1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:18,480 I was born in Kingsville Texas near 2 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:21,990 Corpus Christi - mucho and Maria Garza 3 00:00:21,990 --> 00:00:25,560 and my mother was born in Kingsville as 4 00:00:25,560 --> 00:00:29,279 was her mother and her grandmother and 5 00:00:29,279 --> 00:00:32,250 so on for many generations so on my 6 00:00:32,250 --> 00:00:33,989 mother's side of the family we go back 7 00:00:33,989 --> 00:00:37,020 to I think the quality teca's of that 8 00:00:37,020 --> 00:00:39,059 area if it wasn't a common thing as it 9 00:00:39,059 --> 00:00:41,370 was a car on koa and on my father's side 10 00:00:41,370 --> 00:00:45,120 he came from Nuevo Laredo and from the 11 00:00:45,120 --> 00:00:48,600 Garces all the old Garza family which is 12 00:00:48,600 --> 00:00:51,750 known today as DeLaGarza Falcone and I 13 00:00:51,750 --> 00:00:53,969 was born and raised there so I didn't 14 00:00:53,969 --> 00:00:56,760 leave until I was already an adult and 15 00:00:56,760 --> 00:00:58,590 I've been living in San Francisco for 24 16 00:00:58,590 --> 00:01:02,520 years now when I was five my older 17 00:01:02,520 --> 00:01:04,680 brother came home crying from his 18 00:01:04,680 --> 00:01:06,930 first-grade class because the teacher 19 00:01:06,930 --> 00:01:10,549 had punished him for speaking Spanish 20 00:01:10,549 --> 00:01:13,979 she held out his hands palms-down and 21 00:01:13,979 --> 00:01:17,070 slapped him across the knuckles with a 22 00:01:17,070 --> 00:01:18,140 ruler 23 00:01:18,140 --> 00:01:21,210 this is incident was very confusing 24 00:01:21,210 --> 00:01:23,640 because according to my parents we were 25 00:01:23,640 --> 00:01:26,250 going to have fun in school so we look 26 00:01:26,250 --> 00:01:29,040 to them for an explanation of this very 27 00:01:29,040 --> 00:01:32,640 of this reaction over such a natural act 28 00:01:32,640 --> 00:01:35,549 as speaking and why he deserved the 29 00:01:35,549 --> 00:01:39,420 unusual punishment the pained expression 30 00:01:39,420 --> 00:01:41,460 on my parents faces and their mute 31 00:01:41,460 --> 00:01:45,540 silence haunts me to this day how could 32 00:01:45,540 --> 00:01:47,600 they explain to their small children 33 00:01:47,600 --> 00:01:51,119 that the punishment was force for racial 34 00:01:51,119 --> 00:01:54,509 and political reasons and not because he 35 00:01:54,509 --> 00:01:59,219 had done something bad children don't 36 00:01:59,219 --> 00:02:01,290 understand the political reasons for 37 00:02:01,290 --> 00:02:04,110 discrimination and racism they only take 38 00:02:04,110 --> 00:02:06,750 it very personally and I did take it 39 00:02:06,750 --> 00:02:10,050 very personally the incident and the 40 00:02:10,050 --> 00:02:11,790 punishment caused much discussion 41 00:02:11,790 --> 00:02:13,680 between my parents 42 00:02:13,680 --> 00:02:15,780 they're friends whose children were also 43 00:02:15,780 --> 00:02:19,349 experiencing the same treatment even 44 00:02:19,349 --> 00:02:21,870 though it had been seven years since my 45 00:02:21,870 --> 00:02:24,510 father and other Mexican Americans had 46 00:02:24,510 --> 00:02:26,939 returned from military service during 47 00:02:26,939 --> 00:02:29,430 World War two things had not changed 48 00:02:29,430 --> 00:02:32,250 very much in Texas and now that their 49 00:02:32,250 --> 00:02:35,010 children the baby-boom generation were 50 00:02:35,010 --> 00:02:37,109 becoming of school age the 51 00:02:37,109 --> 00:02:40,560 discrimination continued discrimination 52 00:02:40,560 --> 00:02:43,260 against the mexican-american was the 53 00:02:43,260 --> 00:02:44,909 main reason my parents became involved 54 00:02:44,909 --> 00:02:48,180 with the American GI forum a world war 55 00:02:48,180 --> 00:02:50,489 ii veterans organization of Mexican 56 00:02:50,489 --> 00:02:53,750 Americans who fought for civil rights 57 00:02:53,750 --> 00:02:57,269 one of their first activities was to sue 58 00:02:57,269 --> 00:03:00,569 a funeral home for refusing to service 59 00:03:00,569 --> 00:03:02,400 the body to receive the body of a 60 00:03:02,400 --> 00:03:06,109 mexican-american hero killed in the war 61 00:03:06,109 --> 00:03:11,909 my parents decided that from then on we 62 00:03:11,909 --> 00:03:14,069 would practice speaking only in English 63 00:03:14,069 --> 00:03:16,319 and not both languages as we had been 64 00:03:16,319 --> 00:03:19,139 doing I did not understand the 65 00:03:19,139 --> 00:03:20,639 distinction between the two languages 66 00:03:20,639 --> 00:03:23,489 and many times my parent my parents 67 00:03:23,489 --> 00:03:26,250 spoke both languages in spite of their 68 00:03:26,250 --> 00:03:31,079 decision uppermost in my mind was the 69 00:03:31,079 --> 00:03:33,989 fact that I was next in line to attend 70 00:03:33,989 --> 00:03:37,680 school the following year my first-grade 71 00:03:37,680 --> 00:03:39,919 teacher was a bit more compassionate and 72 00:03:39,919 --> 00:03:43,250 explained that we spoke two languages 73 00:03:43,250 --> 00:03:46,769 she demonstrated this by bringing from 74 00:03:46,769 --> 00:03:50,549 her bedroom a huge fluffy pillow with 75 00:03:50,549 --> 00:03:53,699 colorful embroidery and said that the 76 00:03:53,699 --> 00:03:54,959 name we knew for it 77 00:03:54,959 --> 00:03:59,280 almada was Spanish and pillow was 78 00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:06,049 English I knew and used both words 79 00:04:06,049 --> 00:04:08,189 knowing the difference