In 1995-1996, Hector Duarte created Awakening of the Americas, or El Despertar de las Americas, in the Latino Cultural Center at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC). In the planning and execution of the mural, Duarte worked with a group of UIC students and the resulting mural portrays themes relevant to society in the mid-nineties and today, including issues of identity and stereotypes, immigration, gender, education, poverty, and human rights. In 2011, Duarte returned to UIC to restore the mural.
