Chicano Murals Are Slowly Disappearing

During the peak of the mural movement in Los Angeles, there was an estimated 2,500 murals on city walls. Now, due to whitewashing and taggers, there are hundreds fewer.

The walls that surround Ernesto De La Loza’s work office in Echo Park look much different than they did 20 years ago. The vibrant mural of the Lady of Guadalupe is no longer there. Instead, there is a wall filled with graffiti and attempts to paint over the unrecognizable words. 

He points across the street to show me the new upstart businesses that have…