Teresa Traxler Densmore has lived in the Skyland neighborhood for about five years and she noticed that there weren’t many ice cream shops around. They are all so important to the area.” Sweet Sweetz “You see the same people at brunch at Sputnik’s that you see at happy hour at Dougherty’s. “But a lot of the Mexican shops and stores have either been displaced, closed or moved out of the neighborhood.”īiggie the Mutiny Information Cafe cat patrols the comic book shelves. Just someone walking down the street selling paletas,” Aragon said. “In the Northside it was something you could see on a regular basis. Correa said it’s due to some of the older guys either retiring or passing away from old age, having been with Zacatecas since the beginning.Īragon has noticed a decrease in paleteros as well, especially as the Northside and west Denver continue to experience gentrification and displacement. Since then, his grandfather has passed and the number of paleteros has dwindled. His grandfather and father were one of them.
Beaty/DenveriteĬorrea said with the heat, their top-sellers are lime, arroz con leche, strawberry covered with chocolate and coconut shaving, and the spicy mango.Ĭorrea said at one point Zacatecas had about 100 carts roaming the Denver area. So join me as we take a ride in a lowrider, get a cool limón fruit popsicle from the ice cream man, and enjoy the cultural richness of Lolos y Paleteros and the beautiful space that is Chicano Park.Arturo Correa inside his family's Paleteria Zacatecas shop on Morrison Road. To me, this makes the viewer want to know more about the identity of who is in the photos and what makes their story unique. This ambiguous reality comes out in my artistic take of the subject matter: I tend to shoot reflections, include out of focus elements, and also people wearing masks. Much like Mexican Americans sometimes have a sense of struggle and ambiguity concerning cultural identity (as witnessed in Gina Valdes' poem Where you from?), my photos show only glimpses into moments of this reality, and do not try to answer any big questions about life and culture. The photos highlight a people group that is resilient, proud, and also rooted in a neighborhood and space that not only reflects the past and history, but a space that represents change and forward motion toward the future while facing head on the almost imminent and unfortunate gentrification of the barrio. Likewise, paleteros have a deep connection with Mexican American culture and reality and have been a mainstay in the community, while bringing back memories of childhood and nostalgia and the ringing of the ice cream bell. Lowriders and car clubs are a key element of chicano identity and expression. These photographs speak to cultural identity and what it means to be Mexican American in today's complex and ever-changing world. I have seen Aztec dancers, listened to music, admired art, and more than anything, spent time getting to know people who consider the park their sacred space, or spiritual "home." Over almost the past ten years, I have photographed the cultural events, people, and happenings during the yearly celebration.
Lolos (lowriders) and paleteros (ice cream pushcart street vendors) is a title that comes from the culture and essence of Chicano Park, and my photographs focus specifically on the Chicano Park day celebration that takes place on Saturday in late April each year. Chicano Park is a unique and special place, not only to local residents but especially to those who have been a part of its history and who have witnessed change over the years in the neighborhood of Barrio Logan in San Diego, California.
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