At its core, Rasquachismo is a defiant, underdog aesthetic and attitude. The content and form of art made under this philosophy is resourceful and creative. It seems that it is a philosophy or mindset first, and a style of art second. I find it very interesting that the term has been repurposed from what used to be a classist slur and has now been reclaimed. Rasquachismo has some overlap with “camp,” but differs in the way that there is an inseparable connection to class in the way that rasquachismo art is made and what is made.
This sensibility can be seen in much of Yolanda M. Lopez’s art, but the specific piece that stands out to me is the one where her mother is sewing herself a Virgen de Guadalupe garment. In this way, Lopez’s mother is crafting her own holy or spiritual garment and making your own clothes is most commonly associated with the working class. Rasquachismo embodies an assured sense of self that makes use of the tools and skills at a person’s disposal and rejects the consumerist notion that people need to buy more to have valuable things (or to be of value themselves.)
I have been passionate about environmental protection for many years, so I always like to make use of what I have and buy new things as a last resort. Many years ago, I bought a choker necklace that I really liked, but when I tried it on at home, it didn’t fit. To prevent the necklace from going to waste by just sitting in my jewelry box, I added a paperclip to the clasp as a makeshift extender. Mostly, my hair covers the paperclip, but I don’t even really care if people see it since I think it’s a clever way to make the necklace more useful to me. I had no idea that things like DIY and upcycling were part of an artistic philosophy like rasquachismo.
I appreciate your analysis of rasquachismo. I often question how much of Chicana/o theory is born out of necessity, or as a response to oppression/marginalization. Rasquachismo, as a way of creating something with unorthodox methods or materials, seems to be a reactive form of art making. At what point, I wonder, does it go from reactive (in response to a need that can't be met) to creative (as an intentional method of creating art)?
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