Following a Graffiti Trail

Following a Graffiti Trail:

How social awareness takes root and flourishes among young adults around the world

Oaxaca is a beautiful colonial city near the pacific coast in the southern region of México. Downtown the narrow cobble stone streets are lined with colorfully painted stucco buildings. In the zócalo (town square), seasonally complete with poinsettias and a nativity scene, Oaxaqueños and tourists enjoy coffee at the cafes, listen to live music, soak up the sunshine, and visit. Late day throughout the city, families gather to share a meal, relax, and then return to work. After it gets dark, young adults wander the streets between bars and clubs, drinking and socializing. It’s the holiday season in the city, people are on vacation, students are home from university, and families are united. This quintessential scene is much different than several months earlier, when the social unrest in the city reached a summit.

In 2006 and 2007, there was a period of significant civil and political unrest in Oaxaca based on a conflict that began with a teacher’s strike and gradually escalated to an entire social movement with the APPO (popular assembly of the peoples of Oaxaca) leading the way. The city was physically marked by the movement and the events which followed. Streets were barricaded, fires were set, windows in the zócalo were boarded up, city services ceased, and walls were covered with graffiti declaring the unity of el pueblo (the people). What began as peaceful protest had quickly escaladed to violence with the onset of increased police presence in the city.

My study abroad was just coming to an end during the start of the APPO movement in 2006. This past December, almost two years later, I had the opportunity to return to Oaxaca. Since the end of the conflict, windows have been replaced, businesses re-opened, tourists returned, the city seems generally restored to its infamous tranquil state. In the tourist center of town, all of the graffiti has been painted over, covering most of the walls with blotchy white blobs. However, there are still some residual reminders of the movement. Once you leave downtown area, much the graffiti is still painted on the walls and serves as a reminder of the movement to all who live there and to travelers who venture out of the zócalo.

I was captivated by the graffiti during my last visit; not only does it capture the history of a community organized for social change, but the stenciled wall graffiti is truly beautiful artwork. Stencils of political and revolutionary figures like Benito Juarez, portraits representing el pueblo, traditional dancers bearing rifles, and slogans urging the federal police to leave the city, still litter the walls. In the tiangues (day markets), one can see young adults vending and buying the stencils, a reminder that the social movement has not come to a complete stop.

The attitude towards social activism for young adults in Oaxaca is different than the attitude I have experienced in the mid-west United States. In university, I have always heard people explain their social awareness through an affiliation with an association, club, or student group; something that fits nicely on a resume. We study globalization and world politics in classes, forums, and in the news, but this academic approach to learning world politics implies a certain detachment from the reality of the situation. In Oaxaca, the social awareness takes root in a more daily vernacular, and at times grows with the use of a stencil and spray paint. The social issues discussed amongst friends are not about the next benefit dinner or concert, but center around social conditions that affect their daily lives. People living in Oaxaca during the APPO movement have a level of emotional engagement and direct affiliation with the social and political identity of being a young person in Oaxaca today.

One night after watching a fútbol game, I joined a conversation that captured this engaged and active approach to social issues. I was able to participate in the conversation about some current events, but I felt somehow cheated not only by the fact that I am an outsider, but also by the fact that I can only express my relationship to these issues in an academic and analytical manner. This group of young people discussed topics related the Oaxaca’s social and political conditions. The conversation touched on increased traffic problems in the city and sharing ideas about how drivers should pass one by one at the intersections. Ideas about the cost of housing and the influx of tourists were also discussed. Many opinions were expressed and engaged discussion of the issues followed. Theses topics may have surface qualities of small talk, but actually reveal ideas of fairness, equality, national identity, and no-so-subtly cite the negative aspects of increased consumerism and globalization in the region. That night, I realized involvement in social issues is not restricted by the academic bubble for these young adults. Observing a group of young people concerned about the politics in their city gives me hope for my generation and proof that there are people who form worldwide idea sharing communities.

Before leaving I tried to photograph as many the graffiti images as possible; fearing the next time I returned they would be white patches of paint like the others. The graffiti captures the sentiment of direct social engagement and awareness and also represents a generation of politically aware citizens. The graffiti, conversations with new and old friends, and the magic of the city made the trip memorable. Most importantly, my second trip to Oaxaca increased my desire to break out of the academic realm and experience more direct encounters with politics in my own community and abroad.

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