The exhibition, Printing the Revolution! The Rise and Impact of Chicano Graphics put into perspective how far Latinxs have come within both the art community and American communities. With the word once standing as a pejorative towards Mexicans in California, to it being reclaimed by these same people, the term "Chicanx" is now a badge of pride for many who live in these communities. The history of Chicanx art runs in tandem with the history of Chicanx's in California, because many of these pieces were in direct response to conditions or laws faced by Mexicans in these communities.
What I liked most about this exhibit was that it gave perspective of history for Chicanxs from their own perspective. Often time when we learn about history it is from the perspectives of the wealthy and the white, but exhibitions like this show us that there is more than one perspective of history, and this history has value and deserves to be learned. One of the difficulties for Chicanx art is that it is not valued as highly as art from whiter individuals. In the same right that white people are able to create both good and bad art at their choosing, Chicanxs should have the freedom to create any type of art they desire, without having to justify and explain themselves when it is compared to white art. This justification and distinction permeates other aspects of society much like how Chicanx History classes are labelled specifically as such, when Chicanx history was already so important to Los Angeles history. The fact that this history needs to have its own category rather than fitting into a broader picture shows how whiteness has dominated more aspects of life than we consider.
This piece by Ester Hernandez spoke to me because it brought a grim reality to such a seemingly harmless topic. Though raisins may seem like a regular snack, it is harvested by the work of countless underpaid immigrants. There is no cruelty free consumerism when the people harvesting these fruits can barely make ends meet.
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