En Transicion... a mural dedicated to Latino youth

The mural, En Transicion..., is a message a/hope and belie/that Latino children, and all children, have the inherent right to see their own beauty and human dignity.

This mural speaks of the challenges Latino youth face, while also representing the lessons of strength, perseverance and love given by their own Latino community.

Artists Leo Tanguma, Leticia Tanguma, Valerie Wolny and Frank Garza guided twenty-seven 6th and ih grade students from the Beacons Program at Rishel Middle School to paint a mural commissioned for the Mayor's Summit on Latino Academic Achievement.

The voice of Latino students...
The artistsasked the Latino students to paint about the pressures they face in school, especially about negative peer pressure. When each of the youth sketched their thoughts, the entire group discussed why these pressures were unhealthy, dangerous and unjust. The students discussed how all ofthese pressures impact their education - how it is a challenge to do their best in school despite the problems surrounding them.

The students painted images on small panels that depict the pressures of smoking, drugs and alcohol. Others painted gangs and weapons. They painted poverty, parental negligence, sneaking out at night and even globalization. Students painted children being targets of racism and pressure to be racist toward others. They chose the symbols of the Nazi Swastika and the hood ofthe Ku Klux Klan to represent how racist attitudes still impact children and youth. In that panel, children are scared and confused as they are shown the evilness of racism. The youth wanted to say that they should not be targets of racism nor be pressured to be racist. Other students painted worries ofteen pregnancy and of being sexually harassed in school. Some images capture how children and youth are witnesses and victims of sexual abuse.

En Transicion...
On one of the two large panels adjacent to the center diamond-shaped panel is the depiction of a girl entangled in two flags, that of Mexico and Iraq. She is trying to tear the flags apart because ofthe racism that has been instilled in her. But as she grows and sees the humanity in each ofthese peoples, her attitude and heart are transformed to that of compassion. Now she is reaching for ajust world.
On the opposite panel is a Latino student, who as a gang member, hurts his own community. As he grows to understand the root causes of oppression, racism and poverty, he is transformed from being a destroyer into being someone who actively participates in working for the rights of his or her community.
Connecting the young people are banners that read, "strive and achieve dignidad, (dignity), respect, integrity and paz (peace)."

Breaking the chains...
The mural's center diamond shape portrays a Latina youth whose mind and spirit have been chained. How do we break these chains of injustice? To symbolize breaking the chains, the team decided to paint images of peers encouraging education, friendship, science, music, art and graduation. Two boys are carrying a peace dove flying from a red banner that represents the sacrifice of their family and ancestors struggling for civil rights. Two girls are holding the scales of justice and the declaration of the rights of a child as they pull away the ropes of inequality and ignorance.
The highest part of the mural depicts a Quetzal bird flying with two doves. There is a legend from Latin America that says a Quetzal cannot live in captivity. The Quetzal, representing the human spirit, is liberated when the chains of oppression are broken.

Community Conversations...
Please send comments about the mural to Leticia Tanguma at Letimariposa@yahoo.com. She can forward any messages to Beacons students at Rishel Middle School. Opportunities for the mural to travel to schools are being considered. Contact Maxine Quintana in the Mayor's Office for Education and Children (720.913.0905 or QuintanaM@ci.denver.co.us) for more information.