between the two 80 00:04:08,189 --> 00:04:10,290 languages did not save me from using 81 00:04:10,290 --> 00:04:12,509 Spanish in the classrooms and on the 82 00:04:12,509 --> 00:04:15,060 school grounds so I too suffered many 83 00:04:15,060 --> 00:04:18,329 physical and emotional punishments each 84 00:04:18,329 --> 00:04:20,699 time I spoke English I was ridiculed for 85 00:04:20,699 --> 00:04:24,719 my accent and made to feel ashamed at a 86 00:04:24,719 --> 00:04:27,660 time when most children start to realize 87 00:04:27,660 --> 00:04:30,480 that there is an immense outside world 88 00:04:30,480 --> 00:04:33,840 and communication is an important 89 00:04:33,840 --> 00:04:36,360 vehicle towards becoming a part of that 90 00:04:36,360 --> 00:04:39,570 world the educational institution was 91 00:04:39,570 --> 00:04:43,160 punishing me for speaking two languages 92 00:04:43,160 --> 00:04:46,890 in high school we could take classes of 93 00:04:46,890 --> 00:04:50,280 Latin French or Spanish but the 94 00:04:50,280 --> 00:04:51,810 mexican-american students were not 95 00:04:51,810 --> 00:04:54,030 allowed to speak Spanish in the other 96 00:04:54,030 --> 00:04:57,210 classrooms or in the halls other 97 00:04:57,210 --> 00:04:59,340 students could practice their new 98 00:04:59,340 --> 00:05:01,650 Spanish words and phrases while walking 99 00:05:01,650 --> 00:05:04,080 down the halls yet mexican-american 100 00:05:04,080 --> 00:05:05,880 students could expect punishment for 101 00:05:05,880 --> 00:05:09,180 doing the same the punishment wasn't 102 00:05:09,180 --> 00:05:11,850 with a 12 inch ruler across your hands 103 00:05:11,850 --> 00:05:15,180 it was with a 3 inch paddle that had 104 00:05:15,180 --> 00:05:18,870 holes drilled into it so so that there 105 00:05:18,870 --> 00:05:20,820 would be less air resistance as it 106 00:05:20,820 --> 00:05:24,980 landed on the back of your legs I 107 00:05:24,980 --> 00:05:28,370 graduated from high school confused 108 00:05:28,370 --> 00:05:34,880 depressed introverted and quite angry 109 00:05:34,880 --> 00:05:38,100 the Chicano Movement for civil rights of 110 00:05:38,100 --> 00:05:41,730 the late 60s and early 70s clarified 111 00:05:41,730 --> 00:05:44,370 some of that confusion and started the 112 00:05:44,370 --> 00:05:46,669 slow process of cell healing and 113 00:05:46,669 --> 00:05:50,550 provided a format to event some of that 114 00:05:50,550 --> 00:05:54,060 anger I decided at the age of 13 to 115 00:05:54,060 --> 00:05:56,700 become an artist so when he so when I 116 00:05:56,700 --> 00:05:58,820 was in college the Chicano Movement 117 00:05:58,820 --> 00:06:02,610 nourished that goal and gave me back my 118 00:06:02,610 --> 00:06:08,100 voice anytime what I did is I I would 119 00:06:08,100 --> 00:06:11,280 sit down whenever I had a chance I would 120 00:06:11,280 --> 00:06:13,980 practice drawing and I did my drawing on 121 00:06:13,980 --> 00:06:16,620 notebook paper that I gathered from my 122 00:06:16,620 --> 00:06:18,990 brothers and sisters at the end of the 123 00:06:18,990 --> 00:06:20,580 school year from the neighborhood kids 124 00:06:20,580 --> 00:06:22,919 everybody knew that I liked to draw so 125 00:06:22,919 --> 00:06:24,210 they would save their notebook paper 126 00:06:24,210 --> 00:06:26,130 because at that time you did your 127 00:06:26,130 --> 00:06:27,990 homework only on one side so the back 128 00:06:27,990 --> 00:06:30,000 side was clean and then of course if 129 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:31,919 there was any left or a clean paper they 130 00:06:31,919 --> 00:06:33,750 would give that to me so I had stacks 131 00:06:33,750 --> 00:06:36,419 and stacks of homework paper that I used 132 00:06:36,419 --> 00:06:41,279 to practice on to do my drawing and 133 00:06:41,279 --> 00:06:43,349 and then my parents saw that I was 134 00:06:43,349 --> 00:06:46,459 serious about drawing when I started to 135 00:06:46,459 --> 00:06:49,889 use my babysitting money that I worked 136 00:06:49,889 --> 00:06:52,109 as a babysitter that I started using my 137 00:06:52,109 --> 00:06:54,269 babysitting money to buy sketchbooks 138 00:06:54,269 --> 00:06:57,299 real sketchbooks and charcoals and and 139 00:06:57,299 --> 00:06:59,549 drawing pencils and when I did that 140 00:06:59,549 --> 00:07:00,839 that's when they realized that I was 141 00:07:00,839 --> 00:07:03,119 serious about being an artist and they 142 00:07:03,119 --> 00:07:05,099 were very supportive of all of us going 143 00:07:05,099 --> 00:07:07,559 to college and so in their mind I was 144 00:07:07,559 --> 00:07:10,529 going to be an art teacher and and that 145 00:07:10,529 --> 00:07:12,599 made them happy that that at least they 146 00:07:12,599 --> 00:07:14,429 knew that I would be able to survive in 147 00:07:14,429 --> 00:07:16,349 some way because I they knew I could get 148 00:07:16,349 --> 00:07:18,149 a teaching job somewhere as an art 149 00:07:18,149 --> 00:07:20,669 teacher when I was doing my student 150 00:07:20,669 --> 00:07:24,179 teaching in getting my training at a and 151 00:07:24,179 --> 00:07:27,149 I art education training now we had to 152 00:07:27,149 --> 00:07:28,679 teach practice teaching in a public 153 00:07:28,679 --> 00:07:30,809 school and I was assigned to Robson high 154 00:07:30,809 --> 00:07:33,629 school which had 80% Mexican American 155 00:07:33,629 --> 00:07:36,599 and Mexican students and we were still 156 00:07:36,599 --> 00:07:38,219 not allowed to speak Spanish to the 157 00:07:38,219 --> 00:07:40,289 students and I got