Here you face a place tied to Father Junípero Serra, the Franciscan whose 2015 canonization by Pope Francis reignited fierce debate. Serra traveled thousands of miles on foot, founding nine California missions from San Diego to Sonoma. To California's Catholic establishment, he is a hero of faith and civilization.
To many Indigenous Californians and historians, he is the architect of a system that conscripted Native labor, banned traditional languages and practices, and caused catastrophic population collapse among the Kumeyaay, Chumash, and other tribes. Statues of Serra across California, including in San Diego, were toppled or defaced during 2020's racial justice protests. Some have been removed by local governments; others remain, surrounded by interpretive signage.
The debate traces back to 1769, and it asks you a live question: which stories does a city choose to cast in bronze, and whose pain becomes part of the official account?