Hispanic and Latino Americans make up 30.1% (pop. 400,337) of the population of the City of San Diego, California in the US, and 35.0% (pop. 1,145,183) of the County of San Diego, [1] [2] with the majority of Hispanics and Latinos in San Diego being Mexican American.
| Hispanic/Latino Origin/Ancestry | City of San Diego | County of San Diego |
|---|---|---|
 Mexican | 331,283 | 984,171 |
 Puerto Rican | 12,228 | 27,587 |
 Portuguese | 9,307 (2016) [3] | 19,717 |
 Spanish | 5,620 | 14,774 |
 Salvadoran | 6,756 | 12,210 |
 Colombian | 8,119 | 11,945 |
 Peruvian | 4,785 | 11,572 |
 Guatemalan | 3,284 | 10,251 |
 Brazilian | 3,091 (2010) [4] | |
 Cuban | 2,860 | 7,581 |
 Honduran | 2,097 | 3,859 |
 Ecuadorian | 1,158 | 3,665 |
 Dominican | 1,233 | 4,518 |
 Chilean | 1,544 | 2,361 |
The region has been shaped by the presence and contributions of Hispanics and Latinos ever since the discovery of San Diego by Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo in 1542.
The Spanish established a presidio (fort) and Mission San Diego de Alcalá in 1769, marking the foundation of the city. [5] Over the following decades, more missions were established throughout California, including the nearby Mission San Luis Rey de Francia. During the Spanish colonial period, which lasted until 1821, the region became an important location for trade and communication.
With Mexico's independence from Spain in 1821, San Diego became part of Mexican territory. The period of Mexican rule saw the growth of a vibrant Mexican population in San Diego. The Californio rancheros, descendants of Spanish settlers, played a significant role in the development of the region. They engaged in ranching, agriculture, and trade, contributing to the economic prosperity of San Diego. Prominent Californio families and individuals, such as the Estudillos and Peruvian-born Juan Bandini, played a crucial role in shaping the city's development and cultural identity. [6]
In 1848, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the Mexican-American War, and San Diego, along with the rest of California, became part of the United States. This transition marked a pivotal point in the history of Hispanics and Latinos in San Diego, as their status and rights within the new American society were redefined.
Californios secured cultural and social recognition in the region, but were unable to control the political system. By 1860, most had left the area and the remainder were on the decline economically. [7] Many Mexican Americans in San Diego left for Tijuana and other parts of Baja California, those who stayed faced various challenges during this period. Discrimination and political marginalization were prevalent, undermining their social and economic opportunities. [8]
As San Diego grew in the early 1900's, the region also attracted Portuguese immigrants, with many of them settling in the Roseville-Fleetridge neighborhood in Point Loma, San Diego, with many employed in the city's tuna industry. [9]
In World War II, Hispanics made major breakthroughs in employment San Diego and in nearby farm districts. They benefitted from new skills, contacts, and experiences provided by the military, filled many newly opened unskilled labor jobs, gained some high-paying jobs in the military installations and aircraft factories, and were welcomed by the labor unions, especially the Cannery Workers Union.
The civil rights movement in the United States had a profound impact on the Hispanic and Latino community in San Diego. Activists and organizations, such as the Chicano Movement, fought for equal rights, educational opportunities, and improved living conditions. Their efforts paved the way for greater inclusion and recognition of the contributions made by Hispanics and Latinos in San Diego.
Barrio Logan, located in the southeastern part of downtown San Diego, is a historically significant neighborhood predominantly inhabited by Mexican Americans. The community has deep roots tracing back to the early 20th century when Mexican laborers settled in the area, working in the nearby shipyards and canneries. Despite facing economic challenges and social injustices, the residents of Barrio Logan have demonstrated resilience and pride in their heritage. [10]
Today, Barrio Logan is recognized as an important cultural hub and is renowned for its vibrant Chicano art scene. The neighborhood is home to numerous art galleries, studios, and mural-lined streets that showcase the creativity and activism of the local community. The Chicano Park, established in 1970 beneath the San Diego-Coronado Bridge, stands as a symbol of cultural pride and activism, adorned with colorful murals depicting Mexican and Chicano history and culture. [11]
Logan Heights, located just east of downtown San Diego, has a significant history and presence of Mexican American and Latino residents. It was established in the late 19th century as a residential area for workers in the booming industries of the time.
