La Chiquita Restaurant

    906 E Washington Ave

    La Chiquita Restaurant has been a local institution for sixty years, serving classic and traditional Mexican dishes such as ground beef tacos and chili verde burritos with pork. The restaurant is also known for its 5lb Burrito Challenge, in which guests must eat a five-pound burrito within an hour, and those that manage to complete the challenge get the meal free and receive a signed t-shirt. La Chiquita owner Sammy Montoya donated the wall of his restaurant for a mural, on the same idealistic principles that the mural stands for.

    The restaurant is located in the Logan Barrio, one of the several original Mexican barrios in Santa Ana.  With roots going back to 1886, these neighborhoods were among the first in the city and were the childhood homes of today’s judges, lawyers, and business leaders.

    Image Source (Top): - - 2016

    2012 - 2016

    Among Heroes

    Created by artist Carlos Aguilar, the 20 ft. x 34 ft. Among Heroes mural pays homage to the 160 Mexican-American men and women of the Logan Barrio in Santa Ana who served during World War II or Vietnam. To create a lasting tribute to members of the Logan Barrio community, instead of portraying the clichéd image that many held of La Raza, Aguilar wanted to help the local community and general public understand how Mexican-Americans have fought valiantly for the United States, with some sacrificing everything.
    As such, the mural is adorned with realistic portraits and depictions of war, recreated from photographs provided by relatives of those painted in the mural. Standing as place of remembrance, the mural recognizes the importance of remembering those who gave their lives to protect of the fundamental ideals that America stands for. Communicating a sense of duty and sacrifice through the faces shown, the mural also shows the commitment of the residents within the Logan Barrio to preserve their identity among the many faces that construct the ideas, images, and memory of Santa Ana. In doing so, the mural stands as place of remembrance.

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