Rebel Chicano Art Front

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In Sacramento, California an artistic cultural movement initially named the Rebel Chicano Art Front (RCAF) was founded to generate a sense of pride of indigenous culture during the Chicano Civil Rights Movement. The Rebel Chicano Art Front was created in 1969 by José Montoya and Esteban Villa. Villa and Montoya were originally part of a group called the Mexican American Liberation Art Front (MALA-F). The Rebel Chicano Art front name was a tribute to the previous MALA-F which they adopted their ideas from. Present in their work is a combination of blended Mexican, Indian, and American cultures. Their acronym caused a lot of confusion due to it being the same as the Royal Canadian Air force; in good humor they instead adopted their final name …show more content…

Two major issues the RCAF took interest in was the UFWA and Cesar Chavez; when the RCAF took involvement in these social issues, Villa and Montoya joined up with their students and other activist to produce posters, murals, and poetry reading for their cause. They advocated Cesar Chavez’s meetings and became the poster makers for the United Farm Workers Union (UFWA). The UFWA was an American labor union representing federal government employees which existed from 1937 to 1946. For many years farm workers had been exploited and denied decent living conditions. Farm workers began to realize they could change demand better wages and working conditions. The Mexican American community began to realize they could make a difference by even doing the smallest tasks just as the RCAF used their skills to make posters. As poster makers for the United Farm Workers Union and Cesar Chavez, they created a vast collection of silkscreen posters which they used to bring attention to such an important issue in the Latino …show more content…

In 1972 they created a non- profit organization to assist cultural and political activism called the Cento de Artista’s Chicano. From then on there on came the La Nueva Raza Bookstore, Aeronaves de Aztlán (Automotive Repair Garage), RCAF Danzantes (Cultural Dance Venue), Barrio Art Program, the Chicano Culture Committee, and the Human Development Unit of Sacramento. They also created the Alkali Redevelopment Committee which specialized on housing projects. The Centro de Artista’s Chicanos also served as an agency to provide social services to low-income families such as the low-income Breakfast program in 1977 which served children breakfast before

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