UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA Los Angeles Judy Baca, SPARC and A Chicana Mural Movement: Reconstructing U.S. History Through Public Art A dissertation in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in History by Juan Pablo Mercado 2018 ã Copyright by Juan Pablo Mercado 2018 ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION Judy Baca, SPARC and A Chicana Mural Movement: Reconstructing U.S. History Through Public Art by Juan Pablo Mercado Doctor of Philosophy in History University of California, Los Angeles, 2018 Professor Juan Gómez-Quiñones, Chair This dissertation is about the uses and function of public art and makes the argument that public art should be viewed as an historical project. When developed within the framework of a collaborative community project with a thoughtful consideration to the experiences, values, and aspirations of community members, these projects challenge neocolonial tenets of exploitative labor conditions, racism, homophobia and sexism. By imagining public art as an innovative process that crosses the boundaries of social justice, history, and collective memory, Judith F. Baca established, and the Social and Public Art Resource Center (SPARC) employed a form of remembering that served as an essential component to understanding how communities envisioned themselves, their struggles, and their ability to transform history. Reimaging certain flashpoints in U.S. history through the historical projects of public murals urges a more nuanced consideration of the past that dislodges narratives of de jure and de facto discrimination and ii racial violence. What results from this reconsideration is a construction of multiple histories that challenge universally venerated, yet often distorted legacies of this nation. This dissertation also makes the claim that Baca has spent a lifetime developing a process that at its core is a voice of the people and that speaks for the community. It is a process that has been refined over decades and a process that this is still being shared with the future generations of artists and activists. Chronicling her work and understanding her artistic and political ethos also demonstrate how she broke with a long line of prolific and respected artists in an effort to build broader and more inclusive opportunities for her community. iii The dissertation of Juan Pablo Mercado is approved. Judith F. Baca Lauren Derby Robin Davis Gibran Kelley Juan Gómez-Quiñones, Committee Chair University of California, Los Angeles 2018 iv DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to Cecilia, Eli, Jake, Zack, Cruz, Marley, Abigail, Gabriella, Israel, Yolotli and Osvaldo—the next generation. Para mi madre y padre, Paula y Pedro Mercado v TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION .................................................................................... ii DEDICATION ........................................................................................................................... v LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................................. viii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ....................................................................................................... xi VITA ........................................................................................................................................ xv INTRODUCTION: THE POLITICAL ETHOS OF A CHICANA MURALIST.......................... 1 Scope of Project ...................................................................................................................... 4 Methods and Research ............................................................................................................ 6 Summary of Chapters .............................................................................................................. 9 CHAPTER ONE—FROM SIQUIEROS TO SPARC: HISTORICAL AND IDEOLOGICAL ROOTS OF A CHICANA MURALIST ......................................................... 15 Influence of The Mexican Revolution ................................................................................... 16 International Labor Solidarity ............................................................................................... 20 A Move to Gringo Land ........................................................................................................ 22 América Tropical .................................................................................................................. 27 Mi Abuelita ........................................................................................................................... 31 Baca, SPARC and The Great Wall of Los Angeles ................................................................. 38 Concluding Thoughts – The River ......................................................................................... 47 CHAPTER TWO—THE RICHMOND MURAL PROJECT: . ART AND MEMORY IN THE EAST BAY ............................................................................. 51 Richmond and the Wartime Economic Context ..................................................................... 59 Efficiency and Consistency in Shipbuilding .......................................................................... 61 Race, Gender, and the Shipyards ........................................................................................... 64 Richmond and the Mexican Community As it Was and What it Became ............................... 66 Barrios and Institutional Racism ........................................................................................... 67 Employment Challenges and Opportunities ........................................................................... 69 An Expanding Role for Women ............................................................................................ 72 Challenging Patriarchy at Home and at Work………………………………………………...76 Shifts in Housing and Educational Experiences ..................................................................... 80 vi Intra-ethnic Relationships...................................................................................................... 83 Permeable Cultural Conventions ........................................................................................... 86 Concluding Thoughts – What’s at Stake ................................................................................ 89 CHAPTER THREE—THE GREAT WALL OF LOS ANGELES ................................................ 93 The Defense Sector in WWII Los Angeles ............................................................................ 99 Labor Rights Revisited ........................................................................................................ 101 Women Workers in Aircraft Production .............................................................................. 104 Fascism at Home ................................................................................................................. 106 Patriotism Deconstructed .................................................................................................... 114 The Battle of Chavez Ravine ............................................................................................... 120 Concluding Thoughts – Challenging Tradition .................................................................... 127 CHAPTER FOUR—LA MEMORIA DE NUESTRA TIERRA .............................................. 129 Why They Left .................................................................................................................... 133 The Ludlow Strike .............................................................................................................. 139 Chicano Activism in Colorado ............................................................................................ 147 Concluding Thoughts – Uvas y Cerveza .............................................................................. 149 EPILOGUE—SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT ........................................................... 153 What’s Next for SPARC ..................................................................................................... 157 Mapping the Future ............................................................................................................. 159 BIBLIOGRAPHY .................................................................................................................. 163 Archives Consulted ............................................................................................................. 163 Public Documents and Unpublished Materials .................................................................... 163 Oral Histories ...................................................................................................................... 164 Secondary Sources .............................................................................................................. 165 Newspapers and Magazines ................................................................................................ 174 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY OF ARTWORK: ................................................................... 175 JUDITH F. BACA .................................................................................................................. 175 vii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Judy Baca meeting with the mural makers at the Great Wall. Image courtesy of Judy Baca and SPARC Archives. ...............................................................................................