Week 3: Shifra Goldman

Shifra M. Goldman, art historian showcases  three main self-identifying features that persist throughout Chicano Art. These features embody race, ethnicity, and class that together provide a relevant audience pride and recognition of roots, culture, and community. Chicano/a artists accomplish this through symbols (iconography) that communicates to a wider audience the importance of history, unity and persistence for equality. Symbols that Goldman includes in her essay are that of the Virgen de Guadalupe, which represents ethnicity by pointing out a heritage of spirituality, rituals, and customs; Then the pachucos, which symbolize resistance and change cause by community marginalization due to issues of class, and inequality; And lastly the symbolic presence of the mythical place of Aztlan and Aztec warriors that are so often used to  celebrate and highlighting indigenous roots. These symbols as well as other Chicano/a iconography have granted artists' and their audience a platform to discuss and develop a political identity that celebrates differences and awakens the consciousness of the community.

Feminist Chicana artist Yolanda M. Lopez uses self-identifying symbols of her own that read into race, class and ethnicity. Her work titled, A Women's Work is Never Done uses the symbol of race as the subject that she portrays, an Ecuadorean indigenous mother, is not commonly thought of as a voting American. This mother is standing up for the rights of the marginalized, exploited immigrant population. She symbolizes family, social inequality, and the underrepresented. All symbols that the Chicana/o community can relate to. What this piece also adds is the voting power of women. Women who are hard at work to make a living in such disparate conditions should be able to identify with the Ecuadorian mother and vote for immigrant rights. Another piece that uses symbols of self-identity symbols is Yolanda's work titled, Who’s The Illegal Alien, Pilgrim? In this print she brings forth the element of heritage, which allows its relevant audience to feel appropriately placed in their native lands. This piece shows resistance to the dominant history and forces its viewer to reanalyze their position.