Mariposa (Butterfly) Alley

Artist Martin Sanchez (owner of Tio’s Tacos) immigrated to Riverside with his family at a young age from Michoacan, Mexico in 1984. Martin created 300 butterflies out of recycled materials he kept over the years (the same materials used for his restaurant). His persistence for sustainability holds to be a reflection of sustainability activism in Latinx culture.

Located between Riverside City Hall, and the Riverside Courthouse, these butterflies are a reflection of his immigration story, and the countless stories of other latinxs and immigrant families in the community. These butterflies symbolize the City of Riverside itself. Historically, Riverside was developed through agriculture, which was an industry powered by Asian and Latinx immigrant farmworkers.

Martin Sanchez receives funding from the City of Riverside to install 300 butterflies in its civic center. Source: The Press Enterprise

Martin Sanchez and the Sanchez Family pose with the newly installed Mariposa Alley. Source: City of Riverside

Works cited

1. Hasse, R. (2019, March 22). Butterfly artwork ‘lands’ on downtown Riverside parking garage. Retrieved from, https://www.pe.com/2019/03/22/butterfly-artwork-lands-on-downtown-riverside-parking-garage/
2. City of Riverside (n.d.). The City of Riverside Debuts Mariposa Alley art installation. Retrieved from, https://www.riversideca.gov/press/city-riverside-debuts-mariposa-alley-art-installation

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Cite this article

Hector De Leon. "Mariposa (Butterfly) Alley." Barrio Suburbanisms. https://uclachicanxstudies.github.io/BarrioSuburbanisms/#/article/2021-02-24-hectordeleonpin3