Mexican Influence on Chicano MuralistMexican Influence on Chicano MuralistDuring the pinnacle of the mural movement in Mexico, muralists such as Rivera and Siqueiros were invited to paint murals in the United States. The arrival of these two giants in the United States inspired both their American counterparts in the 1930s and later Chicano painters in the 1970s and 80s. Art work such as America Tropical created by Siqueiros in LA greatly influenced the Chicano style. The mural displayed an Indian peon representing oppression by United State imperialism who is crucified on a double cross capped by an American eagle. A Mayan pyramid in the background is overrun by vegetation, while an armed Peruvian peasant and a Mexican campesino sit on a wall in the upper right corner, ready to defend themselves. Although the piece remained visible for only about a year, the politically charged statement against American imperialism remained in peoples mind for many years to come. The possible reason it tool until the 70s for the Chicano mural movement to develop is because the political seed Siqueiros planted remained dormant until it was sparked by the Civil Rights movement. [explain ideologies of Chicano movement] When murals began appearing in urban neighborhoods across the nation during the Chicano movement, America Tropical acquired its most far reaching significance by becoming their predecessor and prototype. The increased ethnic awareness that developed during the Chicano movement brought a surge of mural painting in cities with politically active Mexican American populations, especially in California. These murals arose out of a need to convey the spirit of this emerging movement. Chicanos viewed their work both as inspired by and as a departure from Mexican muralism, and although Chicanos recognized continuality between Mexican work and their own, it was important for them to tell the experience of Mexicans living within the United States.
Indigenous ImageryThere are many themes and images that are shared between the Mexican murals of the 30s and the Chicano murals of the 70s and 80s. Some shared images included symbolic representations of the mestizo, Mexican patriots, union images, and religious characterizations, especially the Virgin of Guadalupe. One such theme is the use of indigenous iconography for the purpose of developing an identity. The indigenous imagery of both Mexican and Chicano muralism was often of a romantic character, setting up the values of Indian culture and civilization as an alternative to the existing Anglo-European values. To understand the rejection of these existing values, one must examine the political situation at the time that they were created.
Lydia S. Miller of “The Museum of the American Indian” (National Park Service) and Susan I. Jankiewicz of the Museum of the Native American Cultural & Geographical Society of New Orleans (MCSG) began researching the cultural identity of Mexico in the 1960s. The American Indian Museum, established in 1955 as a historical information center and educational centre, features historical material relating to Mexico City, Mexico under the government of President Carlos Zalmano in the early 1980s. While Mexico has, for decades, been perceived and acknowledged for its cultural diversity, only its cultural and political diversity remains one of the main points of controversy. Zalmano, the founder of the national government, had once claimed, “The history of Mexico’s cultural identity is determined by the particularism and violence of its people, and this makes it difficult for the general public to understand and respect its history, which has been dominated by ethnic, Christian, and other groups of people on the basis of an ethnology and culture of oppression, racism, and domination.” A study of recent Mexican-Mexican-American history revealed that the majority of Mexican citizens had been “born in the interior of Mexico, and the entire nation and nation community has a common history of oppression rooted in a long history of colonialism,” with “many individuals from all ethnic groups in Mexico. Some of those who have experienced the repression of Mexican-Mexican communities in the 1970’s, many others who died after their experiences are the descendants of those affected, as well as many individuals affected by social and economic oppression.” These cultural identities were reinforced by the rise and continued exclusion of the indigenous populations of Mexico from their local population. In the late 1970’s, the state of Michoacán had adopted a policy of granting the Mexican people the right to live independently. As a result, Michoacán and other Mexican localities suffered under the “Zalmanian rule,” a policy that was designed to prevent any possible opposition from the indigenous communities. This policy was gradually lifted in 1986, however, because many other localities were experiencing the same fate. In 1994, in response to a lawsuit brought by a group of indigenous and Mexican American artists who were accused of being the victims in the case of Manuel G. Sino, President Jacob Zalmano had established a Commission Against Racism. In May of that year, Sino and his wife Eliza decided to file an appeal with the federal courts and the state of Michigan’s Superior Court to compel Sino to produce the photographs documenting the Mexican “culture” within Máxico-Máxico. The decision was not overturned in the Supreme Court, but in 1986 the Michigan court ruled to the contrary, striking down a part of the statute of limitations imposed by Mexico after a series of racist attacks on the First Presidency in the 1930’s and 40’s on Máxico-Máxico. The Supreme Court also struck down part of the law of immunity
Because the Mexican revolution was a loose alliance of different leaders, there was no unified national identity after its success. The chaos following the revolution coupled with hundreds of years of Spanish colonial rule led to a need for a national identity based on revolutionary themes. The government of Alvaro Obregon commissioned the best artists of Mexico to create murals on public buildings. These Mexican artists began to reflect internally on what makes up a Mexican. This search for cultural identity backed by the spirit of the revolution led the muralist to reject traditional easel painting and instead develop a uniquely Mexican aesthetic that would reflect the society that surrounds him, and be made for the common Mexican who makes up Mexico. To accomplish this, they adopted images of peasants and workers that were not represented previously in art. These murals were monumental in size and were intended to recount the history of Mexico to a largely undereducated, often illiterate, population while also inspiring unification to create a better nation. An example of this is in the mural The History of Mexico by Diego Rivera. In this mural, Rivera narrates the struggle and transformation of the Mexican people from pre-Columbian times to the present, and into the future. The narrative begins with scenes of an indigenous society complete with agriculture, art, and science. He continues to present the Spanish conquest and the creation of the mestizo. Next, he recreates images of the revolution along with a call for the continued resistance by both peasant and industrial workers against the foreign capitalist.
[Explain political situation in LA in 60s] Throughout the early part of the 20th century there was a substantial migration of Mexicans into the southwest, many of them settling in California. These immigrants were restricted to the lowest-paying, most menial jobs and endured segregation in housing, education, and public accommodations. These migrants were met with discrimination and hostility by the government which was supported by Anglo business and civic leaders with nativist sentiments. This period of intolerance was especially offensive to Mexicans who could trace