2007

Themes: land and people struggle; resistance; resilience

This poster by Salvador Barajas pays homage to the forgotten migrants who have fought to cross the border, as well as honor the lives lost in an attempt to do so. Barajas was one of the first artists to paint in Chicano Park and became a citizen after retiring from the Air Force, so the theme of the 37th Chicano Park Day was a personal one. He shares that the poster "highlights how the U.S only welcomes immigrants when they need them for labor and then proceeds to dispose of them when they are not needed anymore to the government.” The fence is green to symbolize the money spent on the wall. The two hands ripping the fence is to “represent disapproval with the money spent on building a wall along the Southern border.” The large hands also represent the strength, resilience, and determination of those crossing the border for a better future. The people standing in the middle of the fence symbolize those who are affected behind the wall. It is a visual reminder that when the wall is up, the people behind it do not disappear. Their faces have different facial expressions, all displaying emotions felt as a result of injustices the community faces. We interpreted the people pleading and protesting for a sense of community and belonging, hence the sign, “WHO IS THE ILLEGAL…YOU PILGRIM.

This Union Tribune article explains the political statements that were central to the 2007 Chicano Park Day. Immigration raids had threated the undocumented community in the week prior to the celebration.