I chose this image by Carmen Lomas Garza because it reminded
me of my own family dinners. While I do not identify as a Chicana, my family
meals mirror those of this image. Over thanksgiving this past weekend, my
family and I gathered at my aunt’s house for the festivities. Multiple
generations sat around the table, each tasked with a different preparation for
the meal. The scene looked much like
that show in Tamalada. Each individual
relaxed and hard at work, conversation flowing but never forced. In my family,
meal-time, particularly dinner time, has always been regarded as sacred. My young cousins running around the dinner table, constantly being reminded to help, teens
beginning to navigate the space between the kids and the adults, and the
parents all happy to be gathered. At my family dinners there are usually
fifteen of us. Since coming to college, these dinners hold an even more special
place in my heart and I feel that this image captures the beauty held in these
gatherings.
I really enjoyed reading this post. I feel as Carmen does a great job of using her art as a way to connect with others and helping others connect with her art. As a Mexican I have participated in a very similar image year after year, but it is nice to know that other cultures also identify with this team like preparation of the meals for thanks giving. Its a remainder that we are not all so different, that cultures do collide in different yet similar ways.
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