Latino / Hispanic Cultural Guide, First Edition, 2012
Background image: Window of Make Believe (1975), by Alfredo Arreguin,
courtesy of the Seattle Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs
Front cover images (clockwise from top left): Dia de Muertos dancers at Seattle
Center, photo by Jack Storms; Chili Peppers at Pike Place Market, photo by David
Billingham; Shilshole by Alfredo Arreguin; Miss Seafair 2011 Verónica Quintero, photo
by Mary Gomez Camba; Fiestas Patrias dancers in South Park, photo by Joshua Trujillo/
SeattlePI.com; artist Isaac Hernandez Ruiz creating a sand painting at the Burke Museum,
photo by Scott Eklund/Red Box Pictures.
Content: Past Forward Northwest Cultural Services
Design & Production: Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau
WHAT’S INSIDE:
Not everyone with roots in Latin America speaks Spanish as a first or
even second language. Portuguese is spoken in Brazil, and French is the
official language in some Caribbean nations. Many indigenous languages
are spoken in the region, and indigenous immigrant communities in
Washington State speak languages such as Mixteco and Aguacateco.
Beloved baseball player Edgar Martinez,
who grew up in Puerto Rico, spent his
entire 18-year Major League career with the Seattle Mariners. Martinez
was inducted into the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame in
2003, and has been widely recognized since retirement for his humanitarian
work. In 2004, the street south of Safeco Field was renamed in his honor.
The bustling port city of Mazatlan in Mexico’s Sinaloa State has been a
sister city to Seattle since 1979, and the Mexican state of Jalisco has been
recognized as Washington’s sister state since 1996.
Photo courtesy of the Lucy Lopez Center
Lucy Lopez is recognized as the pioneer of the
local Mexican restaurant industry. Originally
from the town of Cuautla, in the state of Jalisco,
she came to Seattle in 1957, and later opened
her own restaurant. Since then, hundreds of
Cuautla residents have come to the Seattle area
and with Lucy’s help established restaurants
including Azteca, Las Margaritas, Mazatlan,
Tacos Guaymas, El Tapatio and many others. The Lucy Lopez Community
Center in Kent, which serves Hispanic families throughout the region, is
named in her honor. www.lucylopez.org
DID YOU KNOW?
In this guide, Latino and Hispanic are used interchangeably to reflect the
preference of the person or organization being described, and Latino is
generally used inclusively to refer to both men and women.
The term Hispanic came into widespread usage as a U.S. Census category
in the late 20th century, as a variant of the more traditional term Hispano.
Chicano or Chicana refers specifically to Americans of Mexican origin
or descent, reflecting the fact that the territory from California to Texas
belonged to Spain and Mexico before it belonged to the U.S.
The western hemisphere south of the U.S. is sometimes referred to as
Latin America, and the terms Latino and Latina are used inclusively to
capture the blending of Spanish and other European, Indigenous and in
some places African traditions that characterize this diverse region. Many
people prefer to identify themselves more precisely, for example as
Cuban or Peruvian or Mexican American.
Latino? Hispanic? What’s in a name? Many different words are used
to identify people whose ancestors came from the southwestern U.S.,
Mexico, Central America, South America, the Caribbean and Spain.
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
ARTS, NEIGHBORHOODS, HERITAGE SITES,
SPECIAL EVENTS AND MORE...
www.visitseattle.org/heritage
For information about public transit serving sites in this guide, please call
206.553.3000 or visit tripplanner.kingcounty.gov.
In Seattle, stop by the Seattle Visitor Center at the Washington State
Convention Center, on Pike Street between 7th and 8th Avenues, for a full
range of information to enhance your visit.
Visit Seattle Cultural Guides online at visitseattle.org/heritage for updates
and printable guides, as well as additional information on featured cultural
sites. This web site also offers a comprehensive searchable calendar of
cultural events including museums, performances and festivals.
SEATTLE
CULTURAL GUIDES
The Cultural Guides series was created by the Cultural Tourism Program
of Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau, with funding from 4Culture
(King County Lodging Tax) and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation. The
places, events and stories featured in the Cultural Guides are preserved
and shared by dozens of community organizations and small businesses.
Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau thanks them for their work, and
extends a special thanks to the many community volunteers who reviewed
and contributed to this project.
Seattle is proud of its diverse ethnic and cultural heritage, and its
communities continue to value traditions of language, music and dance,
food, arts and crafts, and celebrations that mark seasonal cycles and
commemorate special events. Visitors are invited to experience these
traditions and participate in these events and, in doing so, to see more of
Seattle’s rich cultural dimensions.
Seattle Cultural Guides are a resource for visitors who want to explore
the city’s rich cultural heritage. The guides feature museums and historic
sites, public art works, and attractions that offer an insider’s view of
Seattle’s ethnic communities and unique history.
ABOUT THE CULTURAL GUIDE SERIES
SEATTLE LATINO / HISPANIC HERITAGE
LATINO/HISPANIC HERITAGE
After colonizing Mexico in the 15th
and 16th centuries, Spain claimed all
of the west coast of North America
including what is now Washington
State. Spanish explorers Juan
Perez, Bruno de Hezeta, Alférz
Sp anish
fri
ga
te
Pr
Manuel Quimper and others made
ince
sa
an
17
d
90. Museo
de Améric a, Native canoe at Neah
Bay,
Madrid, Sp
numerous expeditions to the Pacific
ain.
Northwest beginning in 1774, calling the region
Nueva Galicia after Spain’s rugged northwest coast.
These representatives of the Spanish crown were the first
Europeans to map the coast of what became Washington State,
and to trade with Native Americans. In 1792, the first European
settlement in the state was established among the Makah Tribe
at Neah Bay, called Fort Nuñez Gaona.
Spain withdrew claims to the Pacific Northwest under the terms of
an 1819 treaty, and the legacy of Spanish exploration, cartography
and scientific discovery in the area has long been overshadowed
by later British and American expeditions. But many place names
that are still in use today in northwest Washington commemorate
Spanish exploration, including the San Juan Islands, Quimper
Peninsula, Port Angeles, Fidalgo Island, Camano Island and the
Strait of Juan de Fuca.
East of the Cascade Mountains, Mexican vaqueros, or cowboys,
played a central role in the development of cattle ranching, and in
the mining economy as mule packers. The word buckaroo derives
from vaquero, and these skilled horsemen brought their tools and
cultural traditions from California, Texas, and other southwestern
states which remained part of Mexico until the 1840s.
