True colors mural

Located: City of San Rafael, Canal Alliance

BY: JOSELINE HERNANDEZ

Who is the Canal Alliance?

They provide services for the latinx community who lack resources. Support for the latinx/chicanx community of the Canal neighborhood, majority residents being low-income immigrants and latinos.

Canal Alliance: True Colors mural, 2011

In our Chicanx/Latinx studies course, when learning about my culture and roots, the topics throughout the semester continued to lead my thoughts to where I come from and the place I call home.

Welcome to the Canal neighborhood, located in San Rafael, south of Santa Rosa.

Students from the Canal Alliance Youth Program ages 11-18 completed this 10-month public art project to celebrate the resilience and strength of the students and the Canal community.

MISSION: Inspire community and visitors, promote stories and experiences of Latinos

Right angle of "True Colors" mural

Shows cultural divsersity (Youth sharing love of sports)
Hard work is shown by the smoke coming from labor/industrialization
The earth symbolizes how even if we come from different parts of the world, we are all one and united.
Everyone has right to achieve their dreams

Left angle of "True Colors" mural

Activism Leaders: Cesar Chavez, Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, Che Guevara, Angela Davis, and Emiliano Zapata.
White dove: Represents love and peace
SF Golden Gate bridge, with a No Guns sign under
Guns have impacted the Latinx/Black communities, and as minorities, we must stick together as shown above
Our experiences bring as together to remind us of the richness of ethnicity, cultural, and social diversity
Our leaders fought for our civil/human rights and my community is proud of where we come from
Despite the discrimination and racism, bright colors are used to emphasize our brightness will always prevail

Middle of "True Colors" mural

The main image of the mural is a woman, with different colored puzzle pieces forming her facial features.
Body: Eyes, neck, skin, and hair are all different colors and textures
Representation: Unity and emphasizing on even if we look different, we are all human, we are all the same despite social norms placed

Mural reflection: When I was an adolescent, I was part of the Canal Alliance Youth program and it reminded me of the support I received in order to succeed in my classes. As a Latina and Chicana student, I faced obstacles not everyone in my class would understand, except for those students living in my neighborhood. This mural truly reminds me of my strength and perseverance as a Latina daughter from immigrants parents. Even if we are considered low-income, my dreams matter. Throughout the class, I touched based with my roots and this final digital archive is my overall achievement of my learning experience in connection with where I call home. I am a proud Latina.

-Joseline Hernandez

TRUE COLORS mural, collaborative efforts of Canal Alliance, ForWords, Preitu Eyes Muralists Association, and Marin Community Foundation (2011).

Even though the latinx community continues to face obstacles in society, residents and students are supported and empowered by the Canal community. Immigrants continue to come to our neighborhood because despite feeling sorrow from leaving their homeland and anxiety from being in a new place, the Canal is a reminder of home away from home. We are stronger together.

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