Plan B

Here’s a video from Vice.com and Nike, celebrating Chicano culture and the Cortez.

The contributions of Los Angeles’s Chicanos to culture often go unnoticed. In this short film, we take a look at the unique eccentricities of Chicano culture with prominent Angelenos that are preserving and driving their lifestyle forward through fashion, music, tattoos, and art.

I can’t embed the video, so go take a look at it on the Vice website.

Now look at this story from the KVIA:

Bringing a more vibrant art community to San Elizario. That’s what one local Chicano artist is planning to do, while preserving history along the way.

Gaspar Enriquez is a nationally recognized artist and former long-time Bowie art teacher. Many of his work is of his students.

“I used to live in the same area growing up, so what I saw in my students was myself growing up there,” Enriquez said. “So I decided to record their stories, their faces.”

He’s also interested in restoring San Elizario’s history.

“These buildings have been neglected for a long time,” he said.

So Enriquez spent 10 years restoring a building, that now houses some of his art work. It was originally built in the 1800’s.

“I didn’t want to see them deteriorate any more,” Enriquez said.

He also spent many years restoring a second building, which is now up for lease. The hope, Enriquez said, is to create a more vibrant arts district in San Elizario.

We don’t appreciate Chicano culture here in El Paso because we’re swimming in it. Chicano culture is abundant. We don’t celebrate Chicano culture because it’s so common.

But the rest of the world gets it. Chicano culture is vibrant and beautiful and, most importantly, different from the rest of the culture in the United States. You know what I’m talking about. Gringolandia (no offense).

But we chuquenses line up when a new Olive Garden opens up. Because to us, the Olive Garden is exotic.

Our city “leaders” should get out more. Then they’d realize that what we have is valuable.