Destiny Week 8 Response and Primary Source

Reading Response

Even though I am writing about a park rather than a person, I think my topic actually fits well into the “microhistory” genre. I am writing about a specific, somewhat obscure – at least to the majority of people – topic and how it reflects a larger movement. Since there isn’t that much written on Chicano Park, it feels like I am partially weaving together the narrative of the park. It is very much a local story, and is unknown to most people outside of San Diego. It is a highly unique park, but it is its uniqueness that makes it relevant on a larger scale. It ties to many larger themes: the impact of highways on communities of color, the connection between space and identity, the history of displacement of Chicano communities, and the broader Chicano Movement of the 1970s. In this sense, I am using telling a story about the Chicano Movement through the lens of a microhistory.

I can definitely relate to the idea of feeling close and personally connected with my topic. I have lived in Barrio Logan, I am Chicana, and I have spent time in Chicano Park, attending events such as the annual Chicano Park Day Festival. Because of my love of Barrio Logan and the Chicano community, I am admittedly heavily biased toward portraying the beauty of the community and of the Chicano struggle. I think this is something I should be aware of as a analyze my primary sources, but I do not necessarily think this is going to prevent me from telling an honest story. I think when most people write about Barrio Logan, they write about it was a preconceived negative bias. Because it is a low-income, inner-city Chicano community, it is typically only written about when talking about crime, gangs, or disadvantage. I think writing about Barrio Logan with the intent of emphasizing the beauty in this neighborhood actually provides a valuable alternative to the dominant narrative of Barrio Logan. In this way, my personal attachment to the subject is a positive thing. 

Primary Source

My primary source is a song called "Chicano Park Samba" by Los Alacranes Mojados (The Wetback Scorpions). The song was written people people who were involved in the Chicano Movement (including working with the United Farm Workers) and were present during the Chicano Park Takeover. It tells the story of the park, celebrating the grassroots community activism that occurred in Barrio Logan. The style of the song is very much reminiscent of 1970s old school Chicano music, which makes it even more exemplary of its time. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kKzrYyZAbA