The neighborhood has been the site of significant civil rights struggles and community activism. During the 1960s and 1970s, Logan Heights was at the forefront of the Chicano Movement, advocating for social justice, educational equity, and fair representation. The community successfully fought against the displacement of residents due to urban renewal projects, preserving the neighborhood's cultural heritage. [12]
City Heights, located in the eastern part of San Diego, is a diverse neighborhood that reflects the multicultural tapestry of the city. It has a significant population of immigrants from Central America, South America, and other Hispanic Caribbean countries. Over the years, City Heights has been a destination for refugees and immigrants fleeing political unrest, violence, and economic hardships in their home countries.
San Ysidro, located in the southernmost part of San Diego, on the U.S.-Mexico border, is a vibrant community with a significant Hispanic and Latino population. It serves as a gateway between the United States and Mexico, characterized by its cultural diversity and strong ties to Mexican heritage.
San Ysidro has a rich history shaped by its proximity to Mexico and its role as a busy land border crossing. The community embraces its cross-border connections, with many residents having familial and cultural ties on both sides of the border. The neighborhood's cultural heritage is reflected in its diverse mix of Mexican, Central American, and other Hispanic and Latino populations.
The Roseville-Fleetridge neighborhood of San Diego holds the main street for Portuguese community and business known as Avenida de Portugal, the city's unrecognized Little Portugal district. Saint Agnes Catholic Church holds services in Portuguese twice a month and hosts the annual Festa do Espirito Santo (Feast of the Holy Spirit), a religious festival which has been staged every year since 1910 and is San Diego's oldest ethnic tradition. [13] Many Portuguese San Diegans can trace their origins to the Azores and Madeira. Community members of the area have been seeking an official recognition for a Little Portugal district. [14]
San Diego's Hispanic and Latino culture is deeply woven into the city's fabric, influencing its architecture, cuisine, art, and more. These cultural elements reflect the diverse heritage and traditions of the Hispanic and Latino communities in the region.
The Mission Revival architecture, prevalent in San Diego, pays homage to the Spanish colonial heritage. Inspired by the design of the California missions, this architectural style features elements such as red tile roofs, stucco walls, bell towers, and arched windows and doorways. Notable examples of Mission Revival architecture in San Diego include the iconic Santa Fe Depot and the Junípero Serra Museum, and can be found in the construction of schools, libraries, churches, and commercial structures. [15]
Spanish Colonial Revival architecture, prevalent in the early 20th century, draws influence from the Spanish colonization period. Buildings designed in this style feature elements such as white stucco walls, wrought iron details, courtyards, and tilework. Balboa Park, home to numerous Spanish Colonial Revival buildings, including the iconic California Building and the San Diego Museum of Us, showcases the grandeur of this architectural style. [16]
San Diego's culinary scene is renowned for its diverse Hispanic and Latino influences, with several dishes becoming iconic representations of the local food culture.
Fish Tacos, a staple of San Diego's cuisine, originated from Baja California but was first popularized by the Rubio's fast-food chain in San Diego. This dish consists of fresh fish, typically battered and fried, served in a soft tortilla with cabbage, salsa, and a squeeze of lime.
Carne Asada Fries, a San Diego creation, have also become a popular indulgence. While the exact origin of this dish is debated, Lolita's Mexican Food, a restaurant in San Diego, claims to have originated it in the late 1990s. [17] Carne Asada Fries feature French fries topped with marinated and grilled carne asada, melted cheese, guacamole, sour cream, and salsa. The combination of Mexican and American flavors exemplifies the cultural fusion found in the region's cuisine.
Another San Diego invention is the California Burrito, a hearty and flavorful creation. This burrito typically includes a flour tortilla filled with carne asada, French fries, cheese, sour cream, and salsa. It reflects the fusion of Mexican and Californian culinary influences that have shaped the local food landscape.
Beyond these iconic dishes, San Diego offers a diverse range of Hispanic and Latino foods, including carne asada burritos, street tacos, enchiladas, ceviche, and others.
The city is also home to various food chains, such as Roberto's Taco Shop (founded in 1964) and Rubio's Coastal Grill (founded in 1963), which have played significant roles in popularizing Mexican cuisine in the region.
