Vasquez believes that there must be a compromise, but certainly not one that dismisses the impact of the Latino community. His murals, many commissioned under city and state cultural programs, document both the dispiriting and uplifting elements of barrio and middle-class Latino life. "We have to chronicle it," he said simply. "It's the world we know."
In that world, Vasquez believes, the network has a responsibility that goes beyond exhibiting. He and other members routinely visit both barrio and other schools to introduce children to art--both mainstream and ethnic.
