Anzaldua uses the term nepantla to describe this in-between state, between culture and time. This is where those in a transitional state exist. Border artists reshape and reinvent through their art, mixing the old and the new thus existing in napantla as well. Chicanx artists frequently return to indigenous roots as way of reclaiming our "history, language, identity and pride (pg. 176)." This idea of principio, or return to root, is why many of the symbols adopted by revolutions, particularly the Chicano movement, were indigenous, such as the eagle shown above. The other side of Chicanx art that I enjoy is taking the old and reshaping it to create something new. Increasingly more and more Chicano graffiti artists in the southwest are signing their art or murals with 'c/s' (con safos); which roughly translates to 'with safety'. Con safos is used as a sort of respectful signature. It is a way of saying that this is the artist's truth, whether you agree or not, it cannot be erased because it is their reality. This is also a subtle act of resistance against colonialism and the erasure of Chicanx art. Con safos is also a way of saying that if an artist's murals gets destroyed or covered, that disrespect will come back to whomever destroyed it. Border art will always exist, even if it gets painted over, because it is the artist's reality.
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