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Running Head: THE MURAL OF THE NATIVE BEAUTY

The Mural of The Native Beauty

Edgar Ortega

English 201 First-Year Composition

Arizona State University

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Running Head: THE MURAL OF THE NATIVE BEAUTY

The Mural of The Native Beauty

Located on 8th Street and Washington is this beautiful mural depicting one of the early

Mexican

Native Pyramids. Just behind the Luna Culture Lab only those who desire to see it find the way

as it is sort of hidden. This mural shares a piece with another mural beside it, depicting a couple

in the style of the Mexican celebration Dia De Los Muertos. This has historical significance as it

shows the Aztec Natives Pyramid of Mexico which dates back many centuries located in

Tenochtitlan known as the Aztec promised city.

With a cool blue splashing in the middle and a belt of red that decreases in intensity, feels as if

the mural will wrap around you with soft power. Being downtown, it is surprising because it sits

unnoticed and in a very calm area, with little to no traffic that allows you to immerse yourself in

the mural, almost as if you are actually there in person. The eagle on the left side of the pyramid

depicts a strong confidence of pride and dignity. This allows those who come from these

ancestors to feel honored as it displays the vibrant colors of hues of yellow, vibrant green, rich

red and a soothing blue. The eagle in itself when looking at the eyes, seems to touch you deeply

touch the chicanos as this eagle represents power and respect, as well as pride and honor for the

“familias.”What appears to be alien space ships beside the top of the tower, speak volume that

we may not be the only existing intellectuals.

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Running Head: THE MURAL OF THE NATIVE BEAUTY

The credibility of this mural through the use of not only colors, but images of actual existing

things distinguishes itself by depicting the culture from where chicanos come from with the

saying “brown pride.” This mural lets you know that chicanos are proud but have respect for one

another even towards enemies and outsiders. This message touches emotionally because right as

you walk towards it, you feel a sense of calm at first but then joy and pride. The closer you get to

the mural, it only gets bigger and more detailed the longer you are there. The message this

depicts to one especially a chicano is the importance of culture, and the process of thought and

curiosity which is why the alien ships surround the pyramid . With a sense of joy, honor and

pride shows the roots of where we chicanos come from, but to others it immerses them into what

a lot of chicano culture is and the roots of many of the Mexican celebrations such as dances.

The message this paints across is how beautiful the tower and the culture is as well as curiosity

of other things from earth and space as well as the importance of how Aztecs were known to

sacrifice to the gods. It speaks the message of honor and pride, and the wonders of the ground

and sky being that the alien ships above also describe how there are other beings in the sky.

This mural is not messy in terms of quality and picture. The colors and design is well planned

allowing to invoke feelings of joy and pride on the viewer. The historical significance of this

Mural is mainly the Aztecs and the story of how the eagle became and important symbol to them.

Within history, it is told from past generations by word of mouth that Aztecs believed they were

the chosen people. The war god Huitzilopochtli ​told​ ​Chief Tenoch to lead his people to the
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Running Head: THE MURAL OF THE NATIVE BEAUTY
swampy island in the lake of Texcoco and to look for the eagle perched on a cactus growing

from a rock or cave surrounded by water. This was to be the marking of the promised land. To

the chicanos, the eagle is a major symbol in life with the pride and dignity surrounding it. As

Cesar Chavez said, “ A symbol is an important thing. That is why we chose an Aztec eagle. It

gives pride… When people see it they know it means dignity.”

As I was looking at the mural I was instantly reminded of the song “ La Raza” by Chicano

Rapper Kid Frost. He explains in his song the pride he has for his culture and his own kind

mentioning “It's in my blood to be an Aztec warrior… Chicano and im brown and proud… This

is for the Raza.” This song only 29 years young, still resonates in the chicano culture as it is a

well known song, it can also be said that I pictured the Pyramid directly in front of me with full

pride while the song crossed through my mind of the significance it ties to the Mural as not only

is the mural beautiful but the message of pride and dignity gets across to embrace the roots from

where one comes from, even if the Aztecs were brutal and violent at times, there were still ways

they managed to succeed in the marshy land of Tenochtitlan by working the land to provide food

for themselves.

This mural still maintains its relevance even in today's current events with tensions that

Mexicans who come from Aztec roots have to deal with, such as being despised and accused of

wrongdoings many Mexicans have not committed. Like the saying goes “a few bad apples make

the rest look bad.”. As it has been proven through the centuries, this mural also shows how hard

working mexicans, many descendants of the Aztec are. Although it does not seem like it right

away, the pyramid demonstrates the hard work from ancestors who designed and created the city
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Running Head: THE MURAL OF THE NATIVE BEAUTY
of Tenotchtitlan. This also teaches the youth to embrace the Aztec culture of where us chicanos

come from. To bring upon an ending, this specific Mural is the one that stood out, with a crisp

persuasion of the true colors of the message of the Aztec people with honor. Alongside the alien

spaceships surrounding the mural, the ships do not seem to be a threat but rather in union around

the pyramid. These spaceships can also represent high beings from unknown places not from

earth trying to communicate with the Aztecs who believed they were the chosen ones. The eagle

displaying the pride and dignity for Aztec descendants especially chicanos shows the in depth

feeling brought forward to you, the viewer. Not quite mentioned, the mural has an Aztec

mexican native on the right hand corner that appears to be calling up towards the sky as if trying

to communicate with the space ships by giving a call. With bright blue feathers it gives a glimpse

of what the Aztecs wore and looked like. The rich brown skin on the Aztec native makes it stand

out as well from other colors such as black, red, and a deeper blue. Truly it is the Mural Of The

Native Beauty from which I and many chicanos come from, showing the message of pride, honor

and dignity to viewers, even our own chicanos to be reminded of the joy to be who we are. To

outsiders, it is touching to see them admire the beauty as well as stand studying the mural. The

mural that opened my eyes. THE MURAL OF THE NATIVE BEAUTY.

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Mural Artist AztecSmurf Retrieved (2019, Feb. 6)

Salvador Rojas retrieved (2019, Feb. 6 ) BrownPride.com History of Aztecs and Tenochtitilan

http://www.brownpride.com/history/history.asp?a=aztecs/index

Cesar Chavez quote retrieved (2019, Feb. 7 )

https://www.azquotes.com/quotes/topics/aztec.html

“La Raza.” (Kid Frost) Hispanic Causing Panic. Virgin Records America, 1990. Retrieved

(2019, Feb. 7)