Murals in Latino Communities: Social Indicators of Community Strengths

Latinos invariably live in substandard housing in high crime and distressed areas of large urban locations. Social workers and other human services professionals, in turn, are well acquainted with all of the physical signs associated with life in these areas of a city. Murals, however, have not received sufficient attention in the professional literature. This article examines murals painted by Latino youths from a perspective of community strengths and assets and raises implications for the field of social work.