into trouble for 158 00:07:40,289 --> 00:07:42,179 speaking Spanish the instructions to my 159 00:07:42,179 --> 00:07:45,059 students during class time then I got 160 00:07:45,059 --> 00:07:47,939 into trouble again because we had music 161 00:07:47,939 --> 00:07:50,279 piped into the classroom that was only 162 00:07:50,279 --> 00:07:52,259 two into it kind of to esthar station 163 00:07:52,259 --> 00:07:54,509 and I turned it off and I offered the 164 00:07:54,509 --> 00:07:56,129 students the option of listening to 165 00:07:56,129 --> 00:07:57,659 their own record so they could bring 166 00:07:57,659 --> 00:07:59,969 from home the first half hour 167 00:07:59,969 --> 00:08:01,829 country-western in the second half hour 168 00:08:01,829 --> 00:08:04,469 to Spanish music well one of the 169 00:08:04,469 --> 00:08:07,319 students complained bitterly and he went 170 00:08:07,319 --> 00:08:09,569 and complained to the principal and it 171 00:08:09,569 --> 00:08:10,919 so happened that it was the principal 172 00:08:10,919 --> 00:08:13,320 son 173 00:08:13,320 --> 00:08:17,460 a few weeks later not too long into the 174 00:08:17,460 --> 00:08:20,370 fall semester I heard screaming and 175 00:08:20,370 --> 00:08:22,890 yelling at the end of the hallway viva 176 00:08:22,890 --> 00:08:26,760 la raza walk out walk out now and it was 177 00:08:26,760 --> 00:08:28,650 the Chicano students from the high 178 00:08:28,650 --> 00:08:30,870 school walking out in protest because of 179 00:08:30,870 --> 00:08:33,419 the conditions in the school the lack of 180 00:08:33,419 --> 00:08:35,549 relevant education and the fact that 181 00:08:35,549 --> 00:08:37,320 there was only one mexican-american 182 00:08:37,320 --> 00:08:40,140 teacher or faculty staff and he was the 183 00:08:40,140 --> 00:08:43,169 assistant coach so during lunchtime when 184 00:08:43,169 --> 00:08:45,210 I always went to the sit at the picnic 185 00:08:45,210 --> 00:08:46,680 table across the street from the 186 00:08:46,680 --> 00:08:49,530 principal's office to eat my lunch was 187 00:08:49,530 --> 00:08:51,330 where the students had congregated in 188 00:08:51,330 --> 00:08:54,000 protest and so I sat down and asked them 189 00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:55,950 do they really do do you know what what 190 00:08:55,950 --> 00:08:57,630 you were doing why you were doing it and 191 00:08:57,630 --> 00:08:59,310 yesterday in uy they were very 192 00:08:59,310 --> 00:09:01,560 articulate about what they felt they 193 00:09:01,560 --> 00:09:03,180 needed to get in their public school 194 00:09:03,180 --> 00:09:05,420 education and just then the 195 00:09:05,420 --> 00:09:07,920 superintendent drives by in his Cadillac 196 00:09:07,920 --> 00:09:11,340 so the next morning I was met by my 197 00:09:11,340 --> 00:09:13,350 supervisor from the University as I was 198 00:09:13,350 --> 00:09:14,880 driving into the parking lot and he 199 00:09:14,880 --> 00:09:17,130 quickly jumped out of his car and 200 00:09:17,130 --> 00:09:19,380 informed me that the superintendent was 201 00:09:19,380 --> 00:09:21,600 not allowing me to continue with my 202 00:09:21,600 --> 00:09:23,610 student teaching nor allowed to step 203 00:09:23,610 --> 00:09:25,470 anywhere on campus and that if I 204 00:09:25,470 --> 00:09:28,350 insisted on talking with him about it he 205 00:09:28,350 --> 00:09:30,320 would kick out every single other 206 00:09:30,320 --> 00:09:32,190 mexican-american student teacher from 207 00:09:32,190 --> 00:09:35,700 the entire school district well I was 208 00:09:35,700 --> 00:09:37,410 part of the baby boom generation that 209 00:09:37,410 --> 00:09:39,630 went to college in great numbers and 210 00:09:39,630 --> 00:09:42,180 many of us were in education and I could 211 00:09:42,180 --> 00:09:44,970 not jeopardize their careers and so I 212 00:09:44,970 --> 00:09:47,250 didn't insist on talking to the 213 00:09:47,250 --> 00:09:50,570 superintendent I later did finish my 214 00:09:50,570 --> 00:09:54,030 student practice in Falfurrias I was not 215 00:09:54,030 --> 00:09:55,830 allowed to have control of the class but 216 00:09:55,830 --> 00:09:58,650 I did finish and I did get my degree and 217 00:09:58,650 --> 00:10:01,500 justly so because I was a straight-a 218 00:10:01,500 --> 00:10:03,750 student in the art education classes and 219 00:10:03,750 --> 00:10:06,630 the art classes and B+ sitting in all my 220 00:10:06,630 --> 00:10:11,070 other classes I found out as I was 221 00:10:11,070 --> 00:10:15,390 finishing up my senior year that all of 222 00:10:15,390 --> 00:10:17,880 the Mexican all of the Chicano boys who 223 00:10:17,880 --> 00:10:20,670 were 18 years old who were who were in 224 00:10:20,670 --> 00:10:23,850 that walk out or who reached their 18th 225 00:10:23,850 --> 00:10:26,340 birthday during the walkout were 226 00:10:26,340 --> 00:10:27,180 immediate 227 00:10:27,180 --> 00:10:30,510 they drafted into the army and sent to 228 00:10:30,510 --> 00:10:34,860 Vietnam by the time their co students 229 00:10:34,860 --> 00:10:37,070 were going to the senior prom in May 230 00:10:37,070 --> 00:10:43,080 they were in Vietnam and all of those 231 00:10:43,080 --> 00:10:46,350 boys lost their innocence in many of 232 00:10:46,350 --> 00:10:50,040 them lost arms and legs and one of them 233 00:10:50,040 --> 00:10:52,520 came back wrapped in the American flag 234 00:10:52,520 --> 00:10:55,650 and it was at that point that I decided 235 00:10:55,650 --> 00:10:58,440 all of my artwork I am going to dedicate 236 00:10:58,440 --> 