Chicano Park, located beneath the San Diego-Coronado Bridge in Barrio Logan, stands as a vibrant outdoor gallery and symbol of cultural pride. The park is adorned with stunning murals that depict Mexican and Chicano history, culture, and social justice movements. It serves as a testament to the resilience and creativity of the local community. [11]
The Spanish Village Art Center, situated in Balboa Park, showcases the artistic talents of diverse artists, including those from Hispanic and Latino backgrounds. The center features studios, galleries, and shops where visitors can witness and purchase a wide range of artistic works, including paintings, ceramics, sculptures, and more.
Centro Cultural de la Raza, located in Balboa Park, is a cultural center dedicated to promoting and preserving Mexican, Chicano, and indigenous arts and culture. It hosts exhibitions, performances, workshops, and community events that celebrate the heritage and contributions of the Hispanic and Latino communities in San Diego.
The San Diego Latino Film Festival began in 1993 and focuses on diverse groups and culture in the Latino community through films. [18] [19]
Mexican Americans are Americans of Mexican heritage. In 2022, Mexican Americans comprised 11.2% of the US population and 58.9% of all Hispanic and Latino Americans. In 2019, 71% of Mexican Americans were born in the United States; they make up 53% of the total population of foreign-born Hispanic Americans and 25% of the total foreign-born population. Chicano is a term used by some to describe the unique identity held by Mexican-Americans. The United States is home to the second-largest Mexican community in the world, behind only Mexico. Most Mexican Americans reside in the Southwest, with over 60% of Mexican Americans living in the states of California and Texas.
The cuisine of California reflects the diverse culture of California and is influenced largely by Hispanic American roots, alongside East Asian and Oceanian influences, and Western European influences, as well as the food trends and traditions of larger American cuisine.
Californios are Hispanic Californians, especially those descended from Spanish and Mexican settlers of the 17th through 19th centuries. California's Spanish-speaking community has resided there since 1683 and is made up of varying Spanish and Mexican origins, including criollos, Mestizos, Indigenous Californian peoples, and small numbers of Mulatos. Alongside the Tejanos of Texas and Neomexicanos of New Mexico and Colorado, Californios are part of the larger Spanish-American/Mexican-American/Hispano community of the United States, which has inhabited the American Southwest and the West Coast since the 16th century. Some may also identify as Chicanos, a term that came about in the 1960s.
Logan Heights is an urban neighborhood in central San Diego, California. It is bordered by Interstate 5 on the south and west, Interstate 15 on the east, and Imperial Avenue on the north. It is part of the Southeastern Planning Area.
Chicano Park is a 32,000 square meter park located beneath the San Diego–Coronado Bridge in Barrio Logan, a predominantly Chicano or Mexican American and Mexican-migrant community in central San Diego, California. The park is home to the country's largest collection of outdoor murals, as well as various sculptures, earthworks, and an architectural piece dedicated to the cultural heritage of the community. Because of the magnitude and historical significance of the murals, the park was designated an official historic site by the San Diego Historical Site Board in 1980, and its murals were officially recognized as public art by the San Diego Public Advisory Board in 1987. The park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013 owing to its association with the Chicano Movement, and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2016. Chicano Park, like Berkeley's People's Park, was the result of a militant people's land takeover. Every year on April 22, the community celebrates the anniversary of the park's takeover with a celebration called Chicano Park Day.
Barrio Logan is a neighborhood in south central San Diego, California. It is bordered by the neighborhoods of East Village and Logan Heights to the north, Shelltown and Southcrest to the east, San Diego Bay to the southwest, and National City to the southeast. Interstate 5 forms the northeastern boundary. The Barrio Logan Community Plan Area comprises approximately 1,000 acres, of which slightly more than half is under the jurisdiction of the Port of San Diego or the United States Navy rather than the city of San Diego. The community is subject to the California Coastal Act. Though located near the City's Central core, it has long been considered part of Southeast San Diego by many locals, being directly Southeast of Downtown, and with previous historical records labeling it as part of "Western Southeast San Diego."
The Centro Cultural de la Raza is a non-profit organization with the specific mission to create, preserve, promote and educate about Chicano, Mexicano, Native American and Latino art and culture. It is located in Balboa Park in San Diego, California.The cultural center supports and encourages the creative expression “of the indigenous cultures of the Americas.” It is currently a member of the American Alliance of Museums.
The written history of the San Diego, California, region began in the present state of California when Europeans first began inhabiting the San Diego Bay region. As the first area of California in which Europeans settled, San Diego has been described as "the birthplace of California."
Carne asada fries are a local specialty found on the menus of restaurants primarily in the American Southwest, including San Diego, where it originated.
