Gongora-Gonzales, Noelle

Hey everyone, my name is Noelle Gongora-Gonzales and I am a third year transferring from Citrus College in Glendora, CA. I am currently majoring in Sociology, but interested in Film/ Television and Media Studies.  I was born and raised in Echo Park here in Los Angeles, CA. My mother is Mexican (with roots from Merida, Yucatan) while my father is Caucasian, but I identify more with my Mexican heritage because I grew up in a Mexican household in a largely Latino community. Spanish was my first language, but for some reason I forgot how to speak most of it and now only understand some of it. I was interested in this course because I wanted to explore and understand more about what it truly means to be a Chicana and the idea of embracing your heritage. Upon enrolling in this course I wondered if any of my ancestors considered themselves Chicanas and how cool it would be if they did! When looking through the list of Chicana artists I was ashamed that I have never heard of any of them! Hopefully, this class will change that and allow me to appreciate these artists more. I also love art and I dream of someday becoming an animator or storyboard artist. 

La Virgen de Guadalupe actually was a part of my childhood. Since I lived in a neighborhood that consisted mostly of Latinos, I saw my fair share of Virgen murals and paintings. My mother and grandmother used to buy candles with the image of the Virgen and other Catholic saints and light them, believing they would bring good luck and protection to our family. By the way, we aren't even Catholic. My mother also told me that she credits La Virgen de Guadalupe for my birth because she used to light candles of her and pray that she would someday get pregnant. Well, she not-so-miraculously got pregnant and had twins and so here I am! I never knew the story of La Virgen until we learned it in class a couple of days ago. I hope I will learn much more about my culture in the upcoming weeks!