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Rhetoric Mural Essay
Rhetoric Mural Essay
Rhetoric Mural Essay
Andrea Martinez
English 101
Professor Batty
27 February 2017
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
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
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
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
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,
Appendix