Date of Graduation

Fall 12-14-2018

Document Access

Project/Capstone - Global access

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Museum Studies

College/School

College of Arts and Sciences

Department/Program

Museum Studies

First Advisor

Marjorie Schwarzer

Second Advisor

Paula Birnbaum

Abstract

The Latinx community is an integral part of San Francisco’s rich history. From Mexican missions in the late 1700s to an influx of immigrants from various Latin countries starting in the early 1900s, the Mission District (‘the Mission’) of San Francisco has served as a hub for this mix of residents, fondly called “Raza,” emphasizing the people of a community rather than the country they have come from. Wars and issues dealt in their homelands were close to the hearts of the entirety of the Latinx population of the Mission, and their voices and opinions were heard through a type of street art very important throughout marginalized communities: murals. Due to the economics of the region, gentrification becomes an increasing threat to the Latinx community in San Francisco; I believe that this form of mass communication starting in the 1970s was a way for the community’s collective voice to be heard, and is now more important than ever within the neighborhood’s pursuits of cultural activism. This capstone seeks to address the lack of historically and culturally accurate materials available to the public that address the murals of the Mission. Through the development of a multi-lingual foldable map and bilingual tours, tourists and residents alike will be provided information compiled by members of the community on the importance behind the murals to the preservation of the Latinx community. This proposal aims to provide new insight as to how museum studies can contribute to the discussion of the theorization of street art, and how this project can assist in the vitalization of the Latinx community of the Mission.

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