Victor Ochoa (born August 2, 1948) is an activist, painter, graphic designer and master muralist.
[7] When Ochoa was seven, his family was removed from Los Angeles by United States Immigration as part of "Operation Wetback.
"[7] Ochoa lived in Tijuana for about ten years and spent time working with his family in a carpentry factory when he was old enough to help.
Ochoa felt that living in Mexico gave him a new perspective on "racism and discrimination, and the general attitude about Mexicans" in the United States.
[11] Along with Guillermo Aranda, Mario Acevedo, Tomas Casteneda, Salvatore Borjas, Ochoa began painting the retaining walls and pylons near Logan Avenue, claiming the park for the neighborhood.
[7] Ochoa was part of the founding group of the Centro Cultural de la Raza called Tolecas en Aztlán.
[12] As controversy surrounding the creation of the Centro in Balboa Park escalated, Ochoa became a key negotiator during the protests.
[4] Many of his teaching jobs had a community function, like when he worked with youth to create murals with a grant from the Jacobs Foundation in the Diamond Neighborhoods located in southeastern San Diego.
[7] He has since retired from formal teaching, but plans to continue to paint and work with children's art classes and workshops.
[16] His murals depict pre-Columbian culture, Mexican heroes and subjects he chooses to "raise social consciousness" in his viewers.
[9] Ochoa feels that communicating Chicano history through murals and other types of art is one of the most powerful and trustworthy sources of information about the movement.