Iconography: Goldman and Lopez

In The Iconography of Chicano Self-Determination: Race, Ethnicity, and Class, Shifra M. Goldman looks at Chicano art to determine how individuals identify themselves. Within the movement, Chicano artists exemplify their identity as conquered and oppressed people by challenging the hegemonic system through their art. Artists did just that by commemorating their race, class, and ethnicity. Having a sense of racial pride allowed artists to present art that referenced their Aztec heritage. Next, ethnicity, which is developed through generations, is associated with culture and is visible in times of having to assimilate. Food, such as tortillas or beans, can be a reference to ethnicity. Lastly, class addresses the economic position that Mexicans hold in society while also depicting media misconceptions and the laborious work they must endure. According to Goldman, cultural resistance, cultural maintenance, and cultural affirmation were represented through art during the movement.

Yolanda M. Lopez serves as a perfect example of how Chicana self-determination in her image The Nanny is portrayed. Right off the bat, the issue of gender and class are addressed by displaying a women’s nanny uniform. Unlike other art pieces by Chicanos, which only depict empowered males, Lopez is specifically addressing the hard working women since their work goes unnoticed. Since a nanny’s job is a working class occupation, Lopez is demonstrating the empowerment of working class women and not that of middle class. The posters hung up are an example of race and how the media constructs identity. That is, people of color working while Anglos are depicted as being free. Ethnicity, as mentioned earlier, can be acknowledged through food. The cactus in the background is an indicator of ethnicity. Cactus plants are sometimes associated with Mexico and I believe that Lopez included this as a sign of her ethnic background. Lopez’s Chicana self-determination shows that women of color through race, gender, class, and ethnicity are empowered workers.