THE PARK:
During the day Chicano Park is something like a tourist friendly location
Attracting photographers, college classes, artist, reporters etc…
With its top to bottom murales illustrating proud Mexican roots and the Chicano culture
I mean, why wouldn’t it.
There’s the complimentary overhead cool breeze of constant commuting traffic
Traveling along the Coronado Bridge with its sun proof design.
Then there’s the ever present SDPD
Enforcing laws which prohibit groups of four or more, male or female
In the park, Mercado’s, liquor stores, taco shops and most definitely the side walks…
It’s no wonder why locals took to the alleys.
-if this isn’t racial segregation or some kind of discrimination I don’t know what is.
But as we say it’s still
~CPB & ALS La Zona Por vida~

THE NEIGHBORHOOD:
Where I’m from Brown and Proud was the mental…
And all my neighbors were considered family,
Familia rules of the area “never rank out, pull rat or hang with outsiders”
A lot of us raised together since the shoe hanging telephone wire days,
the $5 dollar scrap session days, the candy snatch & run days.
This little crew consisted of
(klumzy II, lil kieto, snore, panther, baby wicked, sad boy, lil suspect, downer, chokes, clever II)
We dated chicks like
(china, lil whispers, j-lo, lil troubles, la smiles, baby lowks, laughters, hazel & nuve)







Where I’m from Friday/Saturday nights meant party!
Homies and homegirls from Clay street to 30th
Would show up overflowing Sigsbee’s-Gatos alley, my street.
Me and the posse as youngsters weren’t allowed to kick it,
“estan muy mocosos para la locera, keep truchas instead, I don’t want your heffitas to talk shit”
So they made us look outs
We never knew for who or what?
Cops never passed through here anyways
And if they did,
Cars were strategically placed to prevent a squad cars entrance.
Were I’m from most Sunday mornings started with a “que pues la Crosby or what”
This was fallowed by what sounded like a hundred simons.
We always played football-football never footbol
Oldies, funk or reggae provided background music as everyone argued over
Shirts vs. no shirt/ young vs. old/ RS vs. 30’s/ my favorite was guys vs. girls..
Crosby Park was our secluded private little island
Seeing as how when we were there, no one else seemed to be around.
Where I’m from “bronkas ay de sobras”
(Rivals across the tracks & up the hill, tecatos, la chota, funerals, jail time, etc…)
Despite all the bad times, good times pull us through…
In the end the trick is to remain unfazed by our past,
Instead take everything as lessons learned
& GROW…