00:11:01,950 to my people to my community the Mexican 237 00:11:01,950 --> 00:11:04,770 American community because we have every 238 00:11:04,770 --> 00:11:07,860 right to feel proud of who we are we 239 00:11:07,860 --> 00:11:09,600 have every right to celebrate our 240 00:11:09,600 --> 00:11:13,460 culture in our language our languages 241 00:11:13,460 --> 00:11:18,540 and so the anger the pride and the self 242 00:11:18,540 --> 00:11:21,650 healing had to come out as Chicano art 243 00:11:21,650 --> 00:11:24,450 the faculty in white students criticized 244 00:11:24,450 --> 00:11:27,710 Chicano art is being too political not 245 00:11:27,710 --> 00:11:32,640 Universal not avant-garde not abstract 246 00:11:32,640 --> 00:11:36,840 but too figurative too colorful too 247 00:11:36,840 --> 00:11:39,200 folksy and too primitive 248 00:11:39,200 --> 00:11:42,450 what they fail to see was that the art 249 00:11:42,450 --> 00:11:44,700 that I was creating functioned in the 250 00:11:44,700 --> 00:11:47,760 same way as a Sevilla plant the aloe 251 00:11:47,760 --> 00:11:51,120 vera plant when it's cool liquid is 252 00:11:51,120 --> 00:11:54,600 applied to a burn or an abrasion it 253 00:11:54,600 --> 00:11:57,930 helped to heal the wounds inflicted by 254 00:11:57,930 --> 00:12:02,160 discrimination and racism we needed to 255 00:12:02,160 --> 00:12:04,920 heal each other and ourselves 256 00:12:04,920 --> 00:12:07,440 so we started by choosing a name for 257 00:12:07,440 --> 00:12:08,040 ourselves 258 00:12:08,040 --> 00:12:11,280 Chicanos a name to symbolize our 259 00:12:11,280 --> 00:12:14,540 movement for self-determination the 260 00:12:14,540 --> 00:12:16,620 accomplishments by our parents during 261 00:12:16,620 --> 00:12:19,170 the 1950's civil rights movement were 262 00:12:19,170 --> 00:12:21,750 not enough we started to speak more 263 00:12:21,750 --> 00:12:24,600 Spanish in public places and we worked 264 00:12:24,600 --> 00:12:28,710 to get our civil rights we started to 265 00:12:28,710 --> 00:12:31,740 explore and emphasize our unique culture 266 00:12:31,740 --> 00:12:35,100 in the visual arts music literature and 267 00:12:35,100 --> 00:12:39,600 theatre my goal as a Chicano artists was 268 00:12:39,600 --> 00:12:41,010 to start with my earliest 269 00:12:41,010 --> 00:12:43,890 collections of my life recollections of 270 00:12:43,890 --> 00:12:47,910 my life and validate each event or 271 00:12:47,910 --> 00:12:50,880 incident by depicting it in a visual art 272 00:12:50,880 --> 00:12:54,720 format I needed to resell abrade each 273 00:12:54,720 --> 00:12:58,440 special event or re-examine each unusual 274 00:12:58,440 --> 00:13:00,630 happening my one year that I taught in a 275 00:13:00,630 --> 00:13:02,640 public school in Austin Texas at a 276 00:13:02,640 --> 00:13:05,250 junior high it was the school that was 277 00:13:05,250 --> 00:13:08,250 it was it was in East Austin it was 278 00:13:08,250 --> 00:13:10,290 predominantly Mexican American and 279 00:13:10,290 --> 00:13:12,810 African American and they too did not 280 00:13:12,810 --> 00:13:14,670 mix they would come into the classroom 281 00:13:14,670 --> 00:13:16,110 and they would sit in their separate 282 00:13:16,110 --> 00:13:18,540 sides of the room no matter what I try 283 00:13:18,540 --> 00:13:20,250 to do to get him to mix they didn't want 284 00:13:20,250 --> 00:13:21,660 to mix with each other and in the 285 00:13:21,660 --> 00:13:24,150 sitting arrangement and so little by 286 00:13:24,150 --> 00:13:26,940 little by doing things with the artwork 287 00:13:26,940 --> 00:13:30,570 they were able to mix and finally we 288 00:13:30,570 --> 00:13:32,190 were working on a mural that we were 289 00:13:32,190 --> 00:13:33,930 painting on paper because we couldn't 290 00:13:33,930 --> 00:13:36,330 paint on the walls and we were working 291 00:13:36,330 --> 00:13:39,690 after school and on weekends because I 292 00:13:39,690 --> 00:13:42,420 couldn't put that into the curriculum 293 00:13:42,420 --> 00:13:44,280 but they already had the curriculum 294 00:13:44,280 --> 00:13:46,710 figured out for me so I I couldn't have 295 00:13:46,710 --> 00:13:48,900 that much of an input so this was like 296 00:13:48,900 --> 00:13:50,790 an elective that we did after school and 297 00:13:50,790 --> 00:13:52,800 the kids would come and I had I had 298 00:13:52,800 --> 00:13:54,750 heard my record player and I had soda 299 00:13:54,750 --> 00:13:56,550 sore them and they would come and they 300 00:13:56,550 --> 00:13:59,160 would stay after school till around 5:30 301 00:13:59,160 --> 00:14:01,620 or 6:00 o'clock painting on the floor 302 00:14:01,620 --> 00:14:03,600 because I was it was we were painted on 303 00:14:03,600 --> 00:14:06,720 a big piece of paper and we were trying 304 00:14:06,720 --> 00:14:09,270 to finish these two murals for the Cinco 305 00:14:09,270 --> 00:14:11,880 DeMayo celebrations at the school and so 306 00:14:11,880 --> 00:14:13,980 the last weekend before Cinco de Maya we 307 00:14:13,980 --> 00:14:15,540 were there all day Saturday and all day 308 00:14:15,540 --> 00:14:17,460 sunday and we were still working on it 309 00:14:17,460 --> 00:14:19,950 Sunday night and there we were on the 310 00:14:19,950 --> 00:14:21,750 floor painting and the kid one of the 311 00:14:21,750 --> 00:14:26,610 little girls said yes he is look look at 312 00:14:26,610 --> 00:14:29,190 what what just look over there look at 313 00:14:29,190 --> 00:14:31,830 what he says look what that window so I 314 00:14:31,830 --> 00:14:36,200 look up and I see all