Historical Background
It became evident in our research that along with stories
of success were repeating themes of displacement and abuse
in the history of immigration in the United States and especially
of that in the Bay Area. We identified our interest in dealing
with an issue prevalent to the contemporary urban context
of San Francisco and began to focus on the dramatic economic
changes of San Francisco by examining the way in which these
changes transformed communities. These insights led us to
an in-depth study of the present and historic changes of
the Mission District of San Francisco.
The Mission District is a historically
poor, immigrant district of San Francisco that has gone
through many variations from the time when the Ohlone Indians
traversed the area until the present SUV tromping. Since
the mid-forties, the Mission’s demographic has been
predominantly Latino, but has always produced a rare cultural
blend. The research was directed at revealing the cultural
diversity of the district; however, this was stymied by
the lack of data encountered on the Mission. It was through
research into these empty spaces and untold stories of the
district's forgotten histories that we were able to recognize
tendencies of genocide, “culturacide,” removal
and resistance to these forces that span from the 17th century
until the present. We collected written documents, oral
histories and historic images to recreate and pay homage
to the infinite number of floating, undocumented stories
that hover in and around the southern part of the peninsula.
The project sought to activate historical
memory by juxtaposing advanced capitalistic techno-visions
of a futuristic monoculture informed by historical amnesia
with erased peoples and cultures that have once occupied
the space of the Mission. The digital mural project considered
the neighborhood’s rich history of mural making as
well as the influx of corporate billboards as it referenced
the mural aesthetic while straddling the line of advertising
language. Essentially, the billboard stood as a creative
form of resistance to the oppressive economic forces of
gentrification all-too-present in San Francisco.
Documentation
The following are a few written samples of the historical
documentation presented to the public in November of 1999:
Document No. 1998-1
Data: Lilli Ann Whitewashed
Historical Narrative:
In 1998, the mural "Lilli Ann" painted by Jesus
"Chuy" Campusano was whitewashed by the new owner
of the building on 17th and Harrison. This violent act was
done without the consent of Chuy, who died a year earlier,
or the Campusano family in direct violation of the California
Art Preservation Act. The new owner of the building unexpectedly
came under enormous pressure to restore the mural through
community protests, media attention, art interventions and
even a hex put on the wall by a local Brujo. The public
outrage led to a lawsuit that was recently settled for an
unprecedented amount of $200,000 in damages to a public
piece awarded to the Campusano family. The mural, unfortunately,
will not be restored. The "MISSION Y2K?" mural
is dedicated to the memory of Chuy, his mural and all of
the erased and neglected public artworks of the Mission
district.
Document No. 1795
Data: Ohlone Flee Mission
Historical Narrative:
By the end of the 18th century the majority of the Ohlone
Indians were subjects of Spanish colonization and bound
to hard labor on the Mission Dolores ranch. In 1795, a large
group of Ohlone fled Mission Dolores toward the hills in
the East Bay. Spanish soldiers at the Presidio conducted
a hunt in order to bring the Indians back to the Mission.
The Spanish were unable to recover many of the "escaped"
Indians. This documented Resistance is monumental to the
memory of a Mission culture that has largely been forgotten.
Around this time, a US Surveyor wrote:
"Never before in history has a people
been swept away with such terrible swiftness, or appalled
into utter and whispering silence forever, as were the California
Indians."
Document No. 1980-s
Data: Low Riders Outlawed
Historical Narrative:
During the 1970s and 80s Low Rider culture thrived in the
Mission District's diverse Latino culture. Cruising Mission
and 24th Streets became a ritual in the district as low
riders developed a unique art form and subculture. San Francisco
authorities, however, associated low riders with gang activity
and began a systematic crackdown on the culture. During
the early 1980s, police tactics of setting curfews, measuring
the distance of a car's bumper to the ground and prohibiting
left turns along Mission St. led to the expulsion and displacement
of low rider culture in San Francisco. The mural reproduced
here was painted by Derrik O'Keeffe in 1975 at the same
temporary billboard site of the Galería de la Raza.
Document No. 1969-71
Data: BART on the Backs
Historical Narrative:
In 1970, 22% of the Mission District residents lived under
the poverty line. The extension of the Bay Area Rapid Transit
system into the Mission was hailed as the key to economic
recovery in the district. BART construction along Mission
St. began in 1969 with promises of revitalization and ended
in 1971 with many displaced residents. During this period
the parking and shopping were disrupted causing a considerable
amount of small and marginal businesses to go out of business.
The BART mural painted at 24th and Mission St. in 1975 by
Mike Rios depicts the ambivalent question of BART being
held up by the people or riding on the backs of the lower
classes. The image is produced here to bring to light the
complexities within the promises of "revitalization"
and "urban renewal.”
Document No. 1990-s
Data: Rent Prices Triples, . . .
Historical Narrative:
In 1997, the median rent in the Mission soared to $1,600.
At the time, less than 25% of the District's residents could
afford the median rent based on their incomes. A three-bedroom
apartment that rented for $723 in 1997 now rents for $2,750.
This trend of rent increases and gentrification has been
perpetuated by the 150% increase in the number of "Owner
Move-In" evictions between 1994 and 1997. Within this
short period of time, The Mission has seen an influx of
over-priced sit-down restaurants, vintage clothing stores,
antique salons, etc. In fact, on Valencia St. between 16th
and 18th St. more than 50% of businesses turned over (29
in all) within a two-year span. This is problematic in that
many working-class residents of the area cannot afford to
patronize these businesses that cater to the new haut-bourgeoisie
of the Silicon boom. |
