Walking through Chicano Park, a common theme can be interperated within many of the murals that speaks of the pure innocent powerful child that needs to be protected in order to carry on, teach and preserve the ways of their ancestors from past generations. The struggles of the Californian Chicano family begins from the moment their child is born throwing them into the many obstacles, sacfrifices and life changing descisions that are made from wanting to provide the best life for their family. Every mural although sharing the same message simultaneously depicts the different struggles the families have have to endure in order to live out the dream of the protected child. The Chicano Park murals ranging from the "Birth of La Raza" to the "Tree of Life" all consistently reaffirm the California dream of the Protected child.
The mural "Tree of Life" simultaneously celebrates teh joys of life yet depicts the many faces of death when living out the California dream of the protected child. At the base of the mural runs a radiant pure blue river supplying nutrients to the tree symbolizing the continuous cycle of life and death. The mother sitting with her three children next to the river represents the nurturing bond beginning from the womb growing stronger as each child enters into adulthood. Above the mother and children, there is an Adam and Eve look-a-like couple swimming toward the foundation of the tree of life illustrating the creation of mankind. Branching from the top of the tree lays an unborn fetus who protected is by his or her ancestors who represent "the indigenous culture, history, land and people" (Latorre 69) from both the past and the present providing an all around circle of protection. With roots burrowing themselves deep into the Earth's soil, there are people clawing thier way out from the green sod as a man joins his borthers and sisters in the fight to live. Lingering below the tree there is a dark figure that leads up to a skeleton symblozing the death many souls who died trying ot live out the dream of protecting the child. On the left side of the mural the Desert Mountains are in the background while on the right side lays nice green grass giving the impression of the struggles many immigrants ancestors faced as they attempted to cross into the promised land of California. Countless Chicano families live here in California today through the courageous actions of the immigrants who dared take the risk of crossing the border into the promised land in hopes of living out the dream of the protected child.
The mural "Birth of La Raza" promotes teh dream of the protected child thorugh the love of two young adults starting a family through procreation. With brilliant colors of deep sea blue, pure radiant white and a fantastic fire orange swirling together as both mother and father reach out to their baby depicting the dream of the protected child. The unborn fetus overtaken in a circle of love, trust and pure innocence looks to be relaxed at the thought of being in a warm, safe, clam enviroment protected from the evil that lies outside the pillar. The mother dressed in an traditional aztec dress has an amazing ocean blue backgorund surrounding her as a white dove wraps his wings connecting the mother and child symbolizing the bond developed during the nine months in the womb when the fetus is weak, vulnerable and most dependent. The father dressed in aztec clothing has a colorful background of red, orange, and yellow swirls around himself and his unborn fetus symbolizing the concept that children look up to their fathers for guidance, reassurance and protection from birth to adulthood when they are able to fend for themselves. The parents taking pride in their unborn fetus promote the idea that "people themselves need to realize that they have roots in this continent" as shown through the pyramid shaped foundation that has leaves sprouting out of the top symbolizing the need to preserve their aztec culture. This relates back to the idea that the birth of a child who is to carry on thier cultural backgorund and beliefs all depicts the dream of the protected child.
The mural "Fountain of Life and Death" simultaneously depicts the dream of the protected child through the cycle of life, death and how parents will sacrifice everything so their child can fulfill the dreams. Facing the mural there stands a mother and father cradling an unborn child in a fetal position in front of a globe. Glancing up, the arm of the father is holding a dove bird with a huge heart over the chest symbolizing that these parents would give anything including their own lives in order to protect their child from any harm. The circle of water surrounding both the the parents and the unborn baby symbolizes a circle of trust and security with the pureness of the water. The people in the mural would also be able to see all the around them of any harm coming their way through the reflection of the water to further protect their child as well as themselves. When the mural is viewed from behind, an unfortunate scene seems to have taken place where the once living family is now the image of skeletons and no baby in sight. With devastation at first glance it is not until further investigation that reveals the face of a happy mother who is smiling giving truth to "the concept of sacrifice is associated not so much with death and violence as with the continuation of life itself" (Latorre 65). Holding a shield symbolizing the ultimate protection,the father is also smiling agiving off the impression that their child is now safe enough that they feel they can go to heaven in peace. Through the depiction of love, trust and sacrifce the image of the true Californian Chicano family can be seen living out the dream of the protected child.
The mural "Tribute to Roger Lucero" celebrates the need to preserve the traditional beliefs in order to keep the dream of the protected child alive. Religion is very important within any culture but is especially essential within a traditional Californian Chicano family as seen through the mural tribute to Roger Lucero. Starting at the bottom is the face of a young boy with what seems to be ancestry cave drawings on his shirt; continuing up the mural a woman who has the same Indian face paintings symbolizes the need to understand the hertigae, cultural and spiritual background associated through their ancestors. The top of the mural depicts a God like hand holdong a baby boy enclosed in a bubble surrounded by a religious sun ray of yellow and green circles of light symbolizing protection from God. Surrounding this child are his parents who resemble angels hovering over him as if watching by flying around him in order to ensure he will always be protected. On the left side of the mural there are two very strong independent looking men who represent the name of the family in which the protected child is to carry on proudly through the next generations to come. Tradition, religion and strength are all apart of Californian Chicano family who hopes that they too can live out the dream of the protected child just as so many generations had achieved before them.
The mural "Standing Proud" encouragingly promotes the Chicano families pride in always standing up for the protected child. In the mural the father is standing in front of his wife and child holding his arms up in a blocking manner with the Chicano symbol brilliantly laid out behind him there is an attitude of a father willing to sacrifice his life before he would let any harm come to his family. As stated by Latorre (65) "the notion of sacrifice has mirrored the importance placed by Chicano gangs' members on dying for familia". Although this is not to say that another man would no do the same for his family but it is very well known that Chicanos are all about family feeling the need to protect their family at any cost. The mother is also holding her child in a protecting manner showing that she too would sacrifice herself in order to never let any harm come to the protected child. In the Chicano culture the mother is to care and nurture her children to form who they grow up to be while their men are out working. The father on the other hand is to teach his child how to defend his or her self just as his father did before him continuing the tradition of the Californian Chicano family. The child holding a book symbolizes a parent's dream of their child furthering his ir her education past the parents to ensure that the child can live out any furture they plan. In many traditional Californian Chicano families, the parents strive to provide everything and anything the child might need growing up so that the child will have a better life than his ir her parents had growing up. This mural just speaks of a traditional Chicano family who based off their cultural background struggles everyday to maintain the California dream of the protected child.
Through the murals ranging from the "Birth of La Raza" to "Tribute to Roger Lucero" the readers and myself were able to see the love, trust, struggles and sacrifices all the families were subject to endure. In all the murals discussed, the readers were able to see how love could motivate parents to strive for better living for their child as well as themselves. Through the murals the readers were able to see how these parents were able to trust each other in the protection of the child as well as themsleves. Through the murals the readers are able to interpret the struggles that unfold for each family and how togther they were able to overcome these obstacles in providing a better life for the protected child. And last through all the murals the reader was able to witness the sacrifices each family made in the hopes that the protected child could live on in order to fulfill his or her dreams in life carrying the traditions their ancestors. Many Californian Chicano parents strive to give their child teh life they never had by sacrificing all they have in order to live out the dream of the protected child.