Large-scale reclamation projects in eastern Washington in the
mid-20th century expanded agricultural production of sugar
beets, potatoes, and other labor-intensive crops. Eastern
Washington growers recruited farm workers from places such as
the Rio Grande Valley, where Spanish-speaking communities on
the U.S. side of the border swelled with an influx of Mexican
citizens fleeing the 1910 Mexican revolution.
During World War II, the Bracero program allowed
growers in the Yakima Valley and elsewhere to recruit
guest workers directly from Mexico. Migrant workers
also came from the southwestern U.S., and many families
relocated permanently. Spanish-speaking communities were
established or expanded during this era in other farming
regions too, such as north central Washington, and the Skagit
Valley north of Seattle.
Following World War II, many Latino families migrated from
rural parts of Washington to the urban Puget Sound region, seeking
employment opportunities in Seattle’s booming post-war economy.
The civil rights era or El Movimiento brought widespread activism in
the Latino community, and many U.S. residents of Mexican origin or
descent embraced the political identity of Chicano or Chicana. Activists
established organizations such as MEChA (Movimiento Estudiantil
Chicana/o de Aztlan) at the University of Washington in 1968, and the
community multi-service center El Centro de la Raza in the Beacon
Hill neighborhood in 1972. In Seattle as in many west coast cities, a
community-based Chicano arts movement grew out of this political
activism, drawing in part on pre-Columbian
indigenous motifs and stories.
Political turbulence in Central
and South America in the
1970s and 80s brought new
immigrants to Seattle from
Guatemala, El Salvador, Chile,
Nicaragua and other countries, and Aztlán (1971)
by Emilia Aguayo,
area churches participated actively the
first Chicano mural in the
in the Sanctuary Movement to Seattle area, part of the
protect those fleeing violence and UW Ethnic Cultural Center Collection.
starting new lives in the Pacific Northwest.
The 2010 census showed that over 10% of Washington’s population
are persons of Hispanic or Latino origin, the largest minority group in
the state. Seattle’s Latino community is remarkably diverse, with a rich
history in the Pacific Northwest and strong cultural ties to Mexico and
the many nations of Central and South America and the Caribbean.
Top: The Struggle Against Racial Discrimination (1945) by Pablo O’Higgins, now located at the University of
Washington’s Kane Hall. Photo by Holly Taylor.
Fulgencio Lazo’s mural at Consejo
SOUTH PARK
NEIGHBORHOOD
On the west bank of the Duwamish River approximately 10 minutes
south of downtown is the community of South Park, which has the
largest Latino population of any Seattle neighborhood.
Once home to Italian and Japanese farmers, the community became
more industrial when a Boeing factory opened across the river in the
1930s. In the latter decades of the 20th century, South Park became
more ethnically diverse, with the influx of many Latino families.
The commercial district is centered around 14th Avenue S and S
Cloverdale Street, and includes Hispanic restaurants, markets and
other businesses. The South Park branch library offers an extensive
Spanish language collection and bilingual programs.
On the west side of the neighborhood, a small park
honors activist Cesar Chavez who championed
the rights of farm workers. Nationally recognized
artist Jesus Bautista Moroles created a sculpture
for the park titled Musical Steles, comprised
of three basalt columns which evoke ancient
inscribed standing stones, such as those created
by the Mayan civilization.
The Sea Mar Community Health Center was
founded in 1978 in South Park, and now has a
statewide network of clinics serving Latinos and
people of all ethnicities, especially in agricultural
communities. Sea Mar’s central offices on
S Henderson Street showcase work by local
artists. The organization’s mission now includes
housing and education.
Artist Jesus Moroles and Musical
Steles, courtesy of the South Park
Neighborhood Association
Also on 14th Avenue S, Consejo Counseling and Referral Service
has a colorful exterior mural by artist Fulgencio Lazo which includes
the organization’s logo, a Mayan leader whispering words of wisdom
signifying the importance of integrating Latino ancestry and cultural
values into contemporary American society.
The Duwamish River Festival in August and Fiestas Patrias in
September bring the community together.
Visit www.catchtheculture.com and www.allaboutsouthpark.com for
general South Park info, and www.southparkarts.org to learn about the
local arts scene.
Latino / Hispanic Cultural Guide, First Edition, 2012
Background image: Window of Make Believe (1975), by Alfredo Arreguin,
courtesy of the Seattle Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs
Front cover images (clockwise from top left): Dia de Muertos dancers at Seattle
Center, photo by Jack Storms; Chili Peppers at Pike Place Market, photo by David
Billingham; Shilshole by Alfredo Arreguin; Miss Seafair 2011 Verónica Quintero, photo
by Mary Gomez Camba; Fiestas Patrias dancers in South Park, photo by Joshua Trujillo/
SeattlePI.com; artist Isaac Hernandez Ruiz creating a sand painting at the Burke Museum,
photo by Scott Eklund/Red Box Pictures.
Content: Past Forward Northwest Cultural Services
Design & Production: Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau
WHAT’S INSIDE:
Not everyone with roots in Latin America speaks Spanish as a first or
even second language. Portuguese is spoken in Brazil, and French is the
official language in some Caribbean nations. Many indigenous languages
are spoken in the region, and indigenous immigrant communities in
Washington State speak languages such as Mixteco and Aguacateco.
Beloved baseball player Edgar Martinez,
who grew up in Puerto Rico, spent his
entire 18-year Major League career with the Seattle Mariners. Martinez
was inducted into the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame in
2003, and has been widely recognized since retirement for his humanitarian
work. In 2004, the street south of Safeco Field was renamed in his honor.
The bustling port city of Mazatlan in Mexico’s Sinaloa State has been a
sister city to Seattle since 1979, and the Mexican state of Jalisco has been
recognized as Washington’s sister state since 1996.
Photo courtesy of the Lucy Lopez Center
Lucy Lopez is recognized as the pioneer of the
local Mexican restaurant industry. Originally
from the town of Cuautla, in the state of Jalisco,
she came to Seattle in 1957, and later opened
her own restaurant. Since then, hundreds of
Cuautla residents have come to the Seattle area
and with Lucy’s help established restaurants
including Azteca, Las Margaritas, Mazatlan,
Tacos Guaymas, El Tapatio and many others. The Lucy Lopez Community
Center in Kent, which serves Hispanic families throughout the region, is
named in her honor. www.lucylopez.org
DID YOU KNOW?
In this guide, Latino and Hispanic are used interchangeably to reflect the
preference of the person or organization being described, and Latino is
generally used inclusively to refer to both men and women.
The term Hispanic came into widespread usage as a U.S. Census category
in the late 20th century, as a variant of the more traditional term Hispano.
