Park, and the site continues to serve as “...a symbol of community organization fighting to save a culture and a neighborhood, and should provide a positive example to other neighborhoods within San Diego that are fighting to stay alive,” (Murals). The border of Mexico is just 20 miles south of San Diego and Chicano Parks location, and the content of the murals may remind visitors of contemporary issues in our own community and across the nation. Murals like “Niños del Mundo” from 2011 and “No Border Wall” from 2017 illustrate these social justice issues and remind visitors of the unfair and unethical treatment of undocumented citizens, the border crisis, the importance of love and creativity, and the exploitation of Chicanx and Latinx culture (ie. Cinco de Mayo, pinañatas, etc.) that are integrated into the larger culture of San Diego.

I chose this site because of its admirable mission. I have lived in San Diego since I was two years-old, and my cities close proximity to Mexico has made me aware of the inequities that exist due to culture, race, and ethnicity across the globe and in my own community. However, despite exposure to the park through an eighth grade field trip, the existence of Chicano Park is often erased and rarely used as a learning tool in San Diego schools. San Diego is divided into a North and a South county (the South county being closer to Barrio Logan) and many residents throughout North county are not even aware of the park because of gentrification and the devaluation of outdoor art spaces that lack the authority of traditional institutions. If more people were cognizant of Chicano Park they could fully appreciate how the space demystifies stereotypes and showcases the power, perseverance, strength, and talent of Chicanx and Latinx members of my community. Minority voices go unheard much too often, but fortunately the murals speak for themselves—and they speak loudly.

I was intrigued upon discovering the role gender inequality played in the earlier years of the park and motivated to research this lesser known aspect of history with the tools and critical thinking skills I developed over the semester. I learned that in the beginning, “Men dominated the focus of murals in the park. In a mural depicting the Chicano Park takeover, women are peripheral and passive while men’s muscles are flexed or their bodies painted in striking poses,” (Lovell 105-106). Chicanx and Latinx men and women are both to credit for the existence of Chicano Park. Without residents of all ages and genders occupying the space and fighting for use of the land, Chicano Park would not exist. Fortunately, over time, Chicano feminists “...have subverted men’s absolutist authority...by insurgently painting their own murals of women...women increasingly center themselves within the activist resistance and within the larger history of the park,” (Lovell 116).

Chicano Park is heavily connected to social justice issues including racial equity, addressing marginalized stories, gentrification, and immigration especially because of the close proximity to Mexico. With all of the current immigration issues in the United States, it is important to maintain sites like this across the country to help raise awareness, pay respect to marginalized groups, and honor the people who essentially created this nation through working to build infrastructure, managing agriculture, and fixing the unstable foundation that colonizers built. California is stolen territory, and Chicano Park is one of the last remaining spaces that reminds visitors of the true past. However, through conversations with other San Diegans and articles I have read, I have formed the conclusion that Chicano Park could be doing more to effectively address contemporary social justice issues and provide a space for Chicanx and Latinx residents to feel represented.

These marginalized groups have their park which serves as a platform for activism and spatial protest, but the surrounding area continues to change because of gentrification. I spoke with my friend, Aléjandra (Alé) Sanchez, about the effectiveness of the park and she told me that two galleries in the surrounding neighborhood, Chicano Art Gallery and Bodega Gallery, are both closing. The landlord has decided the spaces would be more profitable as a brewery. Artists are still being pushed out to make space for trendier and sometimes more profitable businesses. Improvements in the surrounding neighborhoods and shopping areas make the community safer and contemporary, but history gets buried in the process.