Barrioization is a theory developed by Chicano scholars Albert Camarillo and Richard Griswold del Castillo to explain the historical formation and maintenance of ethnically segregated neighborhoods of Chicanos and Latinos in the United States. The term was first coined by Camarillo in his book Chicanos in a Changing Society (1979). The process was explained in the context of Los Angeles by Griswold del Castillo in The Los Angeles Barrio, 1850-1890: A Social History (1979). Camarillo defined the term as "the formation of residentially and segregated Chicano barrios or neighbourhoods." The term is used in the field of Human Geography.
Southeast San Diego refers to the southeastern portion of the City of San Diego, including the neighborhoods south of State Route 94 and east of Downtown San Diego. Southeast San Diego has no official definition, but it may be considered coterminous with three official planning areas: Skyline-Paradise Hills, Encanto Neighborhoods, and Southeastern.
Salvador Roberto Torres is a Chicano artist and muralist and an early exponent of the Chicano art movement. He was one of the creators of Chicano Park, and led the movement to create its freeway-pillar murals. He was also a founder of the Centro Cultural de la Raza in San Diego, California.
Southcrest is an urban community in the southeastern section of the city of San Diego. It is bordered by Mountain View on the north and east, Interstate 5 and the neighborhoods of Barrio Logan and Logan Heights on the west, and Shelltown on the south. Major thoroughfares include National Avenue and 40th Street.
The Chicano Art Movement represents groundbreaking movements by Mexican-American artists to establish a unique artistic identity in the United States. Much of the art and the artists creating Chicano Art were heavily influenced by Chicano Movement which began in the 1960s.
Hispanic and Latino Californians are residents of the state of California who are of Hispanic or Latino ancestry. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, Hispanics and Latinos of any race were 39.4% of the state's population, making it the largest ethnicity in California.
Guillermo Acevedo (1920-1988) was a Peruvian-born artist and master draftsman, most famous in the United States for his striking portrayal of Native Americans of the Southwest, and for his ability to capture and help preserve the disappearing architectural styles of old neighborhoods throughout the U.S. and abroad. Known to be an artist-observer with great sensitivity, Acevedo is recognized as a master at recording the human condition.
Spanish Americans are Americans whose ancestry originates wholly or partly from Spain. They are the longest-established European American group in the modern United States, with a very small group descending from those explorations leaving from Spain and the Viceroyalty of New Spain, and starting in the early 1500s, of 42 of the future U.S. states from California to Florida; and beginning a continuous presence in Florida since 1565 and New Mexico since 1598. In the 2020 United States census, 978,978 self-identified with "Spaniard" origins representing (0.4%) of the white alone or in combination population who responded to the question. Other results include 866,356 (0.4%) identifying as "Spanish" and 50,966 who identified with "Spanish American".
Josephine "Josie" Talamantez is a historian from San Diego, California. She co-founded Chicano Park in 1970 and helped develop it into a cultural National Historic Landmark containing the largest collection of artistic murals in the United States. Talamantez was also the Chief of Programs for the California Arts Council, served as the director of the Centro Cultural de la Raza, and was on the board of the National Association of Latino Arts and Culture.
Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts (MCCLA) is an arts nonprofit that was founded in 1977, and is located at 2868 Mission Street in the Mission District in San Francisco, California. They provide art studio space, art classes, an art gallery, and a theater. Their graphics department is called Mission Grafica, and features at studio for printmaking and is known for the hand printed posters. It was formerly named, Centro Cultural de La Mission.
A Chicano mural is an artistic expression done, most commonly, on walls or ceilings by Chicanos or Mexican-American artists. Chicano murals rose during the Chicano art movement, that began in the 1960, with the influence of Mexican muralism and the Mexican Revolution. The murals are an illustration of Chicano’s ethnic pride or a form of activism against police brutality, social issues, political issues, and civil rights issues. It started being done by young Chicano artists in commonly marginalized neighborhoods, schools, and churches, demonstrating cultural art and ideas. The murals are characterized by their art style of bright color, religious symbols, and cultural references to Mexican and Mexican American history. Chicano murals have been and are historically found in the Southwest states like Texas, Colorado, and most famously, California, where the national landmark Chicano Park is located. The popularity of the Chicano Murals has allowed a sense of community, culture, activism, and storytelling about elements of being Chicano. Various states are currently looking to preserve and restore some murals as they carry historical meaning for the geographical community and the Mexican-American community.
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