Community Empowerment

Resident empowerment has been at the center of GREEN-MPNA from the start. In 2012, 33 community members (the majority of whom were mothers whose children attended James Madison Elementary) participated in a leadership development academy. These mothers formed a group now known as Familias en Acción and created an action plan that has since resulted in resident-driven policy and systems change.

Community advocacy wins include the Pacific Electric Park, a long-term project to increase safe recreational space; a joint-use community teaching garden at Madison Park/Madison Elementary; the Occidental-Maple Exercise Park; safe crossings along the Pacific Electric Bike Trail; traffic mitigation roundabouts on Orange Avenue; and improved lighting and safety cameras in Madison Park; and new lights on the Pacific Electric Bike trail.

Madison Park Mural Project

Art, culture, and environmental justice in Santa Ana

In 2023, we as GREEN-MPNA applied for the Creative Corps Grant through the Arts Council for Long Beach to paint murals in the Madison Park Neighborhood. These murals have become a collective space for the residents of Santa Ana of all ages to illustrate cultural traditions, tell stories about our present in our beloved city, and create new memories for a healthy and promising future.

Jacaranda & Cempasúchil

The jacaranda is the representative flower of Santa Ana, and in spring, residents and visitors enjoy its picture-perfect tree canopies. The yellow and orange cempasúchil flower celebrates Mexican traditions during Día de Los Muertos, honoring friends and family who have passed. Both flowers show the beauty and diversity of our city year-round.

The GREEN Parrot

The GREEN parrot represents the parrots seen throughout the city and is depicted in the alebrije style to celebrate Santa Ana’s strong Mexican heritage. Some parrots feature lotus flowers to honor the Vietnamese community, while others have the Madison Park arch overlaid on the neck. Flying parrots represent migration and the determination of residents to demand clean air for their community.

Resilience & Clean Air

These murals represent the resilience of our immigrant community to resettle and find a brighter future. They celebrate our perseverance in creating a safe and clean environment while beautifying neighborhoods and reducing graffiti. The murals foster creativity, storytelling, and cultural connection across generations.

These murals beautify the neighborhoods of Santa Ana while also reducing graffiti on walls. We hope to hold these murals as a space to foster the talents and creativity of our community and to connect with our neighbors through storytelling of our motherlands, our culture, and our experiences of being a part of a city that has shown resilience in the face of adversity.

Interested in Having a Wall Become part of the mural?

Email us to info@mpnagreen.org for more information