Hellen Lopez - Week 7

    While reading Claudia Zapata's essay, The Rise and Impact of Chicano Graphics, 1965 to Now, she provides a very informative background of the artists and their significance to Chicanx people were. This digital revolution allowed Chicanx artists to share their work differently, which made their presence in more communities. In addition, these types of graphics allowed these artists to have work portrayed in popular places like Times Square in New York. There are different ways that Zapata indicates Chicanx artists used this type of art by being "incorporated into new media art, digital art, net art, post-internet art, virtual art, cyber art, computer art, and other technologically adjacent artistic genres" (131). All these types of art formats made Chicanx art more diverse. 

    This new way of art paved the way for movements that promoted Chicanx community causes for empowerment and justice. For example, a digital post that featured the "support of Emma González, a student who became a gun control activist after surviving the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High-School" in 2018 (145). The image includes González's face with hashtags that support gun control and protection for children. Here, in Zapata's image description, she indicates how influential these types of works can be since it illustrates how it was shared over 21,000 times through Facebook alone. Though this is not just a Chicanx issue since other groups were affected, it still demonstrates how this work was impactful after depicting Emma's face. Zapata includes this type of work in her essay; Chicanx art and individuals are essential. She honors the Chicanx community and gives credit for their use of this specific artwork. This type of artwork began almost 60 years ago also demonstrates the persistence and overall impact these artists have had on different issues and groups over a long period.