Chicano or Chicana refers specifically to Americans of Mexican origin
or descent, reflecting the fact that the territory from California to Texas
belonged to Spain and Mexico before it belonged to the U.S.
The western hemisphere south of the U.S. is sometimes referred to as
Latin America, and the terms Latino and Latina are used inclusively to
capture the blending of Spanish and other European, Indigenous and in
some places African traditions that characterize this diverse region. Many
people prefer to identify themselves more precisely, for example as
Cuban or Peruvian or Mexican American.
Latino? Hispanic? What’s in a name? Many different words are used
to identify people whose ancestors came from the southwestern U.S.,
Mexico, Central America, South America, the Caribbean and Spain.
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
ARTS, NEIGHBORHOODS, HERITAGE SITES,
SPECIAL EVENTS AND MORE...
www.visitseattle.org/heritage
For information about public transit serving sites in this guide, please call
206.553.3000 or visit tripplanner.kingcounty.gov.
In Seattle, stop by the Seattle Visitor Center at the Washington State
Convention Center, on Pike Street between 7th and 8th Avenues, for a full
range of information to enhance your visit.
Visit Seattle Cultural Guides online at visitseattle.org/heritage for updates
and printable guides, as well as additional information on featured cultural
sites. This web site also offers a comprehensive searchable calendar of
cultural events including museums, performances and festivals.
SEATTLE
CULTURAL GUIDES
The Cultural Guides series was created by the Cultural Tourism Program
of Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau, with funding from 4Culture
(King County Lodging Tax) and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation. The
places, events and stories featured in the Cultural Guides are preserved
and shared by dozens of community organizations and small businesses.
Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau thanks them for their work, and
extends a special thanks to the many community volunteers who reviewed
and contributed to this project.
Seattle is proud of its diverse ethnic and cultural heritage, and its
communities continue to value traditions of language, music and dance,
food, arts and crafts, and celebrations that mark seasonal cycles and
commemorate special events. Visitors are invited to experience these
traditions and participate in these events and, in doing so, to see more of
Seattle’s rich cultural dimensions.
Seattle Cultural Guides are a resource for visitors who want to explore
the city’s rich cultural heritage. The guides feature museums and historic
sites, public art works, and attractions that offer an insider’s view of
Seattle’s ethnic communities and unique history.
ABOUT THE CULTURAL GUIDE SERIES
SEATTLE LATINO / HISPANIC HERITAGE
LATINO/HISPANIC HERITAGE
After colonizing Mexico in the 15th
and 16th centuries, Spain claimed all
of the west coast of North America
including what is now Washington
State. Spanish explorers Juan
Perez, Bruno de Hezeta, Alférz
Sp anish
fri
ga
te
Pr
Manuel Quimper and others made
ince
sa
an
17
d
90. Museo
de Améric a, Native canoe at Neah
Bay,
Madrid, Sp
numerous expeditions to the Pacific
ain.
Northwest beginning in 1774, calling the region
Nueva Galicia after Spain’s rugged northwest coast.
These representatives of the Spanish crown were the first
Europeans to map the coast of what became Washington State,
and to trade with Native Americans. In 1792, the first European
settlement in the state was established among the Makah Tribe
at Neah Bay, called Fort Nuñez Gaona.
Spain withdrew claims to the Pacific Northwest under the terms of
an 1819 treaty, and the legacy of Spanish exploration, cartography
and scientific discovery in the area has long been overshadowed
by later British and American expeditions. But many place names
that are still in use today in northwest Washington commemorate
Spanish exploration, including the San Juan Islands, Quimper
Peninsula, Port Angeles, Fidalgo Island, Camano Island and the
Strait of Juan de Fuca.
East of the Cascade Mountains, Mexican vaqueros, or cowboys,
played a central role in the development of cattle ranching, and in
the mining economy as mule packers. The word buckaroo derives
from vaquero, and these skilled horsemen brought their tools and
cultural traditions from California, Texas, and other southwestern
states which remained part of Mexico until the 1840s.
Large-scale reclamation projects in eastern Washington in the
mid-20th century expanded agricultural production of sugar
beets, potatoes, and other labor-intensive crops. Eastern
Washington growers recruited farm workers from places such as
the Rio Grande Valley, where Spanish-speaking communities on
the U.S. side of the border swelled with an influx of Mexican
citizens fleeing the 1910 Mexican revolution.
During World War II, the Bracero program allowed
growers in the Yakima Valley and elsewhere to recruit
guest workers directly from Mexico. Migrant workers
also came from the southwestern U.S., and many families
relocated permanently. Spanish-speaking communities were
established or expanded during this era in other farming
regions too, such as north central Washington, and the Skagit
Valley north of Seattle.
Following World War II, many Latino families migrated from
rural parts of Washington to the urban Puget Sound region, seeking
employment opportunities in Seattle’s booming post-war economy.
The civil rights era or El Movimiento brought widespread activism in
the Latino community, and many U.S. residents of Mexican origin or
descent embraced the political identity of Chicano or Chicana. Activists
established organizations such as MEChA (Movimiento Estudiantil
Chicana/o de Aztlan) at the University of Washington in 1968, and the
community multi-service center El Centro de la Raza in the Beacon
Hill neighborhood in 1972. In Seattle as in many west coast cities, a
community-based Chicano arts movement grew out of this political
activism, drawing in part on pre-Columbian
indigenous motifs and stories.
Political turbulence in Central
and South America in the
1970s and 80s brought new
immigrants to Seattle from
Guatemala, El Salvador, Chile,
Nicaragua and other countries, and Aztlán (1971)
by Emilia Aguayo,
area churches participated actively the
first Chicano mural in the
in the Sanctuary Movement to Seattle area, part of the
protect those fleeing violence and UW Ethnic Cultural Center Collection.
starting new lives in the Pacific Northwest.
The 2010 census showed that over 10% of Washington’s population
are persons of Hispanic or Latino origin, the largest minority group in
the state. Seattle’s Latino community is remarkably diverse, with a rich
history in the Pacific Northwest and strong cultural ties to Mexico and
the many nations of Central and South America and the Caribbean.
Top: The Struggle Against Racial Discrimination (1945) by Pablo O’Higgins, now located at the University of
Washington’s Kane Hall. Photo by Holly Taylor.
Fulgencio Lazo’s mural at Consejo
SOUTH PARK
NEIGHBORHOOD
On the west bank of the Duwamish River approximately 10 minutes
south of downtown is the community of South Park, which has the
largest Latino population of any Seattle neighborhood.
Once home to Italian and Japanese farmers, the community became
more industrial when a Boeing factory opened across the river in the
1930s. In the latter decades of the 20th century, South Park became
more ethnically diverse, with the influx of many Latino families.
