Community Efforts to Erase Hate: Barrio Logan Activists Clean Chicano Park Mural

Residents and local artists came together on Wednesday in Chicano Park to restore a historic mural that had been marred by anti-Mexican graffiti. The mural, painted in 1973 by Toltecas en Aztlán, celebrates the contributions of Mexican, Mexican-American, and significant Latin American figures in Chicano history.

The mural was defaced overnight with the offensive phrase “F—- Mexicans,” marking the latest incident in a wave of hate-related graffiti in San Diego. Community members awoke to the sight of the graffiti smeared across the mural in white paint. By noon, a group of volunteers had mobilized to clean it up.

Equipped with flat mops, brushes, towels, and pressure washers, approximately six volunteers faced the heat as temperatures soared to nearly 90 degrees. They were supported by others who brought refreshments like water, iced coffees, paletas, hamburgers, and tacos.

This incident is part of a troubling trend of racist graffiti in the area. Recent arrests include a teenager suspected of vandalizing properties in Imperial Beach with Nazi and antisemitic messages, and a twenty-year-old charged with spray-painting racist and antisemitic symbols in the San Carlos neighborhood. Historically, Chicano Park has experienced ongoing vandalism targeting its murals.

Chicano Park has also seen overt attacks from far-right groups over the years, including rallies opposing the park’s representation of controversial figures and Indigenous symbols. The community has actively resisted these movements, with significant mobilization in 2017 and 2018 against white nationalist rallies.

Local artist Jesse Zamudio was passing by on his way to another mural project when he spotted the graffiti and decided to take action. “I stopped and decided to call some of the original artists and ask them if it was okay if I tried to take it off,” he explained. After receiving permission, he joined the cleanup efforts. Zamudio, who has managed the Chicano Park Mural Restoration Project, expressed the emotional weight of the defacement, saying, “When I saw it, it was like a stab to the heart.”

John Monreal, a Barrio Logan resident involved in the cleanup, shared his anger but not surprise, stating that such incidents have become increasingly prevalent in the current climate. By 2 PM, the volunteers had successfully removed the graffiti and cleaned the mural and sidewalk. Zamudio noted that the damage could have been worse had the graffiti remained longer.

Monreal emphasized the importance of the community’s response, declaring, “I’m just proud that the community came together…that’s what the park represents, community and unity.” Zamudio echoed this sentiment, asserting the mural’s significance and the ongoing responsibility to protect their cultural heritage.