Estampas de la Raza: Contemporary Prints from the Romo Collection

Estampas de la Raza is organized thematically in the following sections: the melding of Mexican and American cultures; Hispanic icons like Frida Kahlo, Che Guevara, and César Chávez; the struggle for equality and labor rights; the search for Mexican American identity; and the influence of Latino culture on contemporary American life and art.

Harriett and Ricardo Romo are among the most important collectors of Chicano art in the United States. Both are lifelong educators, and began collecting this material at the beginning of their teaching careers in East Los Angeles in the 1970s. The Romos understood that collecting Chicano art was a means of supporting the movement as well as championing greater pride in the unique culture and history of the Chicano community.

Their gift to the McNay Art Museum, from which this exhibition is organized, constitutes one of the largest and most important collections of this material in the United States.