Artist paints over Santa Ana Cesar Chavez mural to honor another labor leader

A Santa Ana Cesar Chavez mural is getting a redo by the artist who originally painted it. Abram Moya Jr. said the repainting just has to get done after the disappointing allegations against Chavez came to light.

The 76-year-old said he's honoring a lesser-known labor organizer who pre-dated Chavez -- Bert Corona.  Moya said he originally wanted to honor Corona in the Jackson Street mural five years ago.

"My original suggestion was to put Bert Corona here in the first place, but the community wanted Cesar Chavez," he said.

When Moya begins a mural, he always starts with the eyes. "I think the eyes are very important. It tells all," he said as Corona's face begins to take shape.

The original mural was done by Moya and a collective of young artists, who painted vignettes of the Latino community, with the biggest portrait being that of Cesar Chavez.

"Here was a leader that the community liked. And they put him on a pedestal. And then now they come out with this stuff," Moya said.

Chavez was someone he'd painted numerous times before, but Moya always felt Bert Corona, whose activism pre-dated the Chicano movement of the 1960s, deserved his flowers.

"He's not a flamboyant person. He was more of a quiet guy. He liked to get things done," Moya said. So, Moya is painting on, with full approval from the community, the mayor, and Corona's family.

Though Chavez's portrait will be replaced, the slogan "Si Se Puede" or "Yes You Can" will remain.

"It belongs to the United Farmworkers, not Cesar Chavez. But the farm workers, and the campesinos,  that's different," he said. Another phrase will be added to the bottom of the mural, "Un dano contra uno es un dano contra todo," translated, it says "A harm to one is a harm to all."

Once Moya finishes the mural this weekend, he hopes it sparks curiosity. "Get educated. Learn about him, showing the positiveness about Chicano and Latino culture," Moya said.