A Wall of Love: ALAS Brings the Heart of the Coastside to Life in Half Moon Bay
International muralist Rafael Blanco paints the story of farmworkers, elders, and cultura on the walls of ALAS headquarters. A community sees itself reflected for the first time.
A farmworker harvesting Brussels sprouts. A flower seller tending the iconic hydrangeas of the Coastside. A guelaguetza dancer moving with the grace of generations. These are not just images on a wall. They are the people who built Half Moon Bay. And now, finally, they are celebrated on it.
On June 27, 2026, Ayudando Latinos A Sonar (ALAS) unveiled a landmark mural at its headquarters at 507 Purissima in Half Moon Bay. Created by international muralist Rafael Blanco, the work captures the history, cultura, and diversity of the immigrant and farmworker community that has shaped the Coastside for generations. CBS San Francisco covered the unveiling, bringing the story to Bay Area audiences across the region.
And the story is only getting bigger. ALAS was selected as the first location for WALLS, a new PBS docuseries produced and directed by Dr. Oscar Guerra, out of six communities across the United States. As Guerra described it: "It's like an Anthony Bourdain type of series. The mural is just an excuse to learn about the community, to learn about the people."
Silicon Valley Latino was on the ground for the unveiling. Standing in front of the mural itself, our own Alex Ontiveros sat down with Blanco and Guerra to hear directly about the vision behind the work and what it means for ALAS, the Coastside, and the farmworker community.
Art as a Public Service
For Rafael Blanco, a mural is never just paint on a wall. It is a declaration.
"We are trying to make a mural that is going to be the visual identity of ALAS," Blanco told SVL. "I wanted to celebrate our roots, the Latino culture, the Latino heritage in different ways."
The three figures at the center of the mural were chosen deliberately. Each one is a living symbol of the Coastside community. A guelaguetza dancer representing culture and tradition. A flower seller honoring the beauty that immigrant hands cultivate. A farmworker collecting Brussels sprouts, dignified and seen.
"We were trying to represent the whole Latino community here in Half Moon Bay in a way that is celebrating, that is representing, and that people coming over feel joy and pride when they see it," Blanco said.
His philosophy is simple and powerful. "Public art is a public service. I want to paint for the people."
Why ALAS. Why Now.
ALAS was not chosen by accident. Dr. Oscar Guerra, Director and Producer of the PBS WALLS docuseries, told SVL that ALAS stood out from the beginning.
"When you start thinking about colors, passion, this sense of fiesta, well, you can think of someone like ALAS to represent this," Guerra said.
But it was more than aesthetic. Guerra described the ALAS community as the warmest, most welcoming people he has encountered on the road. Blanco echoed that sentiment directly.
"We've been here for a week and a half, and they have treated us like familia truly," Blanco said. "So kind, so energetic, so friendly. It's been a perfect way to start this long trip."
The WALLS docuseries will visit six communities across the United States through the end of 2026. Nevada, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, and Texas to follow. Distributed through PBS Connecticut, with the first three episodes expected in February or March 2027. Follow the series at Walls Doc Series on social media.
A Decade of Showing Up
Founded in 2011 as a cultural arts program, ALAS has grown into one of the most trusted and tenacious community organizations on the Coastside. Under the leadership of founder and CEO Dr. Belinda Hernandez-Arriaga, ALAS has expanded to provide mental health care, emergency relief, farmworker advocacy, and immigrant family services across San Mateo County.
The organization was named California Nonprofit of the Year in 2023. It secured a $200,000 national research grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to advance the Colibri Child Wellness Program in partnership with Stanford University School of Medicine. It mobilized after the Half Moon Bay mass shooting in January 2023. It answered urgent calls from educators and families during ICE raids. It sent Dr. Hernandez-Arriaga to Washington D.C. to advocate directly with members of Congress.
Through every crisis, ALAS has shown up. This mural is the community showing up for ALAS.
Board President Lilli Rey captured it simply at the unveiling. "Half Moon Bay is so rich in its history and culture that stem from an immigrant community," Rey said. "Farming has been the foundational industry of this Coastside community. This mural represents the history, the culture, and the foundation of this community."
Standing With ALAS
Silicon Valley Latino has covered and championed ALAS for over a decade. From the 555 Kelly affordable housing victory to the CAMPESINOS Congressional presentation to the Colibri Child Wellness Program grant, we have stood alongside this organization because the story of the Coastside farmworker community is the story of us.
SVL Agency CEO Alex Ontiveros, who conducted the on-site interview standing in front of the mural, reflected on what the moment meant.
"Silicon Valley Latino has been covering and supporting ALAS for close to 5 years and it has been a true pleasure witnessing firsthand the impact they have had on the Latino community of Half Moon Bay. As we stand in front of their beautiful mural interviewing muralist Rafa Blanco it gives me great joy that this exceptional artist came from San Antonio to also pay tribute to ALAS and help tell their story. Mil gracias Rafa and Oscar."
This mural is not the finish line. It is a declaration of where this community stands and where it is headed.
As Belinda wrote when she saw the wall complete: "I can't wait for all of you to visit and see this wall of love."
Neither can we.
This is ALAS. This is who they are. This is how they love.
Watch the full SVL interview with Rafael Blanco and Oscar Guerra:
https://youtu.be/e-vJXKRXaio?si=B_8xWEytJwLd_aoe
CBS San Francisco coverage:
cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/half-moon-bay-mural-farmworker-heritage-culture-alas
Sources
CBS San Francisco — Half Moon Bay mural unveiled to honor region's farmworker heritage, June 26, 2026
SVL Video Interview — Rafael Blanco and Dr. Oscar Guerra, June 27, 2026
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