The commercial district is centered around 14th Avenue S and S
Cloverdale Street, and includes Hispanic restaurants, markets and
other businesses. The South Park branch library offers an extensive
Spanish language collection and bilingual programs.
On the west side of the neighborhood, a small park
honors activist Cesar Chavez who championed
the rights of farm workers. Nationally recognized
artist Jesus Bautista Moroles created a sculpture
for the park titled Musical Steles, comprised
of three basalt columns which evoke ancient
inscribed standing stones, such as those created
by the Mayan civilization.
The Sea Mar Community Health Center was
founded in 1978 in South Park, and now has a
statewide network of clinics serving Latinos and
people of all ethnicities, especially in agricultural
communities. Sea Mar’s central offices on
S Henderson Street showcase work by local
artists. The organization’s mission now includes
housing and education.
Artist Jesus Moroles and Musical
Steles, courtesy of the South Park
Neighborhood Association
Also on 14th Avenue S, Consejo Counseling and Referral Service
has a colorful exterior mural by artist Fulgencio Lazo which includes
the organization’s logo, a Mayan leader whispering words of wisdom
signifying the importance of integrating Latino ancestry and cultural
values into contemporary American society.
The Duwamish River Festival in August and Fiestas Patrias in
September bring the community together.
Visit www.catchtheculture.com and www.allaboutsouthpark.com for
general South Park info, and www.southparkarts.org to learn about the
local arts scene.
Not everyone with roots in Latin America speaks Spanish as a first or
even second language. Portuguese is spoken in Brazil, and French is the
official language in some Caribbean nations. Many indigenous languages
are spoken in the region, and indigenous immigrant communities in
Washington State speak languages such as Mixteco and Aguacateco.
Beloved baseball player Edgar Martinez,
who grew up in Puerto Rico, spent his
entire 18-year Major League career with the Seattle Mariners. Martinez
was inducted into the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame in
2003, and has been widely recognized since retirement for his humanitarian
work. In 2004, the street south of Safeco Field was renamed in his honor.
The bustling port city of Mazatlan in Mexico’s Sinaloa State has been a
sister city to Seattle since 1979, and the Mexican state of Jalisco has been
recognized as Washington’s sister state since 1996.
Photo courtesy of the Lucy Lopez Center
Lucy Lopez is recognized as the pioneer of the
local Mexican restaurant industry. Originally
from the town of Cuautla, in the state of Jalisco,
she came to Seattle in 1957, and later opened
her own restaurant. Since then, hundreds of
Cuautla residents have come to the Seattle area
and with Lucy’s help established restaurants
including Azteca, Las Margaritas, Mazatlan,
Tacos Guaymas, El Tapatio and many others. The Lucy Lopez Community
Center in Kent, which serves Hispanic families throughout the region, is
named in her honor. www.lucylopez.org
DID YOU KNOW?
In this guide, Latino and Hispanic are used interchangeably to reflect the
preference of the person or organization being described, and Latino is
generally used inclusively to refer to both men and women.
The term Hispanic came into widespread usage as a U.S. Census category
in the late 20th century, as a variant of the more traditional term Hispano.
Chicano or Chicana refers specifically to Americans of Mexican origin
or descent, reflecting the fact that the territory from California to Texas
belonged to Spain and Mexico before it belonged to the U.S.
The western hemisphere south of the U.S. is sometimes referred to as
Latin America, and the terms Latino and Latina are used inclusively to
capture the blending of Spanish and other European, Indigenous and in
some places African traditions that characterize this diverse region. Many
people prefer to identify themselves more precisely, for example as
Cuban or Peruvian or Mexican American.
Latino? Hispanic? What’s in a name? Many different words are used
to identify people whose ancestors came from the southwestern U.S.,
Mexico, Central America, South America, the Caribbean and Spain.
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
Latino / Hispanic Cultural Guide, First Edition, 2012
Background image: Window of Make Believe (1975), by Alfredo Arreguin,
courtesy of the Seattle Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs
Front cover images (clockwise from top left): Dia de Muertos dancers at Seattle
Center, photo by Jack Storms; Chili Peppers at Pike Place Market, photo by David
Billingham; Shilshole by Alfredo Arreguin; Miss Seafair 2011 Verónica Quintero, photo
by Mary Gomez Camba; Fiestas Patrias dancers in South Park, photo by Joshua Trujillo/
SeattlePI.com; artist Isaac Hernandez Ruiz creating a sand painting at the Burke Museum,
photo by Scott Eklund/Red Box Pictures.
Content: Past Forward Northwest Cultural Services
Design & Production: Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau
WHAT’S INSIDE:
ARTS, NEIGHBORHOODS, HERITAGE SITES,
SPECIAL EVENTS AND MORE...
www.visitseattle.org/heritage
For information about public transit serving sites in this guide, please call
206.553.3000 or visit tripplanner.kingcounty.gov.
In Seattle, stop by the Seattle Visitor Center at the Washington State
Convention Center, on Pike Street between 7th and 8th Avenues, for a full
range of information to enhance your visit.
Visit Seattle Cultural Guides online at visitseattle.org/heritage for updates
and printable guides, as well as additional information on featured cultural
sites. This web site also offers a comprehensive searchable calendar of
cultural events including museums, performances and festivals.
CULTURAL GUIDES
SEATTLE
The Cultural Guides series was created by the Cultural Tourism Program
of Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau, with funding from 4Culture
(King County Lodging Tax) and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation. The
places, events and stories featured in the Cultural Guides are preserved
and shared by dozens of community organizations and small businesses.
Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau thanks them for their work, and
extends a special thanks to the many community volunteers who reviewed
and contributed to this project.
Seattle is proud of its diverse ethnic and cultural heritage, and its
communities continue to value traditions of language, music and dance,
food, arts and crafts, and celebrations that mark seasonal cycles and
commemorate special events. Visitors are invited to experience these
traditions and participate in these events and, in doing so, to see more of
Seattle’s rich cultural dimensions.
Seattle Cultural Guides are a resource for visitors who want to explore
the city’s rich cultural heritage. The guides feature museums and historic
sites, public art works, and attractions that offer an insider’s view of
Seattle’s ethnic communities and unique history.
