Somos Pilsen

Themes: generations, gentrification, community

Take a trip to Carnitas Don Pedro and you will be confronted with this massive 4,000-square-foot mural entitled “Somos Pilsen.” This mural, which is meant to capture a moment in time of a changing community, was created by artists Pablo Serrano and Mateo Zapata beginning in the fall of 2020 and concluding early 2021. The mural depicts numerous Pilsen residents who make up the community. Many of these individuals are from different ages, occupations, and origins.

Spanning much of the mural is a red phoenix that appears to rise from a map of Latin America. The phoenix, according to folklore, cyclically rises from the ashes of its predecessors and is often associated with new life. As such, the phoenix in this context could represent new generations of Latinos in Pilsen building on foundations that their ancestors have built. Of course, this cycle does not come without its challenges, one of which being the very gentrification that the mural is intending to make a statement on. Rising rents and housing prices have been a big topic within Pilsen in recent years, making the mural even more impactful. In a way, the mural operates to remind individuals of the generations of Pilsen residents that are now being displaced.

A unique feature of this mural is that it includes a dedication which is seamlessly worked into the painting as text on the cover of a bible. The dedication, which is made out to “our elders,” brings up themes of remembering one’s roots, fighting, organizing, and surviving. Therefore, it is only fitting that it is a parent who is holding up the bible and reading it to their small child.

An important note about the mural is that it was painted during the Covid-19 pandemic. As such, the mural makes a point to comment on the resiliency of the community despite being some of those who were hit the hardest by the pandemic. As such, the mural depicts some essential workers including grocery store workers, a firefighter, and a masked farmworker with a cap reading “Los Essentials.” Workers from the very Carnitas Don Pedro establishment are also depicted. It should also be noted that the restaurant’s namesake, the late Pedro Duarte Vega, and his wife are also depicted, being some of the largest figures within the painting. This mural was commissioned by the Duarte family.

This description was written by Elizabeth Rangel Fernandez, Notre Dame Class of 2023.