I actually had the privilege to work on a project that tackled these social justice issues effectively. I worked with Parkeology in Balboa Park in 2017 to offer information about the free Border Trolley Tours. (My name is listed under “Parkeologists” on the webpage.) This project was done in collaboration with Cog•nate Collective, Kumeyaay Community College, and the teen docent program of Casa Familiar and provided an opportunity for visitors to go on a trolley ride through Barrio Logan and along the border while listening to audio recordings and interviews tracing the true history of migration in San Diego. These recordings were meant to reveal another side to the story and dismantle assumptions about land ownership and Mexican culture. For visitors who could not go on the trolley tour, we also had a Border Peepshow which featured four photographs depicting political separation in San Diego/Tijuana in 1887, 1927, 1967, and 2017 to tell a similar story.

Chicano Park tells the story of how Chicanx and Latinx residents of San Diego fought for their land, political representation, and general equality. When visiting Chicano Park it is evident that the story is not only “...told in three-dimensional space, but the visitor walks the plot,” (Kirshenblatt-Gimblett 6). Walking among the various murals, visitors may feel taken aback by the quantity and scale of the art work. The murals span decades and the sense of history is all around. Some visitors sit and admire the paintings, homeless residents find safe spaces to spend their days in the park, and families can enjoy the various playgrounds. As my friend Alé said, “Art spaces have always been safe spaces,” so what happens when there are not safe art spaces for everyone?

Without community spaces like Chicano Park, ignorance is inevitable. San Diego is home to people from all different backgrounds and many smaller suburbs are very segregated. “Despite the fact that the San Diego/Tijuana border is the most transited in the world, only 1 in 4 San Diegans take the drive south to cross,” (Border). I can attest to this statistic as I have not been across the border in well over a decade. The area I live in is mostly white, and because of this separation, there are plenty of people who are ignorant by default. “According to a recent article in The Atlantic, 75% of Whites have entirely White social networks,” and I think the Parkeology project I worked on, at the very least, provided insight into another culture (Herz). This statistic also magnifies the importance of sites like Chicano Park where people of all different races, ethnicities, and cultures can come together and learn from one another to create a more aware, tolerant, and accepting society because “...the political positioning of museum authority...can be challenged by the experiences, beliefs, and emotions visitors bring with them,” (Golding 13). This only furthers the notion that meaningful cross-racial dialogue needs to become more prevalent in today’s world.

Chicano Park is a site of conscience in that it responds to biculturalism, identity politics, gentrification, racial injustices, and remains “...committed to engaging people through dialogical exchange, not only by remembering past struggles for social justice, but also by addressing contemporary pernicious legacies…” (Golding 21).
Chicano Park engages with the public through community events like the Barrio Art Crawl and the Cinco de Mayo Festival. As Martin Rosen and James Fisher wrote in Chicano Park and the Chicano Park Murals: Barrio Logan, City of San Diego, California, “Since 1970, Barrio residents have made extensive use of their new park for social and political events. Annually, on the Saturday nearest April 22nd, the Latino community of San Diego and the Barrio Logan neighborhood have celebrated the founding of Chicano Park...” (Rosen 94). The 49th Chicano Park Day Celebration took place on April 20, 2019, and the event is always free and open to the public so that people of all ages and backgrounds can come to appreciate art, participate in craft workshops, hear speakers, enjoy traditional foods, and be educated at informational booths. However, there are still plenty of obstacles and challenges that the park faces.

As Carlos Tortolero wrote in A Mexican National Museum in Chicago: Integrating Cultures, “...there are two hurdles that institutions of color must constantly be confronting when viewed by the mainstream world,” and these hurdles are that the “...art is not good,” and that there is a “...mindset that institutions of color can’t “manage things,”” (Tortolero 42). Sadly, Chicano Park is no exception. It obviously took a lot of work to get the land and funding in the first place, but some people continue to have misconceptions about the park, Barrio Logan, and Chicanx and Latinx people in general.

Chicano Park is not a formal museum or institution, it is an art space on the streets that is open to the public which separates it from the colonization process and places the control in the hands of the Native people that the site represents. This is powerful, but it also makes the park vulnerable. Unlike a formal institution, there is not an authority figure or board to make everyone take the park seriously. In addition, “The Barrio Logan neighborhood, itself, does not provide a completely safe haven for the murals,” because of pigeon roosting, graffiti, “...disconnection among the barrio’s youth and these magnificent murals,” homeless taking residence in the park, and garbage from nearby businesses (Rosen 108).

