Hasta La Bahia!!!

“Hasta La Bahia!!”

We took a look at “Hasta La Bahia!!”, and even in my limited Spanish I understood this meant “To the Bay!!”.  The semi-realistic image shows two middle age people, one man and one women on either side of the bridge support pilings, holding a banner proclaiming Hasta La Bahia!!. 

The man appears adamant with his arms extending upward and waving the banner which itself appears to be rippling.  In front of the man, stand the Coronado Bridge and the ocean waters.  It’s unclear if the perspective of the man should actually be in the water as his legs appear to be silhouetted in it, or if this is from the vantage point of the viewer seeing the man approach the bay.  In either case, it appears to be a metaphor representing the power of the people looming larger the actual construction which dwarfs them.  

The woman carrying the other side of the banner displays facial features which appear to be that of joy unlike the serious manner of her male counterpart.  Additionally, the facial features of  the women are obscured, and this mural was recently restored one can only deem it must have purposes, which remains unknown, verses here mail counterpart whose features, even though in a semi-realistic form, are still clear.  As a brief aside, in my mind it appears that the women faded facial features resemble portraits subjected to rotoscoping.  Also, unlike her male counterpart, the woman clearly is silhouetted by the bridge.  Perhaps this was done to indicate that the protest was due in part to the construction of the Coronado Bridge.  

I researched this mural and it appears to have been completed in honor of the Logan Heights community participants who protested for a promised park to be placed under the bridge.   This park was to be completed as compensation for the home removed by its construction, and the expansion of the Naval Base.  It appears when residents were not informed of the proposed construction and were not solicited for their input as to the park’s design the protest began.  So in April 22, 1969, the community aided by other activists occupied the area for twelve days, after which concession where made to have a park designed by and made for the community.  

Also , interesting is that the several of the murals were restored in 2011.  “Hasta La Bahia!!” was one of the murals restored and it appears the bridge and water were added to the both the image of the man and that of the women.  It appears this addition was also to signify that the protest took place as well to protest the Naval expansion which blocked accesses to the beach.