of these guns and 315 00:14:36,200 --> 00:14:39,270 policemen pointing their guns through 316 00:14:39,270 --> 00:14:42,480 the open windows at us and I oh my god 317 00:14:42,480 --> 00:14:45,180 so I got a very calmly the kids were 318 00:14:45,180 --> 00:14:47,610 horrified they were terrified and they 319 00:14:47,610 --> 00:14:49,320 stayed on the floor with their brushes 320 00:14:49,320 --> 00:14:51,390 in there and they didn't dare move I 321 00:14:51,390 --> 00:14:53,920 stood up and just as I was standing 322 00:14:53,920 --> 00:14:56,769 this big sheriff comes in with his I 323 00:14:56,769 --> 00:15:00,209 mean huge guy it has got two guns and 324 00:15:00,209 --> 00:15:04,870 what is going on here I tried to explain 325 00:15:04,870 --> 00:15:06,730 if you're working on these murals and on 326 00:15:06,730 --> 00:15:09,100 and on and and Here I am a skinny 327 00:15:09,100 --> 00:15:11,350 teacher with long hair and I got these 328 00:15:11,350 --> 00:15:13,209 little glasses and I look like one of 329 00:15:13,209 --> 00:15:17,079 the students and and he wouldn't believe 330 00:15:17,079 --> 00:15:18,550 me that I was to our teacher so I 331 00:15:18,550 --> 00:15:20,649 finally pull out my driver's license and 332 00:15:20,649 --> 00:15:23,199 all my IDs and and finally he believed 333 00:15:23,199 --> 00:15:26,170 me and he said well did you inform that 334 00:15:26,170 --> 00:15:27,820 the principal that you were gonna be 335 00:15:27,820 --> 00:15:30,519 here and I said yes I did but we were 336 00:15:30,519 --> 00:15:32,410 not informed so you got to clean up and 337 00:15:32,410 --> 00:15:35,139 get out of here now so we had to quickly 338 00:15:35,139 --> 00:15:38,949 finish up and get out and but as I was 339 00:15:38,949 --> 00:15:41,019 talking to him two of my other students 340 00:15:41,019 --> 00:15:42,970 that I had sent to the auditorium to 341 00:15:42,970 --> 00:15:44,410 check up with the janitor on the 342 00:15:44,410 --> 00:15:46,360 installation of the paper cutout came 343 00:15:46,360 --> 00:15:49,060 running down the hall so fast they were 344 00:15:49,060 --> 00:15:50,649 terrified and they came they almost 345 00:15:50,649 --> 00:15:52,720 jumped up on me when they got into their 346 00:15:52,720 --> 00:15:54,699 room because there was two cops chasing 347 00:15:54,699 --> 00:15:59,529 them so it was difficult because I knew 348 00:15:59,529 --> 00:16:02,079 that that there needed to be change in 349 00:16:02,079 --> 00:16:04,000 the structure and they needed there 350 00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:06,610 needs to be changing in how we would we 351 00:16:06,610 --> 00:16:09,670 would actually get the kids to work with 352 00:16:09,670 --> 00:16:12,160 each other and to work on on things that 353 00:16:12,160 --> 00:16:14,980 would challenge them and so the only way 354 00:16:14,980 --> 00:16:16,329 to do it was after school and on the 355 00:16:16,329 --> 00:16:20,079 weekends so it was difficult I have been 356 00:16:20,079 --> 00:16:23,050 doing Chicano art for Chicanos but also 357 00:16:23,050 --> 00:16:26,910 for others to see who we are as a people 358 00:16:26,910 --> 00:16:31,360 if my heart and humanity is seen through 359 00:16:31,360 --> 00:16:34,420 my art then hopefully I will not be 360 00:16:34,420 --> 00:16:37,390 excluded from rightfully participating 361 00:16:37,390 --> 00:16:41,529 in this ste society my American society 362 00:16:41,529 --> 00:16:44,920 and so entonces Aquila soy un poquito de 363 00:16:44,920 --> 00:16:48,010 mi corazon and me arte and so now I give 364 00:16:48,010 --> 00:16:50,610 you a little piece of my heart in my art 365 00:16:50,610 --> 00:16:53,910 lights down 366 00:16:54,590 --> 00:16:57,540 so this is at my mother's friend's house 367 00:16:57,540 --> 00:17:01,740 next-door neighbor she had a cold that 368 00:17:01,740 --> 00:17:03,870 turned into a lung infection and of 369 00:17:03,870 --> 00:17:05,880 course she had been to the doctor to get 370 00:17:05,880 --> 00:17:09,060 her prescription medication you can see 371 00:17:09,060 --> 00:17:11,040 it here but she also asked to quit on 372 00:17:11,040 --> 00:17:13,800 detta to come and do a cleansing for her 373 00:17:13,800 --> 00:17:16,680 so that because so many times when you 374 00:17:16,680 --> 00:17:18,359 get sick it's not just a physical 375 00:17:18,359 --> 00:17:20,790 illness it's also an emotional or a 376 00:17:20,790 --> 00:17:24,329 spiritual illness and you need a whole 377 00:17:24,329 --> 00:17:26,930 healing not just a physical healing and 378 00:17:26,930 --> 00:17:29,550 so the current data came and brought her 379 00:17:29,550 --> 00:17:31,920 herbs and Maties and she rubbed her down 380 00:17:31,920 --> 00:17:35,550 and also she burned copal incense in the 381 00:17:35,550 --> 00:17:40,100 coffee can hear and read prayers for her 382 00:17:40,100 --> 00:17:43,590 el Milagro the miracle I came home from 383 00:17:43,590 --> 00:17:45,480 school one day and my mother was very 384 00:17:45,480 --> 00:17:46,860 excited because she had heard on the 385 00:17:46,860 --> 00:17:49,350 radio that the Vivienne Guadalupe had 386 00:17:49,350 --> 00:17:50,850 appeared in a little ranch outside of 387 00:17:50,850 --> 00:17:54,300 town in Alice and so as soon as my 388 00:17:54,300 --> 00:17:56,010 father got home from work we got on the 389 00:17:56,010 --> 00:17:58,800 on the truck and we went looking for 390 00:17:58,800 --> 00:18:00,510 this ranch etho and we got there late in 391 00:18:00,510 --> 00:18:03,720 the day and this is what