ABOUT THE CULTURAL GUIDE SERIES
SEATTLE LATINO / HISPANIC HERITAGE
LATINO/HISPANIC HERITAGE
After colonizing Mexico in the 15th
During World War II, the Bracero program allowed
and 16th centuries, Spain claimed all
growers in the Yakima Valley and elsewhere to recruit
of the west coast of North America
guest workers directly from Mexico. Migrant workers
including what is now Washington
also came from the southwestern U.S., and many families
State. Spanish explorers Juan
relocated permanently. Spanish-speaking communities were
Perez, Bruno de Hezeta, Alférz
established or expanded during this era in other farming
Sp an
Manuel Quimper and others made 1790.ish frigate Princesa and Nat
regions too, such as north central Washington, and the Skagit
Museo de Am
ive
éric a, Madrid canoe at Neah Bay,
numerous expeditions to the Pacific
Valley north of Seattle.
, Sp ain.
Northwest beginning in 1774, calling the region
Following World War II, many Latino families migrated from
Nueva Galicia after Spain’s rugged northwest coast.
rural parts of Washington to the urban Puget Sound region, seeking
These representatives of the Spanish crown were the first
employment opportunities in Seattle’s booming post-war economy.
Europeans to map the coast of what became Washington State,
The civil rights era or El Movimiento brought widespread activism in
and to trade with Native Americans. In 1792, the first European
the Latino community, and many U.S. residents of Mexican origin or
settlement in the state was established among the Makah Tribe
descent embraced the political identity of Chicano or Chicana. Activists
at Neah Bay, called Fort Nuñez Gaona.
established organizations such as MEChA (Movimiento Estudiantil
Chicana/o de Aztlan) at the University of Washington in 1968, and the
Spain withdrew claims to the Pacific Northwest under the terms of
community multi-service center El Centro de la Raza in the Beacon
an 1819 treaty, and the legacy of Spanish exploration, cartography
Hill neighborhood in 1972. In Seattle as in many west coast cities, a
and scientific discovery in the area has long been overshadowed
community-based Chicano arts movement grew out of this political
by later British and American expeditions. But many place names
activism, drawing in part on pre-Columbian
that are still in use today in northwest Washington commemorate
indigenous motifs and stories.
Spanish exploration, including the San Juan Islands, Quimper
Peninsula, Port Angeles, Fidalgo Island, Camano Island and the
Political turbulence in Central
Strait of Juan de Fuca.
and South America in the
1970s and 80s brought new
East of the Cascade Mountains, Mexican vaqueros, or cowboys,
immigrants to Seattle from
played a central role in the development of cattle ranching, and in
Guatemala, El Salvador, Chile,
the mining economy as mule packers. The word buckaroo derives
Nicaragua and other countries, and Aztlán (1971)
Emilia Aguayo,
from vaquero, and these skilled horsemen brought their tools and
area churches participated actively by
the first Chicano mural in the
cultural traditions from California, Texas, and other southwestern
in the Sanctuary Movement to Seattle area, part of the
states which remained part of Mexico until the 1840s.
protect those fleeing violence and UW Ethnic Cultural Center Collection.
starting new lives in the Pacific Northwest.
Large-scale reclamation projects in eastern Washington in the
mid-20th century expanded agricultural production of sugar
The 2010 census showed that over 10% of Washington’s population
beets, potatoes, and other labor-intensive crops. Eastern
are persons of Hispanic or Latino origin, the largest minority group in
Washington growers recruited farm workers from places such as
the state. Seattle’s Latino community is remarkably diverse, with a rich
the Rio Grande Valley, where Spanish-speaking communities on
history in the Pacific Northwest and strong cultural ties to Mexico and
the U.S. side of the border swelled with an influx of Mexican
the many nations of Central and South America and the Caribbean.
citizens fleeing the 1910 Mexican revolution.
Top: The Struggle Against Racial Discrimination (1945) by Pablo O’Higgins, now located at the University of
Washington’s Kane Hall. Photo by Holly Taylor.
Fulgencio Lazo’s mural at Consejo
SOUTH PARK
NEIGHBORHOOD
On the west bank of the Duwamish River approximately 10 minutes
south of downtown is the community of South Park, which has the
largest Latino population of any Seattle neighborhood.
Once home to Italian and Japanese farmers, the community became
more industrial when a Boeing factory opened across the river in the
1930s. In the latter decades of the 20th century, South Park became
more ethnically diverse, with the influx of many Latino families.
The commercial district is centered around 14th Avenue S and S
Cloverdale Street, and includes Hispanic restaurants, markets and
other businesses. The South Park branch library offers an extensive
Spanish language collection and bilingual programs.
On the west side of the neighborhood, a small park
honors activist Cesar Chavez who championed
the rights of farm workers. Nationally recognized
artist Jesus Bautista Moroles created a sculpture
for the park titled Musical Steles, comprised
of three basalt columns which evoke ancient
inscribed standing stones, such as those created
by the Mayan civilization.
The Sea Mar Community Health Center was
founded in 1978 in South Park, and now has a
statewide network of clinics serving Latinos and
people of all ethnicities, especially in agricultural
communities. Sea Mar’s central offices on
S Henderson Street showcase work by local
artists. The organization’s mission now includes
housing and education.
Artist Jesus Moroles and Musical
Steles, courtesy of the South Park
Neighborhood Association
Also on 14th Avenue S, Consejo Counseling and Referral Service
has a colorful exterior mural by artist Fulgencio Lazo which includes
the organization’s logo, a Mayan leader whispering words of wisdom
signifying the importance of integrating Latino ancestry and cultural
values into contemporary American society.
The Duwamish River Festival in August and Fiestas Patrias in
September bring the community together.
Visit www.catchtheculture.com and www.allaboutsouthpark.com for
general South Park info, and www.southparkarts.org to learn about the
local arts scene.
SPECIAL EVENTS & FESTIVALS
Guelaguetza Festival
June, Dr. Blanche Lavizzo Park, Central District
Guelaguetza is a festival originating in the Zapotec heritage of Oaxaca,
Mexico, which features traditional dances and a live brass ensemble.
www.kcts9.org/events/guelaguetza-festival
From top to bottom: Bailadores de Bronce by Hugo Ludeña; Desiderium by Juan Alonso; Cecilia
Alvarez’s La Tierra Santa; José Orantes’ Pink Arch; Eduardo Calderón’s photo, Banda La Palmera; Mi
Virgencita by Hugo Ludeña. Front cover image: Shilshole by Alfredo Arreguin.
