Barrera, Valeria

Hello Everyone! My name is Valeria Barrera. I am a third year sociology major with a Chicano Studies minor here at UCLA. I am the first in my family to pursue higher education. After I complete my BA, I am hoping to become a flight attendant. Both of my parents are from Mexico with my mom being from Zacatecas and my dad from Hidalgo. I have a 14 year old brother and a 2 year old brother. I commute from Downtown L.A everyday so I get to enjoy my life on the freeway for quite a bit while listening to my favorite radio station Alt 98.7 "The Woody Show."
I decided to take this course because I don't know any Chicana artists or about any artists in general so I thought this course would be the best to take in order to expand my knowledge about art as a whole. I have never really been exposed to art or artists but also I have never thought I was capable of producing art in any way because I assumed art was only drawing and painting. That was until this past summer when I helped my dad with building a metal fence for his job and helping design it. I realized that my dad's job in itself was a form of art because you had to be creative with metal to make it something a customer will like. And to my discovery I was really good at tailoring to customers ideas so we could make it reality on fence designs. So I guess I have kind of touched the surface of what it is like to be an artist.
The Virgen of Guadalupe is very prominent in my family because we all identify as Catholic. So I have seen her image everywhere in our household and it is customary for use to carry her image in our wallets as well. For my family, more than anything she symbolizes protection for those you love.