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Andrea Martinez

English 101

Professor Batty

27 February 2017

We Bleed The Same Blood

Los Angeles, otherwise known as, The City of Angels. This is known to be the city of

possibilities and adventures. For the Latino culture, East Los Angeles is where one can find

fascinating pieces of art. Whether it is someone selling gorgeous handcrafted rosaries or perhaps

a mariachi band playing intricate melodies on the street corner. Or maybe it could be the

abundance of beautiful murals all around the city. One specific mural that caught my attention

however was on a wall of a building. What grasped me in was the message that was plastered on

the wall. We Are NOT A Minority!! Another striking feature of this artwork was that each

word in the message was written with different types of fonts and colors. Blue was the frequently

used color; with a hint of red, yellow and white. In addition to the message, on the right hand

side of the mural the artist drew an older man pointing. The man was drawn with skin relatively

resembling cocoa powder and black wavy hair that seemed as if it was shoulder length.

Nonetheless, he was pointing. It was at that specific time that I had an epiphany. We arent a

minority. The Latino community shouldnt be seen as a minority. Same ideology for the

African American community, the Asian community, the Indian community; regardless of the

color of your skin you shouldnt be viewed as a minority. We should be viewed as people,

human beings. I suppose thats what the artist intended the message to be. Although some may

argue that this mural is just graffiti painted by criminals, I argue that this is an exquisite piece of
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artwork that stands for way more than meets the eye because of its social and political stance and

its overall message.

During the 1970s, due to the Chicano movement, most political artists incorporated old

inspirational heroes and indigenous Mexican-American individuals from the past into their

artwork to emphasize the strength of la raza. The Chicano muralist, Mario Torero, painted the

infamous Che Guevara in one of his many murals. Che Guevara is an Argentine Marxist

Revolutionist that used his communistic power and leadership to push Guerrilla Warfare in the

direction of Cuban liberation against communist Cuban dictator, Batista Zaldvar. The presence

of Che Guevara within this mural really conveys a strong social diplomatic character that speaks

to the social issue of the 70s. The Chicano movement was all about civil rights towards the

Chicano community, and Guevaras role of liberation transcends past the murals and into the

Chicano souls. It created this soulful fire against discrimination, equal rights and Chicanos birth

rights. Not only does this mural depict the social issues of the 70s but also the political aspects.

Political activism hit a high peak in the Chicano community. In the 70s, the United

States had just finished with Cesar Chaves and his intensive movement towards equal treatment

and wages for Latino farm workers. Political scandals rose when Mexican-Americans argued that

U.S. soil was theirs to begin with due to the Treaty of Guadalupe; stating that preexisting land

would stay with the Mexican owner. Therefore it created a strong foundered structure for the

claim that land is granted to Chicanos, and it didnt stop there. Mexican-American students

fought for equal access to education and political stance. Which meant less of a poor graduation

rates; only 25% of Chicano students would graduate in most universities, which was unfair to

students. They demanded for more enrollments of Mexican-American students and this was

established through student walkouts and boycotts against school boards. This type of political
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activism correlates to Mario Toreros mural through his message, We are not a minority. In

each of these political fields we see that Chicanos were seen as a minority and werent treated as

anything more than a foreigner. The statement, We are not a minority, combined with how the

artist painted Che Guevara as directly pointing at the audience, sets an assertive and firm slap to

the face of what those words mean. I also feel that the way Guevara is painted is almost a sign of

mockery to the United States. His posture and his finger pointing towards the audience almost

portray the infamous Uncle Sam. It is almost as if it is an intentional parallel. The artist did a

fantastic job at making the depicter feel as if the mural is imploring them to act more than just a

minority.

Overall the mural was exquisite; I felt that I can relate to this artwork in various aspects.

As a Latina, the message We are not a minority, was an eye opener. There hasnt been any real

change in the way Americans feel about us, the minorities. Some feel that immigrants come in

vain; that we come to infiltrate their lives. On the contrary, we come to find a better life. This

mural stands for everything we hope for in the near future. We want to be recognized as part of

normal society and not as outcasts. The artwork painted by Mario Torero is a reminder for us

minorities; and I mean every minority, to be strong. Che Guevara was such a strong political

figure and he made drastic changes not only in his country but around the world. That is a

significant message; we have to be powerful enough to make change. We have to be passionate

enough to prove skeptics wrong. We have the power to change everything, but we cant do it

alone. It doesnt matter where you are from or what language you speak, what matters is you

seek freedom just as we all do. That is what I interpret when I see this mural.

Naturally, this mural deserves more recognition than what I can offer. Also, the general

message Torero tries to depict in his artwork deserves more praise. We are not a minority, were
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human. Regardless of skin tones everyone should be treated with respect and dignity. The mural

implores us to fight for what we believe in, to fight for our birth given rights. As Ella Fitzgerald

once wrote, It's not about where you come from its about where you're going.
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Works Cited

"Mural Conservancy of Los Angeles." We Are Not A Minority | Mural Conservancy of

Los Angeles. Mural Conservancy of Los Angeles, n.d. Web. 25 May 2017.
"USC Digital Library." The Murals of Estrada Courts. We Are Not a Minority, Los

Angeles, 1978 :: Robin Dunitz Slides of Los Angeles Murals, 1925-2002. University of

Southern California Libraries, 2002. Web. 26 May 2017.

Editors, Biography.com. "Che Guevara." Biography.com. A&E Networks Television, 28

Apr. 2017. Web. 26 May 2017.

History.com Staff. "Che Guevara." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2009. Web.

26 May 2017.
TheChicano Civil Rights Movement. Online Text. Retrieved from the Library of

Congress, <https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200197398/>.
Fuentes, Ed. "10 Monumental Murals of Los Angeles." KCET. KCET, 01 Jan. 2017. Web.

26 May 2017.
"Latino Heritage in Los Angeles: Murals." Discover Los Angeles. Discover Los Angeles,

n.d. Web. 26 May 2017.

"The Murals of Estrada Courts, East Los Angeles." BrownPride.com : Murals.

BrownPride,com : Murals, n.d. Web. 26 May 2017.

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Appendix