Read this excerpt from "painting freedom on the walls." california was first settled by native americans and, later, by spanish and mexican explorers and missionaries. in fact, california was once part of mexico, and mexican cultural traditions were very strong. but after california became a part of the united states, those traditions were deliberately ignored and neglected. murals have been the perfect way to make the mexican history of california visible again. chicano park in san diego and balmy alley in san francisco are places where murals bloom like wildly colored cactus flowers against the grey background of the city. and each of these places has a story. what is the setting of this excerpt? california mexico spain texas