what I remember 392 00:18:03,720 --> 00:18:06,090 seeing and it made an impression on me 393 00:18:06,090 --> 00:18:08,730 because I could see that the two young 394 00:18:08,730 --> 00:18:11,520 Vaqueros were pointing to these 395 00:18:11,520 --> 00:18:14,640 rattlesnakes that they had gone out into 396 00:18:14,640 --> 00:18:17,370 the cotton fields and and killed and 397 00:18:17,370 --> 00:18:19,260 caught and brought back and hung them at 398 00:18:19,260 --> 00:18:21,030 the foot of the water tank because they 399 00:18:21,030 --> 00:18:22,380 were afraid that people would go out 400 00:18:22,380 --> 00:18:26,040 into the cotton fields and and get bit 401 00:18:26,040 --> 00:18:29,580 by the rattlesnakes so they they they 402 00:18:29,580 --> 00:18:31,620 were trying to warn people not to go out 403 00:18:31,620 --> 00:18:34,910 and the image stuck in my mind because 404 00:18:34,910 --> 00:18:37,320 you could see you could make out the 405 00:18:37,320 --> 00:18:38,760 image or the video and while Lupe in the 406 00:18:38,760 --> 00:18:41,670 water tank and I took artistic license 407 00:18:41,670 --> 00:18:44,550 and depicted her full figure but in the 408 00:18:44,550 --> 00:18:46,400 water tanks she was from the waist up 409 00:18:46,400 --> 00:18:49,080 and it was these water stains and people 410 00:18:49,080 --> 00:18:51,390 who are very good at visualizing could 411 00:18:51,390 --> 00:18:53,190 make out the image of the vision and 412 00:18:53,190 --> 00:18:55,560 those who didn't have very good visual 413 00:18:55,560 --> 00:18:58,410 acumen couldn't make Hirata so they they 414 00:18:58,410 --> 00:19:02,370 didn't believe and it really reminded me 415 00:19:02,370 --> 00:19:03,930 of a painting that I had seen in a 416 00:19:03,930 --> 00:19:06,450 Catholic Church of the Virgin 417 00:19:06,450 --> 00:19:08,050 standing on the world 418 00:19:08,050 --> 00:19:10,120 stepping on a snake so here were the 419 00:19:10,120 --> 00:19:13,210 snakes at her feet and there was people 420 00:19:13,210 --> 00:19:16,210 all over they were somewhere praying I 421 00:19:16,210 --> 00:19:17,710 were just talking and visiting with each 422 00:19:17,710 --> 00:19:19,900 other and here's a family of god on 423 00:19:19,900 --> 00:19:22,870 chico i kept asking my mother what are 424 00:19:22,870 --> 00:19:24,220 you gonna do with that bucket of water 425 00:19:24,220 --> 00:19:25,480 what's that for 426 00:19:25,480 --> 00:19:27,580 and she just that wouldn't didn't have 427 00:19:27,580 --> 00:19:29,470 the time to explain to me she and my 428 00:19:29,470 --> 00:19:31,330 father went out into the front porch 429 00:19:31,330 --> 00:19:33,040 she took her piece of rolled-up 430 00:19:33,040 --> 00:19:35,530 newspaper made it into a cone shape and 431 00:19:35,530 --> 00:19:37,900 put it in my father's outer ear and then 432 00:19:37,900 --> 00:19:40,150 very briefly ignited it and let the edge 433 00:19:40,150 --> 00:19:42,610 burn well my father was during what 434 00:19:42,610 --> 00:19:46,120 world war two he had an injury to his 435 00:19:46,120 --> 00:19:48,010 eardrum and it didn't quite heal 436 00:19:48,010 --> 00:19:50,380 properly so sometimes when he went 437 00:19:50,380 --> 00:19:52,960 swimming water would get into his ear 438 00:19:52,960 --> 00:19:55,150 and get trapped in there and cause an 439 00:19:55,150 --> 00:19:55,780 infection 440 00:19:55,780 --> 00:19:58,090 and so this was a treatment that my 441 00:19:58,090 --> 00:20:00,490 mother did to relieve some of that 442 00:20:00,490 --> 00:20:03,070 pressure and in evaporate the water and 443 00:20:03,070 --> 00:20:06,370 so then she would take that Bernie 444 00:20:06,370 --> 00:20:07,900 newspaper and throw it into the bucket 445 00:20:07,900 --> 00:20:10,090 of water that's what I like in a water 446 00:20:10,090 --> 00:20:13,870 is for Tom milada 447 00:20:13,870 --> 00:20:17,380 I tried to show the whole cooking 448 00:20:17,380 --> 00:20:20,320 process of making the tamales in our 449 00:20:20,320 --> 00:20:22,090 family everybody has to help make 450 00:20:22,090 --> 00:20:24,670 tamales so here's the cooking process 451 00:20:24,670 --> 00:20:26,290 starting with cooking the meat with the 452 00:20:26,290 --> 00:20:29,700 spices and the chili powder and the masa 453 00:20:29,700 --> 00:20:33,460 here's my mother spreading the cornmeal 454 00:20:33,460 --> 00:20:36,730 and we're helping put it in the meat and 455 00:20:36,730 --> 00:20:39,040 rolling them up and then here's my 456 00:20:39,040 --> 00:20:40,570 grandmother putting them in the pan 457 00:20:40,570 --> 00:20:42,550 these are gonna be cooked in the oven 458 00:20:42,550 --> 00:20:45,760 this is my grandfather and myself and my 459 00:20:45,760 --> 00:20:48,970 sister Margie washing the corn leaves 460 00:20:48,970 --> 00:20:51,700 with so that the dust and the corn silk 461 00:20:51,700 --> 00:20:54,280 is washed off it's not just the girls 462 00:20:54,280 --> 00:20:56,380 and the women that may come but the boys 463 00:20:56,380 --> 00:20:58,690 and the men have to help because you 464 00:20:58,690 --> 00:21:00,880 know we have lots of family and friends 465 00:21:00,880 --> 00:21:02,320 coming over for the Christmas holidays 466 00:21:02,320 --> 00:21:05,530 and so everybody has to be fed we have 467 00:21:05,530 --> 00:21:06,700 tomatoes for breakfast and then 468 00:21:06,700 --> 00:21:08,040 sometimes again for dinner 469 00:21:08,040 --> 00:21:10,840 come play annuals this is my sixth 470 00:21:10,840 --> 00:21:13,660 birthday party and our two dough's SEK a 471 00:21:13,660 --> 00:21:16,060 4th birthday party and we had two 472 00:21:16,060 --> 00:21:19,270 pinatas which my mother made the fish 473 00:21:19,270 --> 00:21:21,610 pinata because he liked to go fishing 474 00:21:21,610 --> 00:21:24,700 in my rose pinata he got to go first to 475 00:21:24,700 --> 00:21:26,260 hit the Pantha and he was mad because he 476 00:21:26,260 --> 00:21:27,910 didn't break it and get all the candies 477 00:21:27,910 --> 00:21:30,549 and then it was my turn I still have 478 00:21:30,549 --> 00:21:32,440 this dress my mother made this dress for 479 00:21:32,440 --> 00:21:35,980 me and here's my mother and my 480 00:21:35,980 --> 00:21:40,350 grandmother my father my grandfather and 481 00:21:40,350 --> 00:21:42,910 aunts and uncles and neighbors and 482 00:21:42,910 --> 00:21:45,640 cousins and school friends brothers and 483 00:21:45,640 --> 00:21:48,370 sisters lots of kids we have a tradition 484 00:21:48,370 --> 00:21:50,230 in our family that when a child reaches 485 00:21:50,230 --> 00:21:53,530 the sixth birthday they get a huge party 486 00:21:53,530 --> 00:21:56,549 and so this was my sixth birthday 487 00:21:56,549 --> 00:21:57,700 Sandhya 488 00:21:57,700 --> 00:22:01,570 this is a summer evening after dinner 489 00:22:01,570 --> 00:22:04,240 eating watermelon my grandparents were 490 00:22:04,240 --> 00:22:06,370 migrant workers and I really liked it 491 00:22:06,370 --> 00:22:08,350 when they would come back because we 492 00:22:08,350 --> 00:22:10,059 missed them so much but they came back 493 00:22:10,059 --> 00:22:14,080 with some of the fruits and vegetables 494 00:22:14,080 --> 00:22:16,570 that they had harvested and my favorite 495 00:22:16,570 --> 00:22:17,820 was when they would bring back 496 00:22:17,820 --> 00:22:20,080 watermelon and cantaloupe but of course 497 00:22:20,080 --> 00:22:21,940 they wouldn't bring just one it would 498 00:22:21,940 --> 00:22:24,730 bring like a dozen I call this Sandia 499 00:22:24,730 --> 00:22:27,340 free apetito mi corazon because if you 500 00:22:27,340 --> 00:22:29,470 want to if you want us a little slice of 501 00:22:29,470 --> 00:22:31,630 the center part of the watermelon which 502 00:22:31,630 --> 00:22:34,660 is the sweetest you we had to say Dom in 503 00:22:34,660 --> 00:22:37,630 pursuit ahead could a so on give me a 504 00:22:37,630 --> 00:22:41,860 little peace of the heart by lay-in mil 505 00:22:41,860 --> 00:22:44,290 novecientos cincuenta your own dance in 506 00:22:44,290 --> 00:22:47,140 1958 there's a restaurant in Kingsville 507 00:22:47,140 --> 00:22:49,480 called el Halloween and it has a patio 508 00:22:49,480 --> 00:22:53,200 where they used to have bands performing 509 00:22:53,200 --> 00:22:55,150 and I really liked it because after 510 00:22:55,150 --> 00:22:55,600 dinner 511 00:22:55,600 --> 00:22:58,120 we could stay and dance and it was not 512 00:22:58,120 --> 00:22:59,260 just the adults that were dancing 513 00:22:59,260 --> 00:23:01,750 everybody was dancing and of course I 514 00:23:01,750 --> 00:23:04,150 got a chance to dance with my father and 515 00:23:04,150 --> 00:23:06,190 my grandfather and with the other kids 516 00:23:06,190 --> 00:23:08,679 when I was growing up we wore petticoats 517 00:23:08,679 --> 00:23:12,010 and when you got asked by a boy to dance 518 00:23:12,010 --> 00:23:14,620 if you if you know that in the outer 519 00:23:14,620 --> 00:23:18,040 circle is the fastest lane do you want 520 00:23:18,040 --> 00:23:19,900 to dance real tight you dance in the 521 00:23:19,900 --> 00:23:22,630 middle and so what they would do is they 522 00:23:22,630 --> 00:23:24,250 would ask a girl to dance who had a lot 523 00:23:24,250 --> 00:23:26,320 of petticoats and when they came around 524 00:23:26,320 --> 00:23:28,630 to that area where the other boys were 525 00:23:28,630 --> 00:23:31,270 sitting down they told a girl really 526 00:23:31,270 --> 00:23:34,830 fast so they could see her panties 527 00:23:35,870 --> 00:23:38,430 they were also a good dancer so you 528 00:23:38,430 --> 00:23:41,030 couldn't turn them down 529 00:23:41,240 --> 00:23:45,300 and even though critics in art 530 00:23:45,300 --> 00:23:47,520 historians and so on meet a label for it 531 00:23:47,520 --> 00:23:50,030 they've labeled that narrative art 532 00:23:50,030 --> 00:23:53,310 that's pretty safe you know I call it 533 00:23:53,310 --> 00:23:54,420 money does because that's what my 534 00:23:54,420 --> 00:23:57,380 grandmother used to call my artwork but 535 00:23:57,380 --> 00:24:00,930 the narrative artwork tells a story and 536 00:24:00,930 --> 00:24:04,200 it engages the viewer in thinking about 537 00:24:04,200 --> 00:24:07,590 their stories their experiences I never 538 00:24:07,590 --> 00:24:09,540 dreamed that I would be doing children's 539 00:24:09,540 --> 00:24:12,150 books the books came about because I 540 00:24:12,150 --> 00:24:15,030 already had my paintings and the 541 00:24:15,030 --> 00:24:16,290 publisher wanted me to illustrate 542 00:24:16,290 --> 00:24:19,350 somebody else's story after she saw my 543 00:24:19,350 --> 00:24:22,080 exhibition in at a museum and I didn't 544 00:24:22,080 --> 00:24:24,060 have the time to illustrate somebody 545 00:24:24,060 --> 00:24:25,350 else's stories and I really didn't want 546 00:24:25,350 --> 00:24:27,360 to do it I really wanted them to do a 547 00:24:27,360 --> 00:24:29,850 book about my paintings with my stories 548 00:24:29,850 --> 00:24:31,530 about each painting because each mean is 549 00:24:31,530 --> 00:24:33,780 like a short story and when I