Running head: THE MURAL OF HOPE

Daniela Barron

February 8, 2019

Arizona State University

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Abstract

Among the busy street of South Phoenix, many murals are eye-capturing despite the daily

mundane life of the city. One in particular, created by the artist Lucinda Hinjo, establishes the

sense of community and unity within the neighborhood. This artists’ particular awareness of

utilizing various techniques involving color and symbolism help convey effectively the message

she is trying to develop. With each stroke of her paintbrush, the placement of this piece, and her

own artistic background help reinforce the meaning behind what is being carefully showcased.

Within this use, she further connects with the daily pass buyers of this mural when using rhetoric

through her art. This can be shown in context to the use and knowledge of the rhetorical appeals;

Ethos, logos, and Pathos. The underlying message of this artwork being portrayed comes to

establish a feeling of community and awareness in this particular area of Arizona.

​ nity, hope, DACA, awareness, community, peace.

Keywords: U
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THE MURAL OF HOPE

"We don't know each other / But we need each other / We are different / But we are all

one spirit being / You…Carry the key to your potential / Together…We all carry the key to our

freedom." Located on the East wall of Bloom’s Flower and Gift shop (3812 S. Central Ave) in

south Phoenix, is this quote from the artist Lucinda Hinjos. This mural expresses the

communities support with the Dreamers (those protected under DACA) and accentuates the

underlying factor in politics that no one wants to talk about—the recent cancellation of DACA

(Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy)​. ​This policy passed by the Obama
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administration in 2012, was created to protect illegal immigrant youth who came to the United

States and faced deportation. Now, under the Trump administration, DACA has come to a

grueling end (Edelman, 2018).

Among passing the busy afternoon traffic and run-down neighborhood, a vivid pink wall

radiates within the community. The top and bottom left side of the mural contains the phrase

stated previously in blue letters “We don't know each other / But we need each other / We are

different / But we are all one spirit being / You…Carry the key to your potential / Together…We

all carry the key to our freedom”. At the bottom of this lettering, there is a basket of corn and

some crops, right behind the girl who is bent down unlocking a cage instead of picking out said

crops. The Doves and the Butterflies take up the right side of the wall. This contrast of colors,

with the wall being pink, accentuates the image of a young migrant field worker unlocking a

cage full of butterflies and doves. Due to the murals’ solid colors that consist of the white doves

and soft curves of the multiple butterflies, they pop out, demanding to be seen. Overall, this

piece seems to direct one’s eyes toward the young girl, who is being centered right in the middle

of the mural. She is of a tan color, with long pigtails and a yellow shirt with small butterflies as a

design.

While taking a step back and viewing this image from an analytical perspective, this

mural brings awareness to the community. The artist of this mural Lucinda Hinjos, utilized her

artistic platform to shine the light toward the uncertainty around DACA, which unfortunately

came to an end in March 2018. In one of her interviews from New York times, Hinjo states “We

have to let the dreamers know that everyone is fighting for their rights, we have your back, we

are here for you, and we are going to keep fighting” (Zuniga, 2018). The artist was aware of the
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quandary that Dreamers faced and wanted to let the community know they were not alone. In

​ hen looked upon in a rhetorical point of view

this particular case, Lucinda Hinjo applied ​Ethos w

to reinforce her purpose of the applied message. Combining her artistically known image in an

application with the representation of the young adults who depended on the Deferred Action for

Childhood Arrivals policy and those in the community aided in reinforcing her credibility. The

rhetorical appeal that most moved this mural was her technique of utilizing ​Pathos. ​In her image,

she paints a young migrant-field worker, evoking the sense of empathy towards the young girl.

Apart from that, the usage of doves and butterflies being released from the age specifically shed

light towards the message of hope she wants to achieve across the community. The small detail

of the corn behind her implies not only the indication of her being a migrant field-worker but in a

sense of what she can leave behind and release out into the open. Lastly, in the quote presented at

the beginning of this text, “We don't know each other / But we need each other / We are different

/ But we are all one spirit being / You…Carry the key to your potential / Together…We all carry

the key to our freedom” is a representation of ​Logos​ in rhetoric. This quotes’ underlying concept

is on the premise of how everyone is the same; disregarding our physical appearances, yet with

helping one another, everyone has the potential to achieve freedom in whichever way they may

view it. This undermining issue in its own way is targeting Arizona itself, due to its strong

conservative political base. One may also take into account the organizations that helped fund

​ hich serves to promote the power of

this mural. One of the organizations was ​Promise Arizona w

the Latino community. All these pieces of rhetoric inserted within the mural effectively

contribute toward the awareness the artist is trying to convey. Just by simply passing by the
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bright colors, the ​Ethos, Logos, a​ nd ​Pathos u​ tilized to create a meaningful message amount the

daily street traffic.

Within minutes before this mural was finished, the community held a vigil, in prayers

that were “aimed to inspire and motivate” the Dreamers (Okolit, 2018). Soon after, the

community came together and celebrated with a traditional Folklorico dance, showcasing support

for one another. Not only was the whole community involved with this inspiration, but also there

were five students that collaborated with Hinojo, and each dedicated a butterfly to the mural;

symbolizing the Dreamers’ freedom, and the doves to represent peace (Zuniga, 2018).

If venturing among the south side of Phoenix, make sure to take in this particular mural,

and not only view the piece in a literal sense, but thoroughly analyze the message that is

demanding to be interpreted. With diverse unity, no matter the background comes peace.
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References
Person. (7 Feb.2018) “Local Artist Painting South Phoenix Mural Dedicated to
Dreamers.” ​KPNX,​ KPNX.
Zuniga, Melina. “The Inspiration Behind La Morena's Latest Street Mural.” ​Phoenix New
Times,​ 4,
Edelman, Adam. (21 June 2018) “Trump Ends DACA Program, No New Applications
Accepted.” ​NBCNews.com​, NBCUniversal News Group,