Faith en la Virgen De Guadalupe

First I want to Thank Professor Gaspar De Alba for taking time to educate our class on the impact and importance of C.A.R.A. When speaking, Professor Gaspar De Alba mentioned that CARA helped spread social awareness as well as raise political questions. She also mentioned that it is unfortunate that there is no longer exhibitions like the one organized by CARA. With this I agree. During the summer my fifteen year old sister went to UCLA to see Real Madrid and ended up sitting in for my Chicana/o 10A lecture. When we came home she was still confused on what was being taught. After giving her the vague and evolving definition of "Chicana/o" she said "Ohhh, I thought Chicano was a place". This is just one example of Mexicana Americans being ignorant to this identifier. We need artist exhibiting their work and help spread awareness of La Raza and what it really means to be a Chicana/o.
 Within my household we have a figurine of La Virgen de Guadalupe  and a rosario in our living room and countless wallet size prints.  It is rare not to have a praying candle without her image on it. I have a four year cousin who has Rhett Syndrome, meaning that it is highly unlikely that she will ever really understand what is going on around her. Not a day goes by that my mom does not ask El Santo Padre Toribio and La Virgen de Guadalupe for a miracle. On the 12th of December every year we celebrate her day and if we have the opportunity we attend church at 6 am in where el mariachi le cantan las mananitas.
 In regards to artist like Yolanda Lopez and Alma Lopez, I take no offense in them using La Virgen as inspiration for their  art. By breaking the barrier that separates us from La Virgen these artist create a stronger bond between La Virgen and her believers. Also by taking an iconic image and refiguring it helps empower women. Controversial images like those of Alma Lopez are needed in our society to bring forth a change. By stripping La Virgen from the suffocating gown La Virgen undergoes a makeover that makes her relatable and someone worthy of trust, especially to this generation of females that tend to question the patriarchal rule.