Orozco, Emily

Out of all the presentations from the last class, I think Armando’s and his artist’s work was very inspiring. I enjoyed learning more about everyone’s artist but I think this particular one really impressed me because she is one of my peers. Personally, I feel like I would have never thought that one of my peers would be an artist with published works. I love that Armando is doing his project on one of our very own Bruins and showing support for her work.

Brenda Barrios embodied Chicanx culture in the art works Armando showed the class. I really liked the pieces he talked about because they really exemplified Chicanx culture and issues. I especially liked that her work has phrases like “Medicare for All,” “Vaccines for the Community,” and “Essential Workers. Pay Them Hazard Pay.” Along with the bright colors, these phrases really put the Latinx/Chicanx struggle into perspective. The “Medicare for All” really resonated with me because of how hard it is for Chicanx folks to get access to quality healthcare because so many of the jobs that our families get don’t guarantee quality benefits. The “Vaccines for the Community'' was also very powerful considering the fact that marginalized communities arguably have suffered the most when it comes to the pandemic because so many Chicanx/Latinx folks have jobs that are considered “essential.” They were expected to expose themselves to possibly getting infected before vaccines were available. The development of vaccines, made it so that Chicanx folks can work safely while also being able to see their families again. From personal experience, Latinx/Chicanx culture is very family-oriented so not being able to see one another really affected a multitude of families in more ways than one. I love how Barrios’ depiction of vaccinated folks is happy and lovable, showing how important those bonds are to Chicanx communities. Lastly, the art work that said “Essential Workers. Pay Them Hazard Pay '' showed how often Chicanx people are exploited in their work place. The blazing fire in the background demonstrates how field workers (who are mostly Latinx) are expected to work in horrible conditions for less than a livable wage. Overall, I believe that Barrios’ work opens up a means of discussion on Chicanx topics that need to be addressed.