Chicano Park, a picturesque park with a tumultuous past
Chicano Park, one of the prominent sites of San Diego is situated in Barrio Logan, an area mostly occupied by Mexican-Americans and Mexican immigrants. Located in central San Diego the park features the largest assortment of outdoor murals in the United States as well as a diverse array of earthworks, sculptures and a noted architectural element dedicated to the community's cultural heritage.
Chicano Park inherits a turbulent historical legacy. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries waves of Mexican settlers and refugees seeking a haven from the bloodshed of the Mexican revolution made their homes in the Barrio Logan area. The community residents felt aggrieved when naval installations impeded access to the beach, and resented the arrival of repair shops and junk dealers into the area with the accompanying noise and air pollution. This resentment was exacerbated by the creation of an interstate highway bisecting the community and by the San Diego-Coronado bridge's elevated ramps.
Eventually leading individuals in the various Hispanic-American associations and unions joined hands to present a common front for the rights and demands of American Hispanics. The community leaders were adamant that a park should be created for the benefit of the residents of Barrio Logan.
However in 1970 community members discovered that the space allocated for the park was about to be used to construct a parking lot for a Highway Patrol station. Irate community members made human chains surrounding the bulldozers and planted flowers, trees and cactus. The protest was successful; city officials confirmed that the area would be reserved for a park, and the conflict ended peacefully.
The park's famed murals were commenced in 1973, with prominent artists from throughout the state invited to lend their talents to create the magnificent artworks. In most cases the artists themselves and their organizations raised the funds to create the murals.
For the traveler in search of San Diego hotels, the SanDiegoHotelseye.com online resource will prove to be very useful. Enabling online booking of hotels San Diego offers, the portal will greatly facilitate the journey of any traveler.
Chicano Park inherits a turbulent historical legacy. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries waves of Mexican settlers and refugees seeking a haven from the bloodshed of the Mexican revolution made their homes in the Barrio Logan area. The community residents felt aggrieved when naval installations impeded access to the beach, and resented the arrival of repair shops and junk dealers into the area with the accompanying noise and air pollution. This resentment was exacerbated by the creation of an interstate highway bisecting the community and by the San Diego-Coronado bridge's elevated ramps.
Eventually leading individuals in the various Hispanic-American associations and unions joined hands to present a common front for the rights and demands of American Hispanics. The community leaders were adamant that a park should be created for the benefit of the residents of Barrio Logan.
However in 1970 community members discovered that the space allocated for the park was about to be used to construct a parking lot for a Highway Patrol station. Irate community members made human chains surrounding the bulldozers and planted flowers, trees and cactus. The protest was successful; city officials confirmed that the area would be reserved for a park, and the conflict ended peacefully.
The park's famed murals were commenced in 1973, with prominent artists from throughout the state invited to lend their talents to create the magnificent artworks. In most cases the artists themselves and their organizations raised the funds to create the murals.
For the traveler in search of San Diego hotels, the SanDiegoHotelseye.com online resource will prove to be very useful. Enabling online booking of hotels San Diego offers, the portal will greatly facilitate the journey of any traveler.
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