Written by Raven M

Mexican culture has been a big part of East Los Angeles which entirely makes up the whole Los Angeles heritage. The old but vibrant neighbourhoods show the history and tradition of those who reside in it. With such places like the Mariachi Plaza that’s used by local vendors, musicians, and artists to showcase their talents, East LA would never be the East LA we know today if not for its people. Latinos from various countries take up the largest cultural population in Los Angeles and through modern day art with the help of pop culture, Mexican artists thrive. And Mister Cartoon and Estevan Oriol brought attention and awareness to Mexican culture in East Los Angeles through tattooing and photography.

Mister Cartoon went from drawing on paper, spray painting graffiti on old blank walls, and eventually stuck to tattooing. He saw the art form as a way of escaping anxiety and he later on took it seriously as a profession which made him a legend in the tattoo world. Tattoos are often associated with Mexican gang culture and the prison world. Before, those who have tattoos were assumed to have been incarcerated and the tattoos 13 and 14 have a drastic difference. 13 stands for the Mexican Mafia gang, meanwhile, 14 is from those a part of the Nuestra Familia, and both gangs are worse than rivals, treating each other as enemies. Of course, those incarcerated get out eventually but those tattoos will stick with them forever. It wasn’t easy at the time because those who have tattoos are shunned by society, looked down upon. But through Mister Cartoon’s globalization and some hip hop artists like Snoop Dogg and 50 Cent getting some of their own, they all opened up the life-long misconception towards art permanently etched on skin. They made people understand that it’s all a representation of who you are as a person, as well as paying homage to your culture. Getting a tattoo of your grandmother from her youth means you’re paying respect, showing adoration and love, a commemoration. Some get tattoos to signify their metamorphosis, getting tattoos of butterflies among other things. Society has junked the conservative thinking towards tattoos and now views them as art and considers the body as a blank canvas waiting to be painted on by experiences.

Another art form that globalized Mexican culture is photography, specifically Estevan Oriol’s. His composition and technique brought attention to the culture and his photos memorialized the past, and as it aged, it began to show the true and raw beauty he captured, just like the iconic LA hand sign we all know today. He went from being a bouncer at concerts and a tour manager for Cypress Hill and House of Pain which then brought him to be a photographer. He saw the opportunity to capture monumental photos of those he used to manage, saying he was the only one there with a camera. He then began to photograph Mister Cartoon’s big shot clients which became album or magazine covers. Him being Chicano helped bring the culture to the hip hop world even more and their style simply can’t be separated from their heritage. He immortalized violence, poverty, and madness and turned it into something beautiful, something you can be angry at because his photos send a message for those who aren’t oppressed like them and it’s all from the Latinos who want to be recognized as equals in the society. On the good side of things, he captured the family life of Latinos. He perfectly framed the importance of family and how it plays a big role in someone's life; how you’ll live and die for them, for those you love.

https://open.spotify.com/embed/track/6E8XDoU8B9MbYbcAQ2IUBl

Together as a duo, Mister Cartoon and Estevan Oriol became great chroniclers of their culture through their respective art forms. And with their success, they have globalized the East LA Mexican culture that is now appreciated and even copied by people around the world. “Now you have a new wave of Chicano artists that can focus on Chicano pride.” Cartoon describes in the movie LA Originals produced by his duo and equal, Estevan Oriol. They took great efforts to surpass the racism and xenophobia in America and through their respective art forms, they showed that Mexicans and their culture is here to stay and that everything that they do has a greater meaning, all for the generations to come. The new wave of pride stemming from the discrimination and hardship this minority have experienced have made them a lot more stronger, it made them adhere to their culture. And today, Chicano culture has been globalized and imitated all over the world. And this recognition brought by Cartoon and Oriol, goes to show that decades of hard work were all worth it and they practice what they preach — that anybody can be a rose that grows from concrete.