Abstract
This paper considers ways in which art is being presented in public spaces as a way to examine the Latino experience and reconstruct racial identities in the United States. Protest Art is the creation of a visual object intended to bring awareness to specific social issues or inequalities experienced by a group. In using protest art in public spaces, Latinos are telling stories of inequalities, activism, and migration. The Coachella Valley is experiencing a capitalistic shift in its public spaces as more celebrities and social media influencers flock to various Coachella music festivals. Historically, Coachella is known as a rural area in the Imperial Valley desert that is home to thousands of migrant farm workers and their families. The families maybe experiencing various forms of oppression and exploitation such as low wages, unsafe working conditions, and few opportunities for the children of migrant farmworkers. Musical festival attendees arrive unaware of the history and social inequalities present in Coachella. owever, in the humble spaces of downtown Coachella are a series of public art murals that tell the story of social activism, service to one’s country, the United Farm Workers’ union activity, and various cultural representations of the generations of Latinos who have occupied the spaces in Coachella for decades. This study examines these public spaces and the neglect they receive in comparison to the empty lots of dust and dried grass that house various music festivals each year.
Presenters
Heather RodriguezAssociate Professor of Sociology, Sociology and Latino Studies, Central Connecticut State University, Connecticut, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Public art murals, Public space, Migrant farm workers, Latinos
Digital Media
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