La Virgen

La Virgen de Guadalupe is an extremely important icon to my family just like it is for a lot of Mexican families. Ever since I can remember my parents, specifically my mother, have had pictured of Maria all over the house. Not only at home, but also in her purse, car, and on jewelry for on the go protection. My entire family is full of devout Catholics and every December 12th the altar in our living room is filled with roses and other flowers. I myself have never really been a religious individual even though my family was. I was judged and ostracized for not believing in something that I truly did not understand. I was forced to go to church, pray, and get on my knees to worship something that didn't really have any meaning in my life, until now. My mother La Virgen Maria was someone she could relate to, not only as a woman of color, but also as a mother. Every time my siblings and I had a big event coming up she would always say that she would pray to the Virgen to watch over us. It wasn't until very recently she has begun to respect my decision to not worship any deity, since to me organized religion has always been plagued by war and has been used as a backup for hate.  Now that I identify as Chicana, I don’t see Maria as just another deity, I see her as a symbol of resistance and syncretism.