Stand Up!

“Stand Up!” – El Plan de Nuestro “Mural de la Raza”

In 1985, Juanita Meza Velasquez organized to paint a 16’ x 82’ Chicano mural on the wall of Payless ShoeSource at 2048 Story Rd, San José, CA 95122 near King and Story Roads. Juanita organized what muralist, José Meza Velasquez would later title “Mural de La Raza” as a tool to end barrio warfare, empower grafitti artists and barrio youth.

The “Mural de La Raza” depicted the history and culture of precolumbian lore, the Mexican Revolution, the Chicano Movement, local figures, as well as the very youth who assisted in painting the mural.

After more than three decades of “Mural de La Raza” being a central fabric of San José’s Eastside, the mural was unlawfyully removed without notice to the artist or members of the public who took interest in its preservation prior to the removal. Not only was nuestro Mural de La Raza removed, but so was our history and culture, and one of the only means of public access to Chicano Studies. During the past 15 years in particular we have witnessed a pattern of Chicano murals being removed largley due to gentrification.