Hispanic Pride Sunnyside Man Tries To Build Chicanos’ Self-Esteem Through His T-Shirt Designs

By making T-shirts that celebrate ancient Aztec culture and modern Chicano pride, Hipolito “Paul” Mendez is trying to make Hispanic youths think of themselves as everyday heroes.

And his customers say it does help their self-esteem.

“It’s great because we didn’t get to learn about where we came from in school. Chicanos aren’t Mexican and aren’t American. A lot of us feel like we’re from nowhere,” said 19-year-old Sylvia Ramos of Sunnyside, who said she loves to check out Mendez’s latest designs in his tiny store on Sunnyside’s Edison Avenue.

Mendez, 55, who has worked as a history teacher at the Sunnyside alternative high school since 1991, said he sees teenagers confused about their identity every day.

“Some of these kids are ashamed that they are Hispanic because the community puts them down, and so some of them turn to create their own identity with gangs, their own little social world,” said Ed Hernandez, a substitute teacher at the alternative high school. “Everybody wants to feel important or a part of something.”

Mendez said he hopes his $80,000-a-year company, Aztlan Sportswear Inc., helps Hispanics feel they are part of something.

The company name comes from what is believed to be the Aztecs’ original homeland. Mendez gets many of his ideas from Aztec culture, too.

From photographs of Aztec sculptures and paintings he took while traveling through Mexico, Mendez uses a pointillism technique of creating images with thousands of dots. The effect is a shadowed, stony image of Aztec warriors and gods.

He also sells more straightforward shirts in Spanish and English. They are of the “No Fear” slogan variety but with Hispanic pride at the root: “Brown and Beautiful” or “Danger … Educated Chicana.”

The latter is his most popular design, having sold more than 10,000 since 1996.

Although Mendez tries to sell to men and women, some shirts were designed with girls from his school in mind. One says in Spanish: “Chicana, slave to no one.”

“In class, I see girls who have been so abused in their short lives,” Mendez said. “They leave their parents to be with some guy who treats them badly. Somehow, they have to feel beautiful again - that no one can control them.”