tell when 550 00:24:33,780 --> 00:24:36,390 I showed the slides of my paintings to 551 00:24:36,390 --> 00:24:39,090 children to high school students I tell 552 00:24:39,090 --> 00:24:42,660 I am doing oral history basically and 553 00:24:42,660 --> 00:24:46,410 it's a story it's a short story and so 554 00:24:46,410 --> 00:24:48,000 it was kind of risky for the publisher 555 00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:49,620 to do and they finally decided to do it 556 00:24:49,620 --> 00:24:52,260 and now it's their top seller and so 557 00:24:52,260 --> 00:24:55,740 tons and tons of kids are reading my 558 00:24:55,740 --> 00:24:58,140 books as are their teachers and their 559 00:24:58,140 --> 00:25:01,590 parents and it's a it's a wonderful 560 00:25:01,590 --> 00:25:05,160 feeling to be able to reach them with my 561 00:25:05,160 --> 00:25:06,930 artwork and I get feedback from teachers 562 00:25:06,930 --> 00:25:09,750 all the time and they all say that the 563 00:25:09,750 --> 00:25:12,930 kids really are inspired they were 564 00:25:12,930 --> 00:25:14,700 inspired to do their own artwork and 565 00:25:14,700 --> 00:25:16,620 they're inspired to do their own writing 566 00:25:16,620 --> 00:25:19,290 which is so crucial and then they 567 00:25:19,290 --> 00:25:21,810 combine the two together just like I do 568 00:25:21,810 --> 00:25:26,010 it in my book and and they are able to 569 00:25:26,010 --> 00:25:28,020 express themselves about something that 570 00:25:28,020 --> 00:25:30,390 they're very familiar with it's not Dick 571 00:25:30,390 --> 00:25:31,800 and Jane going up the hill 572 00:25:31,800 --> 00:25:36,390 it is Rosita Oh Juan Manuel talking 573 00:25:36,390 --> 00:25:38,790 about their birthday party for their 574 00:25:38,790 --> 00:25:41,180 deal where they had cabrito 575 00:25:41,180 --> 00:25:46,050 and there was a fight and the their 576 00:25:46,050 --> 00:25:47,970 cousin proposed marriage 577 00:25:47,970 --> 00:25:50,850 a girlfriend and they decided to 578 00:25:50,850 --> 00:25:53,220 announce it at this birthday party so on 579 00:25:53,220 --> 00:25:56,550 and on and on and so this this inspires 580 00:25:56,550 --> 00:25:59,700 the kids and it's a it's the greatest to 581 00:25:59,700 --> 00:26:01,950 me the greatest reward and the greatest 582 00:26:01,950 --> 00:26:05,250 criticism and review of my artwork is to 583 00:26:05,250 --> 00:26:07,980 see the whole family the Chicano family 584 00:26:07,980 --> 00:26:09,360 standing in front of one of my paintings 585 00:26:09,360 --> 00:26:12,000 at a museum excitedly talking about 586 00:26:12,000 --> 00:26:14,220 what's going on and even the teenagers 587 00:26:14,220 --> 00:26:15,480 who are trying to be real cool and I 588 00:26:15,480 --> 00:26:17,730 look interested you know kind of like 589 00:26:17,730 --> 00:26:20,370 listening to what their parents and the 590 00:26:20,370 --> 00:26:21,990 grandparents are saying about the 591 00:26:21,990 --> 00:26:23,940 painting and the kids excitedly saying 592 00:26:23,940 --> 00:26:26,550 well we just did that last week and here 593 00:26:26,550 --> 00:26:29,120 it is in a painting in a major museum 594 00:26:29,120 --> 00:26:32,430 it's taken a lot of hard work a lot of 595 00:26:32,430 --> 00:26:36,060 time a lot of many and a lot of personal 596 00:26:36,060 --> 00:26:38,820 sacrifice to get that painting in that 597 00:26:38,820 --> 00:26:43,590 museum and to get it in the book in my 598 00:26:43,590 --> 00:26:45,780 travels you wouldn't believe how many 599 00:26:45,780 --> 00:26:49,170 people from the East Coast from Boston 600 00:26:49,170 --> 00:26:53,010 say have no idea of the life and culture 601 00:26:53,010 --> 00:26:54,560 of the southwest 602 00:26:54,560 --> 00:26:59,010 that is totally foreign to them but this 603 00:26:59,010 --> 00:27:01,200 is American culture this is this is part 604 00:27:01,200 --> 00:27:03,150 of America we've been here for a long 605 00:27:03,150 --> 00:27:04,640 time 606 00:27:04,640 --> 00:27:08,970 so my artwork pulls them in and if 607 00:27:08,970 --> 00:27:10,170 there's a greater understanding a 608 00:27:10,170 --> 00:27:12,000 greater awareness there's a greater 609 00:27:12,000 --> 00:27:14,460 acceptance and we have to work together 610 00:27:14,460 --> 00:27:17,310 to make this country work continue to 611 00:27:17,310 --> 00:27:20,700 work as an experiment and so the greater 612 00:27:20,700 --> 00:27:23,100 familiarity there is between the 613 00:27:23,100 --> 00:27:24,930 different cultures that we have in this 614 00:27:24,930 --> 00:27:27,390 country the stronger and more powerful 615 00:27:27,390 --> 00:27:30,770 we will be so as far as I'm concerned my 616 00:27:30,770 --> 00:27:34,620 my artwork is helping to fortify this 617 00:27:34,620 --> 00:27:37,260 country because if our children feel 618 00:27:37,260 --> 00:27:39,630 good about who they are and they're here 619 00:27:39,630 --> 00:27:41,640 in this country and they've been here 620 00:27:41,640 --> 00:27:45,240 for generations then they can fully feel 621 00:27:45,240 --> 00:27:47,490 very much that this is their country 622 00:27:47,490 --> 00:27:49,740 that they need to defend and to work for 623 00:27:49,740 --> 00:27:52,530 and to strengthen and so that's why it's 624 00:27:52,530 --> 00:27:55,410 so important that that our children see 625 00:27:55,410 --> 00:27:57,720 themselves in a fine art form that is 626 00:27:57,720 --> 00:28:00,620 hanging in a museum 627 00:28:01,200 --> 00:28:03,620 what I've been doing 628 00:28:04,500 --> 00:29:49,439 [Music]