Half Moon Bay mural unveiled to honor region's farmworker heritage
A new mural unveiled in Half Moon Bay is celebrating the history, culture and diversity of region's immigrant community while giving a local nonprofit a lasting visual identity.
Created by artist Rafael Blanco, the colorful mural reflects the organization's mission of supporting immigrant families and farmworkers across the Coastside. It was unveiled Friday at the nonprofit ALAS - Ayudando Latinos A Soñar (Helping Latinos Dream).
"I want them to be in awe," Blanco said. "I would like people to come through the corner and go with this expression: 'Whoa!'"
Blanco said the mural is intended to represent both the diversity of the Coastside and the work of ALAS, an acronym that translates to the Spanish word for "wings."
"This mural is going to give a visual identity to ALAS," Blanco said. "It represents culture, humanity; it represents raíces, roots."
Founded in 2011, ALAS began with a cultural arts program and has since expanded its services to include mental health care and other resources for farmworkers and immigrant families throughout the Coastside.
Board President Lilli Rey said the mural pays tribute to the generations of immigrants who have shaped the region.
"Half Moon Bay is so rich in its history and culture that stem from an immigrant community," Rey said. "Farming has been the foundational industry of this Coastside community. This mural represents the history, the culture, and the foundation of this community."
For Blanco, the project is about more than creating a work of public art. He hopes it helps community members see themselves reflected in the mural.
"I'm trying to represent the community, celebrate the roots, that way they can feel that they belong," Blanco said.
As a coastal town shaped by generations of immigrants, Half Moon Bay now has a new art display that serves as a reminder of the people and stories that continue to define the community.
