A mural depicting Cesar Chavez, the co-founder of the United Farmworkers Union, was vandalized sometime Tuesday night.
The mural “Y tu, y yo y Cesar” was dedicated to Chavez, to the community and to other revolutionary heroes, said Carlos Gonalez, the artist, who’s also a former probation officer.
It was defaced with gang tags, including a “16” scrawled on part of Chavez’s face and an X crossing out the eagle, the symbol of the United Farm Workers.
In recent years, the eagle has also been adopted as the icon of rival prison gangs.
Already, Gonzalez said, community members who work with youth have offered “to educate” those responsible about the mural’s history and heroes. It was particularly troubling, he said, that the vandals are likely from the Mission.
Gonzalez first painted a mural on the York Street wall in 1984 with muralist Ray Patlan, his mentor. “It was a mirror of the neighborhood, snapshots of people here,” he said, adding that gang members helped paint the first mural.
Ten years later, that mural had aged and he asked Patlan for permission to paint another mural over it. Chavez had died in the spring of 1993, and Gonzales wanted to honor him as well as other heroes, including Pancho Villa. To keep with the spirit of the first mural, Gonzalez also added members of the community and the mural was painted with the help of at-risk youth.
The mural, he said, will be restored.
same-ish graffiti tag was reported Wed Jul 25, 2018 11:03 pm on a building at Bryant St & 22nd St
http://mobile311.sfgov.org/reports/9317712
Vandals defaced the new murals at 16th and Mission a couple of weeks ago too. Punks
Those are serious tags and a major affront to that area.
There’s a spate of avenge shootings in the mission right now. The graffiti in your link shows a tribute to a gang member who was killed 6 years ago.
Someone with ptsd is on the warpath. I hope they cool out. Their friend ain’t comin’ back.
http://missionlocal-newspack.newspackstaging.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/photo-101.jpg
It’s not an attack on Chavez but the symbol of the black eagle that was adopted by a gang, that is not just found in prison. X3 is opposing gang. The statement, “Fuck Bustaz” is a phrase that solidifies this. ‘Buster’ is derogatory term referencing one of the gangs. 16 may describe neighborhood of taggers specific gang-crew. Disrespect, I would say is not targeted towards Raza art or heroes but a representation of division amongst our youth in our neighborhoods. This should alert us to the greater need to offer alternatives to youth to ensure they have options to succeed in life through a quality education, career, or productive job. That means we have to organize more programs for academic advancement, and advocacy so schools do good four or kids, engage kids to be the next muralists and help on murals painted, coding camps to get kids in technology, athletic leagues, cultural celebrations and much more.
Prolly some millionaire techbro taking a break from evicting teachers and chopping down trees. Why are you censoring my comment? Are only staff allowed to make ridiculous, unfounded accusations about techies?
Hi Shaun —
You continue to misuse the term “censor.” I am under no obligation to print your comments, and will not do so when they engage in ad hominem attacks. You can abide by the parameters of rational discourse we’d prefer on this website or you can get your own.
Best,
JE