Matthew Villarreal

Ms Batty
English 101
2/25/18
First Never Second
Modern day Hispanics deal with much judgment throughout our country. There are

many things that are used to express the hardships that Hispanic people have endured. Art is

one of those things. A mural in Los Angeles depicts Latino culture clearly, and vividly. This mural

is known as “The Wall That Speaks, Sings, and Shouts.” It was painted by Paul Botello with the

help of Adalberto Ortiz, Geraldo Herrera, and Gustavo Sanchez. In this mural, Hispanic people

are shown holding onto each other. Holding on for hope, for a cause. Judgment comes in all

shapes and sizes, regardless of age. That is why in this Mural there is an image of a boy holding

a computer. This implies that no matter the generation the Latino community will continue to

grow and make their mark in this society. Hispanics seem to be treated as second class citizens.

Hispanic people are the last to be treated as such. In fact, they should be considered first class

citizens. There are many reasons as to why I believe this, as you should as well. Hispanic people

are vital to our society and serve a much bigger role than people would think.

Hispanic people discovered this country before our “founders” did. Years ago, Cabeza

De Vaca took place. Cabeza De Vaca is a very relevant event in our countries history. Hispanics

from Mexico, including the Mestizo’s, step foot on North American soil nearly a century before

any European. Thus, Cabeza De Vaca is born. This shows that Hispanic people should not be

considered foreign if they were the first people here. This is their land, not ours. People with

Mesoamerican roots have much deeper roots with North America than people with European
roots. Which brings me back to my point that Hispanic people are the last people that should be

considered second class citizens in this country.

The Latino community’s roots are expressed all throughout the city of Los Angeles. In

1781 a group of Mestizo’s traveled to California and discover what is now known as Los

Angeles, California. A result of this discovery is the development of Olvera Street. Olvera street

is a street in downtown Los Angeles that is considered the birthplace of Los Angeles. It is the

hub of all Hispanic culture in Los Angeles. This area was colonized by Spaniards in 1781, the

same year that Los Angeles was founded.

Los Angeles has the largest Hispanic community in the United States. Many people have

the misconception that most of this Latino community in Los Angeles immigrated here illegally.

In fact, about two thirds of the Latino’s that live in Los Angeles were born in this country.

Despite that fact Hispanics steal deal with judgement and misconceptions about them and their

culture. This fact itself makes it nearly impossible to deny the fact that Latino’s who reside in

Los Angeles are just as American as anyone else, if not more.

Based upon the facts I have presented to you it is clear, that Hispanic people in Los

Angeles should not be considered anything less than first class citizens. Not only did they

discover this fine city, but they also make up most of the population in not only Los Angeles but

California in general. People use many forms of art to express their pain, their suffering. After

composing this essay, I have come to the conclusion that Mural’s are one the most effective

ways in getting a point across due to the fact that there are so many aspects of Murals that

effect the way you look at the mural. Shapes, colors, sizes can all affect the emotion you feel
towards a Mural. In the mural that I chose the Botello used people, culture, and color to

express the pain and suffering that the Latino community of East Los Angeles have been forced

to grow accustom too. They have been forced to feel that they are less than others, that they

are second class. Based upon what I have presented to you, it is clear that the Latino culture

should not be considered second class citizens, first class never second.