Salvador Barajas, also known as Sal is an artist who was born in Sinaloa, Mexico in 1943. After working in commercial art for many years he now dedicates his time to creating artwork in community spaces like Chicano Park. Through his artwork, Barajas showcases the challenges minorities face and connects them to the community’s roots and ancestors.

“Our Youth of Today, Warriors of Tomorrow” is the center theme for the 2003 (33rd) annual anniversary celebration. For Sal Barajas it was important to honor the youth as they have been of crucial importance to the establishment of Chicano Park and continue to be for our future. Throughout his poster he focused on important leaders in Chicano history who also influenced the creation of Chicano Park.

He stated that, “students were the first ones to come to protest when Chicano Park was founded.” As you look at this poster there is a sense of community and resistance. You can find Emiliano Zapata (with sombrero in center) who was a Mexican and Latin American hero symbolic of his self-determination and resistance. To his right is Corky Gonzales who was known for mobilizing the youth through his first Chicano Youth Liberation Conference in 1969 and for forming an organization called Crusades for Justice. Next to Corky is the sign of Aztlán which is a mythical Aztec homeland and an indigenous conceptualization of the U.S. Southwest (Colorado, Texas, California, and Arizona) – a place where Chicanos are no longer viewed as foreigners or illegals, but where they are back in their ancestral land. Next to Aztlán is a group of protesters with a sign that reads, “Viva La Raza” and near them are children, students, and a soldadera. Soladaderas played a huge role during the Mexican Revolution. To the left is a graduate which Sal thought was important to include because, “Our people, including all minorities in order to have an understanding of who we are and where we came from and where our future will be, will be enhanced if [they] get an education.” To the left of Zapata is Jose Gomez, one of the founders of Chicano Park in 1970. In front of Zapata is an Aztec danzante which reminds us that this community comes from indigenous roots and like Sal recalled, “we have not forgotten our traditions.” Next to the danzante is a member of the Brown Berets who protect people of the community. They are in charge of security during the Annual Chicano Park Celebration and ensure that the committee is safe at all times.

Considering the theme of our poster, the sounds that are associated with this poster are cries of justice and change. They are revolutionary and hopeful. When talking with Sal, he mentioned how each included figure had an influential role in the Chicano Movement. With the youth in mind, Sal recalled how education continues to be a powerful tool for change within the youth. As we ended our call with him, he told us to continue strong with our education so that once we graduate we are able to become involved in our own communities and give back (just as he has). It was an empowering conversation because the overarching message that connects back to the poster and theme is that the youth has the capacity to change the world while staying true to our culture’s roots and history. It is meant to inspire us to continue pursuing higher education while also never forgetting where we came from. Our poster welcomes the youth’s dreams and is meant to inform and let us know that culture and history are worth fighting for. If a phrase could be associated with Barajas’s poster, it would be that “Si, se puede.” As generations who fought for this preserved space of Chicano Park continue to grow older, they are leaving it up to the youth and generations to come to uphold its beauty and rich history. It’s a poster that says we trust the youth to continue fostering the change necessary within our community.

Written by Andrea Tecpoyotl Tepale and Mariana Flores Chavez