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Beneath the Coronado Bridge in Barrio Logan vibrant murals sizzle on pillars and walls, which seem to have grown from the earth. Brown faces of Chicano leaders and the people of the Aztlán stand sentinel.

These 7.9 acres are San Diego’s famous Chicano Park that was saved by its community from being bulldozed to make room for a California Highway Patrol station on April 22, 1970.

Ramon “Chunky” Sanchez is the singer for the iconic band Los Alacranes and a Chicano Park activist. He said the barrio community has a duty to watch over the park.

“Chicano Park has always been protected,” he said. “Cultural activists, the Brown Berets or the wise ones who claim to be ancestors of the first settlers to this land protect it. This park was meant to be a place for our sons and daughters and future generations to have a safe place to grow and play. It’s a place for families, good food, music and just life. I sing because of my culture and Chicano Park is part of the culture.”

Today Chicano Park is historic, the largest outdoor collection of murals in the United States and a symbol of the Chicano Rights Movement.

Chicano Park Day is celebrated April 22 to remember the day the people of the Aztlán took the park away from the Highway Patrol. SWC English Professor Michael Wickert said attending Chicano Park Day is a tradition for his family.

“I’ve gone every year for the last 20 years,” he said. “I have seen how it has grown. One time it looked like it was going to fade away into nothing, but by the 25th anniversary it was back again and maintained. This year it just exploded. A lot of people who would have never gone to the festival before are now going. It was a really multicultural group of people who were at the festival, which was very cool.”

SWC film production major Anibal Antonio said she identified as Chicana and was happy to discover the event and the community behind it.

“As a Chicano I have always been in between cultures,” she said. “My family members are immigrants from Mexico and I grew up in the U.S., so I never really fit in. I was kind of stuck in the middle. I’m pretty glad that I found a place here in the city that represents both sides.”

Wickert said that many of the newer generations of Chicanos have problems with cultural identity.

“A lot of people who call themselves Chicano are the children and the grandchildren of farm workers who moved into the cities,” he said. “These people who are really rural people understand the idea of connection to the soil. With roots to ones culture, there is a sense of soil and longing and land.”

Antonio said she immensely enjoyed the splash of colorful culture.

“I liked the traditional dances and a lot of the Aztec clothing was really rad to look at,” she said. “The designs looked like they worked hours on them. Definitely handmade. They were so beautiful. I loved them.”

Psychology major Francisco Gomez said he took interest in the lowrider cars and car murals the festival offered.

“They went so in-depth into Chicano culture you never get to see that anymore,” he said. “Everything was beautiful, but my favorite part was all the cars. It’s amazing how much work they put into them. It was a great experience.”

Wickert said much like the food, dancing and Aztec culture, lowriders were part of Chicano lifestyle.

“When you look at the murals and see the cars you see history,” he said. “They took cars that were thrown away and made them into classics. Today there will be a 92 Sentra, a 55 Chevy, a 62 Impala and in one point in time those were throwaway cars, but this is what people could afford and we made them look nice and lowrider culture started.”

Wickert said his favorite part of the day is reconnecting.

“I get to see a lot of old friends,” he said. “Chicano Park Day is run by a lot of people who are from those neighborhoods that have now moved out and disbursed. Now once a year this day gives people the chance to sort of come back together.”

Chicano Park’s community has grown and Wickert says he is confident that it will continue.

“Over time it’s really kind of moved into this interesting space,” he said. “It’s becoming intertwined, entrelazado, with the city. It’s the roots in the tree, but it’s not just the roots, it’s the shape, the breeze, the birds, the kids climbing the tree and then this one day a year it just really comes to life.”