F2014Vera, Darlene Week 2: La Virgen De Guadalupe and Cara Artists

         Professora Gaspar de Alba's presentation about the Chicano Art Resistance and Affirmation (CARA) Art of the Chicano Art Movement 1965-1985 and then listening to the sharing of the Lady of Guadalupe walking showing empowerment was quite eye opening. I grew up in a very conservative Christian home and although I did not grow up with the Lady of Guadelupe in my household, many of my close friends did. I can recall seeing the original and conservative image of the Lady of Guadelupe displayed in their households or on chains around their necks. Viewing the images of the lady of Gudaelupe as a boxer, karate woman, wearing athletic or even small heels was quite empowering. Like Professora Alma mentioned in lecture, I was so used to having this socially expected image of the Virgin Mary to be conservative and calm rather than being mobile and strong.

 I found Profesora Gaspar de Alba's comment to be true that the art depicted in the CARA collection was created to point out and reveal injustices and to demand social justices and equality. La Virgen was restricted in that she was unable to step down from her pedastool of perfection and walk or run. She was expected to be fully covered with a long skirt and dress that she was not mobile in having to drag the skirt on the floor. Women are expected to uphold a certain image and societal role in their families that any divergence from that expected role of perfection by patriarchal society can cause many problems. For instance, it can cause issues in the Catholic church with Virgen Mary being portrayed as a strong independent and mobile woman as in those pieces of art discussed in lecture.

In my Christian home I grew up learning about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Although we did not have a picture of God in my household we always favorite bible versus posted on the living room walls. We also read our bibles at church and as a child read bible verses before going to bed. In my community as I previously discussed the majority pertained to the Catholic religion, but this did not steer me away from my religion. I respected others choices and opinions in regards to their religion. I learned about Jesus according to the Holy Bible and never questioned my religion since it was second nature for me having these Christian ideals and morals engraved in me as a child. There has been several reinterpretations in regards to the different denominations and other religions with separate versions to the Holy Bible. What I did question myself about was the different restrictions each church attempted to impose upon their members. I attended several churches where in one church I was looked down upon for wearing professional slacks and having hair that barely reached my shoulders. On the other hand, the women in this specific church I visited were restricted to only wearing skirts and having long hair that reached their waist lines. These women were expected to follow the patriarchal societal roles placed by that church. It reminded me of how the Catholic church was against the images of La Virgen wearing shoes and a shorter skirt that in my perspective exemplified empowerment to women. Overall, I truly enjoyed the lecture and was able to relate to it with my experience growing up in a conservative Christian home.