Santa Ana marks Chicano Heritage Month with a festival and new mural
Santa Ana Councilman Johnathan Ryan Hernandez has a special connection to El Salvador Park in Santa Ana.
“I used to play here when I was kid,” Hernandez said.
The park at 1825 W. Civic Center Drive also has a connection to Orange County’s rich Chicano history, making it the right place to hold the city’s second annual Chicano Heritage Festival, which took place on Aug. 27.
“El Salvador Park is part of Artesia-Pilar, one of the oldest neighborhoods in Santa Ana” said Santa Ana Mayor Valerie Amezcua. “There is a lot of history there regarding the Chicano movement, so it is great place to have the festival … It is an important place in Santa Ana.”
Located on the northwest side of Santa Ana, El Salvador Park has played host to many historically significant events in Orange County, including a march in September 1970 memorializing Los Angles Times journalist and activist Ruben Salazar, who was killed in a month earlier in East L.A. during what began as a peaceful protest by the National Chicano Moratorium Against the Vietnam War.
Hernandez noted that while the event is an opportunity to remember the past, it‘s also a chance to look to those in the community who are influencing the future.
“The Chicano Heritage Festival is an event that not only focuses on the Chicano Moratorium and the life of Ruben Salazar, but it also focuses on amplifying the stories of local Santa Ana residents,” Hernandez said.
For example, this year singer Vicky Tafoya, a Santa Ana native, performed at the event.
“Vicky Tafoya’s family has been in Santa Ana for over 100 years,” said Hernandez. “She is an artist with Penrose Records, and she gave one of the most memorable performances we have had in Santa Ana. It is humbling and it’s empowering for kids and families to see that.”
The first Chicano Heritage Festival in El Salvador Park was held last year, after the city made August Chicano Heritage month in 2021.
County Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento pointed out in his address to Sunday’s attendees that Orange County is the first in the nation to declare August as Chicano Heritage Month, ahead of other areas with large Chicano populations like Los Angeles and parts of Texas.
In early August, the Orange County Board of Supervisors also declared August to be Chicano Heritage Month, and the neighboring city of Anaheim followed Santa Ana’s lead and made the same declaration.
“Chicano-Chicana heritage is a rich part of Anaheim’s history,” Anaheim Mayor Ashleigh Aitken said in a statement on Aug. 2. “Mexican Americans have been part of Anaheim from the start and make up one of the largest culturally unique groups in our diverse city today. We join with them and invite everyone to join us in celebrating with a series of events at our libraries and parks throughout August.”
Last year, U.S. Rep. Lou Correa introduced a resolution to federally recognize August as Chicano Heritage Month. Correa, whose district includes communities in Santa Ana, Anaheim, Stanton, Fullerton and Orange, reintroduced the resolution this year with an updated title of Chicano-Chicana Heritage Month. The updated language recognizes both men and woman in the Chicano community.
“Chicano heritage and our culture is not just important here in Santa Ana,” Amezcua said. “It is wonderful to see that this is taking place all around California and the United States.”
This year’s festival started with a classic car cruise beginning at Santa Ana College’s parking lot and traveling to El Salvador Park.
The free event included carnival rides, arts and crafts, a kids zone, cultural exhibits and musical performances by Malo, Tierra Legacy, the Altons, Thee Sinseers, MOFAK, Zackey Force Funk, and the aforementioned Vicky Tafoya and the Big Beat.
The story of Santa Ana native Marina Aguilera was also highlighted, as the local artist unveiled of new mural at El Salvador Park.
“Marina Aguilera is a lifelong Santa Ana resident. She was born and raised in Santa Ana, and she has represented Chicano culture for several decades,” said Hernandez.
Aguilera joined a local mural group at the age of 14 and contributed to work that can be found throughout Santa Ana, including at El Salvador Park.
“In 1974, she created a mural at El Salvador Park’s handball courts,” Hernandez said. “In 1976, she created a mural at the El Salvador Park community center.”
Aguilera, now 63, also designed the Artesia-Pilar neighborhood street toppers, unveiled earlier this month. Her newest mural at El Salvador Park features a single red rose.
“I love the fact that there was a rose included, because roses signify the people,” Hernandez said.
And in a powerful, full circle moment Hernandez’s 13-year-old daughter, Evoni Maya Hernandez, got to help paint the rose on mural at the historical park her father grew up playing in.
“This is her first time painting on a wall. She was being mentored by Marina Aguilera, and that was a really inspiring thing to see,” said Hernandez. “Marina is passing on knowledge to young people to ensure that our stories are always told.”
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