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What Does Home Mean to You?

Mural Artist: Esteban Sánchez
July 2025

Installed at Parkway Plaza in El Cajon, this vibrant mural cube designed by Esteban Sánchez explores the question “What does home mean to you?” through four unique yet interconnected panels. Each side of the cube represents a different community that calls El Cajon home, brought together by a shared color palette that creates unity across diverse cultural expressions.

One panel honors the Chaldean, Assyrian, and Kurdish communities with a central pomegranate surrounded by olive branches, daffodils, and traditional Chaldean textile patterns. A radiant sun, echoing the Chaldean flag, anchors the design. Another side pays tribute to Mexican heritage, featuring a papel picado hummingbird at its heart, framed by agave leaves and a mirrored smiling sun, connecting it visually to the Chaldean panel.

The front-facing side celebrates El Cajon’s local history with a classic 1957 Bel Air beneath the Main Street El Cajon sign. A mountain backdrop nods to the iconic El Cajon Mountain (El Capitan), with orange embellishments referencing the city’s citrus-growing roots. The final panel uplifts Arab communities, such as Afghan and Syrian residents, with a traditional teapot and teacup framed by an architectural arch, date palms, lanterns, and symmetrical motifs found in Middle Eastern design.

Together, the cube serves as a dynamic and welcoming symbol of El Cajon’s cultural richness, community pride, and the many meanings of home.