Debra Blake's Chicana Sexuality and Gender

One of the most iconic cultural symbol is La Virgen de Guadalupa. From the oral histories of the nine women that Blake interviewed, it is perceived that everyday Mexican American women have a special resonance towards Guadalupa. She was a female divine, their central religious belief. Contrary to these women, Chicana writers and artists picture Guadalupe as only one of the indigenous goddesses. I completely agree with Blake’s statement that says, “the icon of La Virgen de Guadalupe is unstable not only in its evocative potential but in its symbolic meaning for women of Mexican origin or ancestry” (114). To Chicana and U.S. Mexicanas, Guadalupa is a symbol of virtue and virginity, one with independence and reform movements. However, it also represents piety and a Catholicism standard that is expected in all women. This uncertainty leads to alternative meanings that ultimately produces both positive and negative ramifications. For example, in Rivera Reyes’ interview, she was ashamed of the defloration narrative her divorced husband blamed her of. Due to the idealized purity and religious confinement seen in Guadalupe, Reyes’ accused absence of virginity lead to physical violence from her husband, and even often questioned her self-worth. Moreover, Alma Lopez’s piece on “Our Lady” depicts the real lives of Chicanas and refigures Guadalupe as being strong. However, due to the public’s godlike aspect on Guadalupa, many were offended by her “nude” representation, which was in fact unnecessary.