RIFA, from Méchicano 1977 Calendario

For his contribution to the 1977 calendar cover, Castellanos included a psychedelic-hued portrait of Emiliano Zapata, one of the celebrated leaders of the Mexican Revolution. Chicano artists saw themselves as continuing Zapata’s legacy of resistance efforts for land and indigenous rights. Beneath the portrait, the artist includes the Chicano slang phrase “rifa,” which means “we are the best.” This boastful reference is prevalent among early Chicano arts iconography.