Teens Tell Their Stories in Bright Hues

They are the proud children of farm workers with dreams of a better life.

That was the message the kids at El Centrito de La Colonia wanted to convey in a mural unveiled Friday that paid tribute to their working-class neighborhood in south Oxnard.

Painted in bright hues of orange, yellow, red and green, the mural titled “El Labor de La Educacion,” or “The Labor of Education,” depicts four youngsters walking along a farm field. But unlike their parents, they are not stooped over and picking row crops. Instead, they are shown picking up books. “People think that Mexicans are supposed to work in the fields, but we’re trying to show that, no, we can get an education and do more,” said 16-year-old Jesusita Gonzalez, who belongs to a leadership youth group run by El Centrito de La Colonia, a community center providing educational services to residents of La Colonia and downtown Oxnard.

Through workshops, mentoring sessions and field trips, the group stresses community service and the value of higher education to neighborhood youngsters.

The kids were looking for a way to convey their message in an artistic way and approached the owners of La Flor de Mayo Market for permission to use the side of their store on Bonita Street.

Once they got approval, the teens met with Ventura College art student Maribel Hernandez and brainstormed for ideas for the mural.

They wanted the painting to convey gratitude for their parents’ hard work while stressing higher education.

“We started asking, ‘What’s La Colonia?’ ” Hernandez said. “We know that all around us are farm workers who go out to the fields and work really hard so that their children get an education, but there’s no tribute to them.”

For two weeks, Hernandez and two other local artists applied a fresh coat of paint to the wall, drew borders and began work on the mural.

The kids even made a mini mural on an adjacent wall, showing sheets of paper falling from a tree. On each page, they wrote their career goals, which included the law, medicine and acting.

One of those future professionals is Lupita Mendoza.

The 20-year-old college student has been with the youth group for about 10 years.

“I just stay because I want to continue to educate within the community,” she said.

She is heading to UCLA in September, where she will major in philosophy and English. She intends to pursue a career as an immigration attorney.

For Mendoza, the mural’s completion is a nice end to the summer, but she can’t wait for the fall when school starts. “I’m so excited,” she said.