San Diego is a great town to visit. Downtown is close to the waterfront, is close to the airport, is close to Balboa Park, which includes San Diego Zoo. They have a wild animal safari park, Sea World, Legoland, and beaches galore. Is it because it has so many beautiful destination points that an incredible place like Chicano Park just doesn't often make the list of "things to see"? Somehow I fear there is more to it than just that. I doubt all that many people in San Diego have even heard of Chicano Park. And sadly, it took us nearly the whole year we were here before we made it there ourselves. But we did! And it was amazing!
Chicano Park is a neighborhood park placed under a series of freeway overpasses. The history of this park is phenomenal. Where the people in power showed complete disrespect, the people of this community showed incredible strength. When a neighborhood was decimated, freeways trampled over homes, and a community was geographically divided, the people of this barrio came together, rose up, and built a beautiful park and cultural center. Walking through this park sincerely out-did most museum experiences I've ever had.
The mural series is beautiful and thought provoking. But I was greatly saddened by the contrast between how obviously significant, symbolic, and meaningful the art was and how little I knew about Chicano history. I recognized the name of an artist or activist here and there, and it is kind of impossible to live in California and not know SOMETHING about Cesar Chavez, founder of the National Farm Workers Association. But my knowledge kind of ends there.
Place is significant. The land we live on, work, own is more intimately connected to who we are than I think we recognize on a day to day basis. Among other things, it was beautiful how this park could celebrate that.
Chicano park lit a fire under me. I wanted to know more about the park itself. I want to know more about Chicano Art, I want to know more about Chicano history. Just the story of the park alone brought tears to my eyes. There is so much sorrow but so much resilience to learn about from these stories. I want to be impassioned for the causes these great heroes have fought for. I want to be able to tell my daughter these stories. I want to raise her to be a Chicana who might herself grow up to be a woman of such strength and an artist of such significance.
Lobsters, dig me out of my ignorance. Do any of you have some great tips for books or resources for learning about Chicano history? Both for myself, but also, maybe some great children's books for Sofia? I would love some leads so I can learn more!!
I took a Chicano lit class at Westmont, and it was one of my favorites. I thought Bless Me, Ultima was beautiful, and as an Angeleno, I was fascinated by Always Running: Gang Days in L.A. I also enjoyed Cisneros' work.
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