Final Post Reflection

During this course, I was also taking and an introduction to Chicano Chicana studies class and learning about Chicana artists in this class added much more depth and complexity to the history I was studying. While we were learning about the art and their creators, we also learned much about the background and lives of a diverse group of artists who identify as living a Chicana experience. I was excited to see the breadth of art that Chicana artists can, could, and do create. Their work varied widely from pigeonholed and stereotypical ideals of what Chicana art looks like. It was amazing to see the issues they drew inspiration and material from that ranged from sexuality, sexism, machismo, religion, childhood, materialism, and much more. Lots of it is closely tied with the Chicano experience in America but was communicated in vastly different ways and mediums. There was traditional folk art, classical art and contemporary modern works. All of these things lent clarity to the modern Chicano/a experience in a way that my introduction class simply didn’t provide me. It was a pleasant surprise but all at once totally understandable that my class about Chicana art gave me more relevant insight and knowledge to this complex and important subject. Altogether, this class was different than any other I have taken at UCLA, and I highly value that.