The park can also do more to facilitate dialogue. Because of the free, public, outdoor space that Chicano Park occupies, there are no docents or guides to educate visitors. With the exception of special events like the annual celebration, there are not many opportunities at the park to learn more about Chicanx and Latinx culture. Visitors may engage in conversations with other visitors or research more about the park online or at the library, but the park could be improved by offering more events. As Cinnamon Catlin-Legutko wrote in History That Promotes Understanding in a Diverse Society, “Facilitated dialogue allows personal truths to come forward, be examined and valued, and be evaluated for harmful impact,” (Catlin-Legutko 8). Conversations are integral to peaceful change, empathy, and tolerance. Scholars, journalists, and people in positions of power can continue to push this ideal through their work, but, “We wouldn’t need these articles if we occupied social spaces in which meaningful cross-racial dialogue were common,” (Herz). Governments may advocate for equality, but citizens can also take matters into their own hands. In the case of Chicano Park, and Modern Chicano muralism, the movement “...grew out of a desire for change and was typically centered in barrios and ghettos of inner cities. Muralism inspired efforts to reclaim a community’s cultural heritage and was used as a means to develop individual and community self-pride,” (Rosen 100). People have the power to cultivate positive change.

Chicano Park allows the San Diego community to stay invested in social justice and continue to fight for equality and tolerance in our city and across borders—both tangible and intangible. We are all human, but separated by a lack of understanding of one another’s cultures or backgrounds. Community-based museums like Chicano Park allow people from all different backgrounds to come together and grow while the murals themselves “...serve as a reminder to people in the community that they can change their environment,” (Rosen 106).

We all have the power to change our environment for the better, and community collaboration can have far reaching positive impacts. I hope that Chicano Park continues to inspire activists to fight for what they believe in. Now more than ever, the importance of standing together in a world that does not necessarily feel united is necessary because as Cinnamon Catlin-Legutko states, “When relevance is evident, oppressive and colonized frameworks can be dissolved,” (Catlin-Legutko 9). I believe that Chicano Park, the artists, and residents who made the park possible and continue to support it have the power and passion to dissolve these despotic frameworks and actually create new frameworks— beautiful frameworks that are just as colorful and varied as the people they represent.

© Annie Fay Meitchik. All Rights Reserved. All content on anniefay.com is my own or credit is given when applicable, please do not use any of my images before contacting me above or @ anniefaymeitchik@gmail.com.

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Kauai

10/27/2019

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This past week has been incredibly full. After celebrating Katie’s 18th birthday in Los Angeles I came home to celebrate my own birthday. My mom and I traveled to Kauai to spend the first week of my 21st year hiking, swimming in the ocean, and soaking up as much sunshine as possible.

Although traveling can be anxiety-inducing for me, I always manage to push myself out of my comfort zone and return home feeling accomplished and grateful. I feel so lucky to have spent the past few days indulging in the art of beauty seeking. Natural beauty is everywhere you look in Kauai—chickens walk along the beaches, sea turtles sunbathe on the shore, rainbows arch across the azure sky, and tree trunks adorned in flowers spiral out into impossible configurations.

Each morning, my mom and I rose with the sun and after enjoying breakfast we headed out to explore the island. After full days spent hiking, swimming, and sightseeing we would return to our stunning room at the Grand Hyatt to rinse off the sand that stuck to our feet like sesame seeds. The salt water from the day would evaporate, leaving behind a chalky smoothness on our sun kissed skin. Each night I fell into bed early in the evening ready to wake up at sunrise again to begin another day of adventure.

To see more of what I got up to in Kauai, please view the photos below!!

