ABSTRACT
Walter Benjamin writes that the contract between the living and the dead can never be settled cheaply. In other words, we have a duty to remember our ancestors. Some Chicano artists see memory as more than a private enterprise. Instead, it is collective and public, and it can be used to historicize. This is crucial for Chicano/as because our collective memory has been suppressed by educational institutions and the mass media. As a result, much of the communal work we have done is to inspire people to recall stories, narratives, and songs. This kind of work also positions our community to demand accountability from public institutions, like museums and granting agencies. Consequently, some institutional practices have supported the work of contemporary artists who are exploring with memory and language.
