In the poster, we see cultural revitalization and community empowerment. The message it conveys to others is to celebrate our ancestors and cultural roots. It is about reconnecting and acknowledging the Chicanx heritage through the danzantes. Patricia Aguayo discussed with us that this poster serves as a timestamp, a way to record the significance of Chicano Park. The poster focuses on the danzantes who are the protectors of Chicano Park and Chicanx community. As shown in the poster, there are arrows pointing to the left, signifying that we are in war, as Aguayo tells us. The community is constantly defending the park when others are threatening it. Through artwork and murals it preserves the culture, history, people and it keeps it alive for generations to come. It is a way to express oneself or others, and tell a story of past, present, or future. Through this poster we can be activists for social justice and together unite to make our voices heard.

When asked about music Aguayo listens to while creating art, she responded “My go to is some norteñas… my parents, they raised me on like Los Rieleros del Norte, some old stuff, Los Cadetes de Linares…” Taking this into account, we think that Te quiero mucho by Los Rieleros del Norte is an appropriate song to connect this poster to. This song is a love song to an individual and in a similar way, Aguayo and the rest of the Chicanx community has shown an unconditional love to their ancestors and cultural roots by committing to revitalizing, honoring, and remembering the history of their community. As stated previously, Aguayo shared that this poster serves as a timestamp to remember what once was practiced at Chicano Park ( voladores de Papantla ), tragedies ( killing of four individuals ), and the current practices (continuous protection of the flag/park/community through danzantes), to tell the story of where the Chicano Park community is today. The creation of this poster itself is a form of love to the community because it honors past present and future state of the community.

The overall message of the poster is to honor the danzantes and remember the Chicanx culture and movement. Aztlan is sacred and important for the community therefore it must be preserved and expressed through celebration and artwork. A lesson learned from this poster is to honor and remember our culture and community. The “call to action” conveyed in the poster is to protect the land and stand in solidarity with the Chicanx movement. To be respectful allies and be mindful of the Chicanx and Latinx community, that are continuously fighting against colonization and racism. The sounds and sights of the poster are vivid and call out to the community to come and celebrate the land in which Chicano Park stands proudly on. To hold on and keep safe the place because it is our home and it belongs to the community, and everyone has a role to keep it alive.

We think that the continuous anti-colonial thought and practice is an important part of this poster because it serves to continue to share this story with future generations to come. We think that the documentation of the stories of struggle and fight will help the future generation be able to understand and appreciate what is being done currently to protect and preserve cultural practices while also remembering those who came before the present generation.

Written by Analleli Villegas Barrera & Angela Sajche