Bailadores de Bronce has been teaching and performing Mexican
folkloric dance in Seattle and throughout the region since 1972. The
group is known for the intricate footwork of the dancers, refined
choreography and beautiful costumes from the various regions of Mexico.
www.bailadoresdebronce.org
There is a strong cooperative tradition in many Latino cultures, and
Seattle is home to several artists’ collectives.
eSe Teatro is a drama collective affiliated with ACT Theatre
www.eseteatro.org
Los Norteños showcases the work of Latino writers through readings
and workshops. losnortenos.drupalgardens.com
La Sala connects and supports Latino and Latina artists in a network in
and around Seattle. www.lasalaseattle.org
Painter Alfredo Arreguin has achieved international recognition for
his intricately patterned and brilliantly colored canvases inspired by
the landscape and culture of his native Mexico, as well as the natural
environment of the Pacific Northwest. www.alfredoarreguin.com
Originally from Guatemala, painter José Orantes creates both canvases
and murals in an “urban naïve” style, capturing the vitality of the Puget
Sound region with brilliant colors. www.orantesgallery.com
Artist Juan Alonso has created vibrant public art works throughout the
region, as well as numerous studio works inspired in part by design
traditions from his native Cuba. www.juanalonso.info
Originally from California, painter Cecilia Alvarez draws on the cultural
and political mix of her Mexican and Cuban heritage to define her style
as a Chicana artist. www.ceciliaalvarez.com
Photographer Eduardo Calderón hails from Peru and is known for
his elegant portraits and dramatic black and white street images.
www.sedersgallery.com
Hugo Ludeña, another local photographer originally from Peru, has
been documenting Latino life in the Pacific Northwest for almost two
decades. Ludeña is known for his colorful images of everyday life, from
community festivals to quinceañeras, and he is also the publisher of the
Latino Cultural Magazine. www.hugoludena.com
SEATTLE HERITAGE SITES
Photo by Joshua Trujillo / SeattlePI.com
Seattle Latino Film Festival
October & November, Multiple locations
The Seattle Latino Film Festival celebrates
the art and culture of Latino film globally,
showcasing domestic and international films,
as well as selected films from each year’s pais
invitado or featured country. slff.org
Dia de Muertos
October 31 and November 1, Seattle Center
The Mexican Day of the Dead celebration honors departed loved ones,
traditionally by making altars and bringing special foods, marigolds,
toys and other enjoyable items to the cemetery for a festive day of
remembrance. Observations of this holiday take place at Seattle Center
as part of the Festal Cultural Festivals series. Events are also held at
Seattle Art Museum, Tacoma Art Museum, and other area museums
and community centers.
www.tallermexicano.org and www.seattlecenter.com/festal
Pedro de Valdivia’s A Dream, featured on the 2011 Hispanic
Seafair poster
Fiestas Patrias
September, Various locations
A fiesta and parade in the community
of South Park, and a fiesta at Seattle
Center, celebrate the independence
from colonial rule of Mexico and several
countries in Central and South America.
This patriotic holiday also recognizes the
diversity of Latino heritage in the Pacific
Northwest, while honoring a shared
language and spirit of freedom.
www.seattlefiestaspatrias.org and
www.seattlecenter.com/festal
El Centro de la Raza
2524 – 16th Avenue S
206.957.4605
A group of English as
a Second Language
students took over the
abandoned Beacon Hill
School in 1972 with the
intent of establishing
a Latino community
service center. The Mural by Daniel DeSiga at El Centro de la Raza,
occupation was a water- photo by Tracey Wickersham
shed moment for the
Latino civil rights movement in Seattle, and led to the creation of
El Centro de la Raza, or the Center for People of All Races.
Founding director Roberto Maestas (1938 – 2010) championed
a multicultural and multi-ethnic social justice movement, and
four decades later, El Centro continues to provide a wide range
of social services, and is involved in civil rights issues and
educational and cultural programs.
The main entryway features a large interior mural by Daniel
DeSiga titled Explosion of Chicano Creativity and other murals
are found throughout the renovated facility. The property also
includes an outdoor kiosko or bandstand, and Santos Rodriguez
Memorial Park, named in honor of a Texas youth killed by
police. Several arts groups are based at El Centro, including
Ameyaltonal Danza Azteca and the Seattle Fandango Project.
www.elcentrodelaraza.com
Mural at Kane Hall
Red Square, University of Washington Campus
Artist Pablo O’Higgins created the monumental work The
Struggle Against Racial Discrimination in 1945 for the Local 541
Union Hall serving Seattle maritime workers. When the hall was
demolished in 1955, the mural was donated to the University of
Washington. The restored work was reinstalled on the second
floor of Kane Hall in 1977. Several murals by Latino artists are
part of the University’s Ethnic Cultural Center collection, and
will be displayed in that facility following a major renovation.
www.uw.edu/discover/visit
Burke Museum
of Natural History and Culture
17th Avenue NE & NE 45th Street,
206.543.5590
The Burke Museum is located at the
northwest corner of the University of
Washington campus. The museum’s
long term exhibit Pacific Voices
features a Day of the Dead altar,
and ethnology collections include
textiles and other artwork from
Mexico, Central and South America.
www.burkemuseum.org
Ameyaltonal Danza Azteca dancer at Dia de Muertos, photo by Alan Berner / The Seattle Times
White Center &
Burien Business Districts
Off the beaten path for visitors,
but just 15 minutes southwest
of downtown, the communities
of White Center and Burien
boast
numerous
Latino
businesses, including panaderias,
carnicerias,
mercados
and White Center’s Salvadorean Bakery
taquerias. White Center is on Roxbury Street
one of the most ethnically diverse communities in the region,
with a gritty but vital commercial district centered around
SW Roxbury Street and 16th Avenue SW. Closer to SeaTac Airport, Burien’s business district is centered along SW
152nd Street between Ambaum Blvd SW and First Avenue S.
www.whitecenternow.com and www.discoverburien.com
Fort Núñez Gaona, Neah Bay
At the northwestern tip of
Washington
State,
approximately four hours from Seattle
via the Bainbridge ferry, is the
community of Neah Bay on
the Makah Indian Reservation.
Spanish explorers first visited
Fort Núñez Gaona monument,
courtesy of Orca Creative
the region in 1774, and the first
European settlement in the continental United States north of San
Francisco and west of the Rocky Mountains was established at Neah
Bay by Mexican, Peruvian and Spanish-born sailors in 1792.
Following a treaty of recon-ciliation between the Makah Nation and the
Spanish government, a monument was constructed in 2008 to mark
the site of the Spanish fort, and to honor Makah veterans.
www.neahbaywa.com
Yakima Valley
Eastern Washington’s major agricultural valley, located approximately
two hours east of Seattle, has been home to a significant Spanish
speaking population for decades. Though the region has few “visitor
ready” attractions connected with Latino heritage, many communities
in the valley have a majority Hispanic population which is reflected in
the local culture.
