Feelings of community, a warm embrace, and the history of El Monte — these are all things San Gabriel Valley artist Kiara Aileen Machado hopes to capture in her new mural, “Come Walk With Me.”
The mural is the third installation in LA vs. Hate’s “Summer of Solidarity” series, and was unveiled at the Valley Mall in El Monte on Saturday, Sept. 30.
Local officials including L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis, Commission on Human Relations director Robin Toma, CHIRLA Director Of Community Education Miriam Mesa, and El Monte Mayor Jessica Ancona attended the unveiling Saturday. The celebration included speakers, family activities and performances by Mariachi Herencia Mexicana and Ballet Folklorico La Morenita. The event held during Hispanic Heritage Month was generally about celebrating Latinx art and culture, and reminding attendees about reporting hate crimes.
LA vs. Hate, created by the county’s Commission on Human Relations, partners with local organizations to help report and combat hate crimes and racism. Officials hope to show solidarity by creating public murals in each of the five county districts. Two murals celebrating LA’s diverse Jewish and LGBTQ+ communities were unveiled over the summer.
Across California, hate crimes — which studies show are generally underreported — increased roughly 20%, up from 1,763 in 2021 to 2,120 in 2022, LA vs. Hate organizers said in a news release. The mural celebrations emphasize “cross-cultural and interracial solidarity,” aiming to bring diverse communities together “through the unifying power of art.”
The process of creating the El Monte mural was community-focused, Machado said. Through public workshops, residents were invited to share their views and experiences of the city, and even provide input like colors they’d like to see.
“A lot of my art is influenced by culture and identity,” the 29-year-old artist said. “I’m Central American, my mom is from Guatemala and my dad is…
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