Monday started off with a rainbow sighting from the airplane. From the airport we drove straight to Waimea Waterfall and then drove through the Tree Tunnel to walk around the little town of Poipu. There, we stopped for lunch at Island Grille and marveled at the little green Kauai geckos scaling the walls. In the afternoon we explored our hotel and walked along Shipwreck Beach before checking into our suite, changing into swimsuits, and swimming in the saltwater lagoon.

rainbow from the airplane

kauai gecko

saltwater lagoon

waimea falls

saltwater lagoon

shipwreck beach

waimea falls

Tuesday morning we woke up at sunrise and headed to Ilima Terrace for breakfast. After enjoying a delicious assortment of fresh fruit, juice, blueberry pancakes, and scrambled eggs we headed out on a four mile hike along Shipwreck Beach towards the tortoise sanctuary and The Makauwahi Cave. After persevering through the heat we reached the cave which was evidently closed until 10:00 a.m. Our water bottles were empty and the heat was intense but we managed to work our way back and proceeded to hunt for seashells. After our morning work out, we stopped at ‘Anakē’s in Koloa for acai bowls and juice. Refueled, we continued on and explored the shops in Hanapepe including Talk Story Bookstore (Celeste “The Cat Boss”) which is the westernmost bookstore in the U.S. We found a few treasures and left to visit Waimea Canyon and the Red Dirt Waterfall (although no water was running on Tuesday). We also stopped at Warehouse 3540 (a creative community marketplace) and Living Foods Market before heading back to our hotel to spend the early evening swimming in the pool. As we dried off to head back to our room a rainbow appeared across the sky. We changed and headed into Poipu to grab dinner before going to bed.

moon

pool waterfall

talk story bookstore in hanapepe

waimea canyon

pool waterfall

Wednesday morning we visited with the parrots before heading out through the Tree Tunnel towards ‘Opaeka’a Falls and the Maunakapu and Wailua River/Wailua Heritage Trail. After taking a few photos at the scenic overlook we headed towards the Hindu Monastery - Saiva Siddhanta Headquarters where we wrote down fears we hoped to let go of and burned them in a small metal fire pit before exploring the gardens and viewing the temple. Leaving the monastery we drove to Kapa’a and walked along the beach and in the town stopping at a cute boutique called curious… Wednesday was our favorite day in Kauai because as we headed North towards Princeville I noticed this side street on Google Maps called Secret Beach Road. Intrigued, we decided to turn left down a narrow dirt road. We slowly drove through a field alongside a magnificent farm lined by huge trees. As we continued forward we saw these treehouse-like mansions hidden behind jungle trees. We parked and noticed other hikers on the dirt path and chose to explore further. After walking down the dirt road we reached the edge of the mountain we had been driving on and saw the sign for the trail. Straight down the mountain we caught a peek at the ocean below and decided to venture down. After hiking for about a mile down through the jungle we reached Secret Beach (aka Kauapea Beach) alongside the cutest Australian Shepherd. The beach was absolutely breathtaking and we spent a long time walking along the shore and collecting seashells. Walking back up the steep mountain was a fun challenge that left us in need of a refreshing snack. Once we got back to the car we continued to head north and stopped off when we discovered a cute stand selling homemade popsicles with unusual flavors so we picked up a coconut chai and a banana caramel ginger one for the road. We headed back to Shipwreck Beach and decided to return to The Makauwahi Cave which was actually open and we were finally able to go inside. After a day spent hiking we were ready to change into swimsuits and relax in the saltwater lagoon and do some more swimming at Poipu Beach after sunset to see a sea turtle and colorful schools of fish beneath the clear turquoise water. We finished off the evening by revisiting the shops in Poipu and enjoying dinner.

