Barrio Rising: The Protest That Built Chicano Park

The Mexican American neighborhood of Barrio Logan faced decades of devastation in the early to mid-20th century with military installations, polluting industries, and (as with so many low income communities) displacement for a freeway. In the 1960s, community members advocated for a park under Coronado Bridge, only to learn that the city was building a highway patrol substation instead.

Barrio Rising, narrated by a young girl named Elena, tells the true story of how community members organized a massive protest in 1970, forcing the city council to change its plans. Not only was the park built, but the pylons were painted with murals to tell the story of the uprising and the park was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2013. This is an uplifting story about the power of community organizing and the continued struggle for environmental justice.

ISBN: 9780593462072 | Dial Books