Best known as the gateway to Washington’s wine country, the city
of Yakima boasts the largest Cinco de Mayo celebration in the Pacific
Northwest, and other events such as a Dia de los Muertos festival.
The town of Wapato hosts an annual Tamale Festival, and the town of
Granger hosts a Menudo Festival. Granger is also home to KDNA 91.9
La Voz del Campesino (the Voice of the Farmworker), the first full-time
Spanish-language public radio station in the U.S., established in 1979.
Panamanian mola, Burke Museum ethnology collection
Pike Place Market
First Avenue & Pike Street
Latino farmers, artists and craftspeople are well represented in market
stalls. Restaurants feature Bolivian,
Peruvian, Mexican and other Latin
American cuisines, mercados stock
specialty foods year-round, and folk
art galleries offer hand-made gifts.
www.pikeplacemarket.org
Chili peppers hanging in Pike Place Market, photo by Patrick Rohe
Historic business districts in Grandview and other valley towns are
home to many Mexican and Chicano-owned businesses, and Latino
farmers throughout the valley stock local farm stands and farm market
stalls with orchard fruits and other fresh produce. www.visityakima.com
Photo by Peter Mumford
Hispanic Seafair
July, Seattle Center
Part of the city-wide summer
celebration,
this
festival
offers music, arts and crafts,
regional cuisine and family
activities, and is presided over
by the Hispanic Seafair Queen
selected each year from local
college student contestants.
www.hispanicseafair.org
Hispanic Heritage Month
September 15 to October 15, Various locations
The month encompasses independence anniversaries for Costa Rica,
El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico, and Chile, as
well as Columbus Day and El Dia de la Raza on October 12. Events take
place each year at libraries, museums, colleges and other community
gathering places.
FURTHER AFIELD
VISUAL & PERFORMING ARTS
Artists from throughout Latin America have chosen to make Seattle their
home, and many Chicano and other Latino artists with deep roots in
the U.S. draw on their Hispanic heritage as visual artists, writers and
performers. This section includes brief introductions to a few of the many
artists and arts organizations active in Seattle.
Cinco de Mayo
May 5, Various locations
Cinco de Mayo has become a global celebration of Mexican culture
and pride, but the origin of this holiday commemorates Mexico’s
unlikely victory over the invading French army at the Battle of Puebla
in 1862, the last invasion of Mexico by a foreign country. Mariachi
music, folklorico dancing and other activities are part of celebrations
at El Centro de la Raza, the Seattle Art Museum, the community
of South Park, and numerous Seattle restaurants, libraries and
community centers.
Latino / Hispanic Cultural Guide, First Edition, 2012
Background image: Window of Make Believe (1975), by Alfredo Arreguin,
courtesy of the Seattle Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs
Front cover images (clockwise from top left): Dia de Muertos dancers at Seattle
Center, photo by Jack Storms; Chili Peppers at Pike Place Market, photo by David
Billingham; Shilshole by Alfredo Arreguin; Miss Seafair 2011 Verónica Quintero, photo
by Mary Gomez Camba; Fiestas Patrias dancers in South Park, photo by Joshua Trujillo/
SeattlePI.com; artist Isaac Hernandez Ruiz creating a sand painting at the Burke Museum,
photo by Scott Eklund/Red Box Pictures.
Content: Past Forward Northwest Cultural Services
Design & Production: Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau
WHAT’S INSIDE:
Not everyone with roots in Latin America speaks Spanish as a first or
even second language. Portuguese is spoken in Brazil, and French is the
official language in some Caribbean nations. Many indigenous languages
are spoken in the region, and indigenous immigrant communities in
Washington State speak languages such as Mixteco and Aguacateco.
Beloved baseball player Edgar Martinez,
who grew up in Puerto Rico, spent his
entire 18-year Major League career with the Seattle Mariners. Martinez
was inducted into the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame in
2003, and has been widely recognized since retirement for his humanitarian
work. In 2004, the street south of Safeco Field was renamed in his honor.
The bustling port city of Mazatlan in Mexico’s Sinaloa State has been a
sister city to Seattle since 1979, and the Mexican state of Jalisco has been
recognized as Washington’s sister state since 1996.
Photo courtesy of the Lucy Lopez Center
Lucy Lopez is recognized as the pioneer of the
local Mexican restaurant industry. Originally
from the town of Cuautla, in the state of Jalisco,
she came to Seattle in 1957, and later opened
her own restaurant. Since then, hundreds of
Cuautla residents have come to the Seattle area
and with Lucy’s help established restaurants
including Azteca, Las Margaritas, Mazatlan,
Tacos Guaymas, El Tapatio and many others. The Lucy Lopez Community
Center in Kent, which serves Hispanic families throughout the region, is
named in her honor. www.lucylopez.org
DID YOU KNOW?
In this guide, Latino and Hispanic are used interchangeably to reflect the
preference of the person or organization being described, and Latino is
generally used inclusively to refer to both men and women.
The term Hispanic came into widespread usage as a U.S. Census category
in the late 20th century, as a variant of the more traditional term Hispano.
Chicano or Chicana refers specifically to Americans of Mexican origin
or descent, reflecting the fact that the territory from California to Texas
belonged to Spain and Mexico before it belonged to the U.S.
The western hemisphere south of the U.S. is sometimes referred to as
Latin America, and the terms Latino and Latina are used inclusively to
capture the blending of Spanish and other European, Indigenous and in
some places African traditions that characterize this diverse region. Many
people prefer to identify themselves more precisely, for example as
Cuban or Peruvian or Mexican American.
Latino? Hispanic? What’s in a name? Many different words are used
to identify people whose ancestors came from the southwestern U.S.,
Mexico, Central America, South America, the Caribbean and Spain.
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
ARTS, NEIGHBORHOODS, HERITAGE SITES,
SPECIAL EVENTS AND MORE...
www.visitseattle.org/heritage
For information about public transit serving sites in this guide, please call
206.553.3000 or visit tripplanner.kingcounty.gov.
In Seattle, stop by the Seattle Visitor Center at the Washington State
Convention Center, on Pike Street between 7th and 8th Avenues, for a full
range of information to enhance your visit.
Visit Seattle Cultural Guides online at visitseattle.org/heritage for updates
and printable guides, as well as additional information on featured cultural
sites. This web site also offers a comprehensive searchable calendar of
cultural events including museums, performances and festivals.
SEATTLE
CULTURAL GUIDES
The Cultural Guides series was created by the Cultural Tourism Program
of Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau, with funding from 4Culture
(King County Lodging Tax) and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation. The
places, events and stories featured in the Cultural Guides are preserved
and shared by dozens of community organizations and small businesses.
Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau thanks them for their work, and
extends a special thanks to the many community volunteers who reviewed
and contributed to this project.
Seattle is proud of its diverse ethnic and cultural heritage, and its
communities continue to value traditions of language, music and dance,
food, arts and crafts, and celebrations that mark seasonal cycles and
commemorate special events. Visitors are invited to experience these
traditions and participate in these events and, in doing so, to see more of
Seattle’s rich cultural dimensions.
Seattle Cultural Guides are a resource for visitors who want to explore
the city’s rich cultural heritage. The guides feature museums and historic
sites, public art works, and attractions that offer an insider’s view of
Seattle’s ethnic communities and unique history.
ABOUT THE CULTURAL GUIDE SERIES
SEATTLE LATINO / HISPANIC HERITAGE
LATINO/HISPANIC HERITAGE
After colonizing Mexico in the 15th
and 16th centuries, Spain claimed all
of the west coast of North America
including what is now Washington
State. Spanish explorers Juan
Perez, Bruno de Hezeta, Alférz
Sp anish
fri
ga
te
Pr
Manuel Quimper and others made
ince
sa
an
17
d
90. Museo
de Améric a, Native canoe at Neah
Bay,
Madrid, Sp
numerous expeditions to the Pacific
ain.
Northwest beginning in 1774, calling the region
Nueva Galicia after Spain’s rugged northwest coast.
These representatives of the Spanish crown were the first
Europeans to map the coast of what became Washington State,
and to trade with Native Americans. In 1792, the first European
settlement in the state was established among the Makah Tribe
at Neah Bay, called Fort Nuñez Gaona.
Spain withdrew claims to the Pacific Northwest under the terms of
an 1819 treaty, and the legacy of Spanish exploration, cartography
and scientific discovery in the area has long been overshadowed
by later British and American expeditions. But many place names
that are still in use today in northwest Washington commemorate
Spanish exploration, including the San Juan Islands, Quimper
Peninsula, Port Angeles, Fidalgo Island, Camano Island and the
Strait of Juan de Fuca.
East of the Cascade Mountains, Mexican vaqueros, or cowboys,
played a central role in the development of cattle ranching, and in
the mining economy as mule packers. The word buckaroo derives
from vaquero, and these skilled horsemen brought their tools and
cultural traditions from California, Texas, and other southwestern
states which remained part of Mexico until the 1840s.
Large-scale reclamation projects in eastern Washington in the
mid-20th century expanded agricultural production of sugar
beets, potatoes, and other labor-intensive crops. Eastern
Washington growers recruited farm workers from places such as
the Rio Grande Valley, where Spanish-speaking communities on
the U.S. side of the border swelled with an influx of Mexican
citizens fleeing the 1910 Mexican revolution.
During World War II, the Bracero program allowed
growers in the Yakima Valley and elsewhere to recruit
guest workers directly from Mexico. Migrant workers
also came from the southwestern U.S., and many families
relocated permanently. Spanish-speaking communities were
established or expanded during this era in other farming
regions too, such as north central Washington, and the Skagit
Valley north of Seattle.
Following World War II, many Latino families migrated from
rural parts of Washington to the urban Puget Sound region, seeking
employment opportunities in Seattle’s booming post-war economy.
The civil rights era or El Movimiento brought widespread activism in
the Latino community, and many U.S. residents of Mexican origin or
descent embraced the political identity of Chicano or Chicana. Activists
established organizations such as MEChA (Movimiento Estudiantil
Chicana/o de Aztlan) at the University of Washington in 1968, and the
community multi-service center El Centro de la Raza in the Beacon
Hill neighborhood in 1972. In Seattle as in many west coast cities, a
community-based Chicano arts movement grew out of this political
activism, drawing in part on pre-Columbian
indigenous motifs and stories.
Political turbulence in Central
and South America in the
1970s and 80s brought new
immigrants to Seattle from
Guatemala, El Salvador, Chile,
Nicaragua and other countries, and Aztlán (1971)
by Emilia Aguayo,
area churches participated actively the
first Chicano mural in the
in the Sanctuary Movement to Seattle area, part of the
protect those fleeing violence and UW Ethnic Cultural Center Collection.
starting new lives in the Pacific Northwest.
The 2010 census showed that over 10% of Washington’s population
are persons of Hispanic or Latino origin, the largest minority group in
the state. Seattle’s Latino community is remarkably diverse, with a rich
history in the Pacific Northwest and strong cultural ties to Mexico and
the many nations of Central and South America and the Caribbean.
Top: The Struggle Against Racial Discrimination (1945) by Pablo O’Higgins, now located at the University of
Washington’s Kane Hall. Photo by Holly Taylor.
Fulgencio Lazo’s mural at Consejo
SOUTH PARK
NEIGHBORHOOD
On the west bank of the Duwamish River approximately 10 minutes
south of downtown is the community of South Park, which has the
largest Latino population of any Seattle neighborhood.
Once home to Italian and Japanese farmers, the community became
more industrial when a Boeing factory opened across the river in the
1930s. In the latter decades of the 20th century, South Park became
more ethnically diverse, with the influx of many Latino families.
The commercial district is centered around 14th Avenue S and S
Cloverdale Street, and includes Hispanic restaurants, markets and
other businesses. The South Park branch library offers an extensive
Spanish language collection and bilingual programs.
On the west side of the neighborhood, a small park
honors activist Cesar Chavez who championed
the rights of farm workers. Nationally recognized
artist Jesus Bautista Moroles created a sculpture
for the park titled Musical Steles, comprised
of three basalt columns which evoke ancient
inscribed standing stones, such as those created
by the Mayan civilization.
The Sea Mar Community Health Center was
founded in 1978 in South Park, and now has a
statewide network of clinics serving Latinos and
people of all ethnicities, especially in agricultural
communities. Sea Mar’s central offices on
S Henderson Street showcase work by local
artists. The organization’s mission now includes
housing and education.
Artist Jesus Moroles and Musical
Steles, courtesy of the South Park
Neighborhood Association
Also on 14th Avenue S, Consejo Counseling and Referral Service
has a colorful exterior mural by artist Fulgencio Lazo which includes
the organization’s logo, a Mayan leader whispering words of wisdom
signifying the importance of integrating Latino ancestry and cultural
values into contemporary American society.
The Duwamish River Festival in August and Fiestas Patrias in
September bring the community together.
Visit www.catchtheculture.com and www.allaboutsouthpark.com for
general South Park info, and www.southparkarts.org to learn about the
local arts scene.