saltwater lagoon again

‘opaeka’a falls

secret beach

chocolate farm near where we got popsicles

‘opaeka’a falls

makauwahi cave

giant leaves along the secret beach trail

saltwater lagoon again

aussie friend at the secret beach

top of the trail at the secret beach

the secret beach

Thursday morning we enjoyed another sunrise breakfast before returning to the Red Dirt Waterfall (which was running this time). After the waterfall we wanted to check out the Russian Fort Elizabeth State Historical Park since we’d driven past it several times. Although there are not any forts or buildings still standing, the flowering field leads down to a black sand beach dotted with yellow butterflies in Waimea where I saw sharks and fish. We then returned to Hanapepe and revisited the Talk Story Bookstore and ordered lunch. We went across the Swinging Bridge and walked along the river before going back to our hotel to eat and change into swimsuits. Once we were ready to go, we headed to Poipu Beach to swim, read, and view more fish. I was feeling warm from the sun and probably a little dehydrated so I tried to think of an out-of-the-box activity for that evening—something different than swimming in the pool. We wound up checking out the Fun Factory Arcade in Kapa’a to play air hockey and other games.

black sand beach in waimea

mom at poipu

russian fort historical park

swinging bridge in hanapepe

On Friday morning we went straight to Poipu Beach to see the sea turtles sunbathing on the sand. We returned to the hotel for breakfast and checked out Maha’ulepo Heritage Trail which led us to these rock caves by the sea. After our little hike we made one final stop at Spouting Horn before packing up and heading home to San Diego.

sea turtle at poipu beach

cave at maha’ulepo trail

Music:
anemone by slenderbodies
opal ocean by slenderbodies
50 Ways to Leave Your Lover by Paul Simon
Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes by Paul Simon
Driving to Hawaii by Summer Salt
Side A by Alohaha
Side B by Alohaha
It Isn’t Real by Fantasy Guys
Blue by Mura Masa, Damon Albarn
Follow the Leader by Foxygen
Tried by BADBADNOTGOOD, Little Dragon
West Coast by Coconut Records
Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol
Odessa by Caribou
O.N.E. by Yeasayer

sea turtle at poipu beach

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London Part II

10/14/2018

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Last week my mom and I traveled to London to visit my friend Claire. My week was spent taking the tube all around the city to visit museums, vintage clothing stores, art galleries, and markets.

While traveling I forgot all about California sunsets and swimming in the ocean. I didn’t think about anything I was obligated to do back home. I found it effortless to be entirely present. I was so thoroughly captivated by the world around me. A world where living in the present was intrinsic.

I’d spend my mornings listening to The Rolling Stones and The Kinks on the tube, constantly headed somewhere new. Like in Alice in Wonderland, going underground was like traveling down the rabbit hole and resurfacing in a new neighborhood was always like re-entering Wonderland.

London very much feels like a fantasy land. The city has this wonderful energy. The people are vibrant, passionate, and relaxed. There is a certain thoughtfulness everywhere...fresh flowers adorn every surface, menus are placed on tables with intention, buildings are painted pastel colors, doors are bright turquoise and amber yellow.

Usually from 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 in the morning I would explore the city, observing all of its idiosyncrasies. Down every street, alleyway, and through every window there was so much beauty to take in. The ability to experience and photograph it all was liberating and I felt so at home, even so far from home.

This was the first time I traveled with complete freedom. Every day was up to me and I was free to explore independently. I’d walk down the street to get a smoothie, I went to the local grocery store to buy rosé and macarons for picnics in Hyde Park, I visited Claire at her flat for drinks with her friends. The possibilities were endless and the freedom was unlike anything else I’ve experienced. I felt as though I’d entered a portal into my future, and with a sense of wonder I looked around at everything as though it was all magic.

London was like a dream. Words simply cannot encapsulate how grateful I am for this adventure. I loved every moment. I loved navigating Portobello Market in the rain while eating nutella crepes. I loved watching the 24 hour film at the Tate Modern. I loved visiting Brighton with my mom and exploring every little shop we stumbled upon. I loved this trip more than words can ever convey.

To see more of what I got up to in London, please view the photos below!!

Cheers,

Annie