Seeing Through Murals

Abstract

The late 20th and 21st century tech boom-related gentrification of San Francisco has rapidly and violently displaced longtime city residents, particularly in the predominantly Latino neighborhood of the Mission District. While some may characterize this gentrification as more economically than racially consequential, the negligible overlap between Latino and techie demographics means that the possible disappearance of Latino San Francisco is very real. This essay uses the famed murals of the Mission District as the lens through which we can see Latinos’ complex and historical presence in this California city, and then interrogate how they can continue to play a part in its future.