CARA Exhibition: Alicia Gaspar de Alba

      In analyzing the CARA exhibition, Dr. Alicia Gaspar de Alba critiqued the appraisal we as consumers, art exhibitioners, and Chicanos give to Chicana artists and Chicana women. I thought it was very interesting of her to relate the Chicano movement to an analogy of Animal Farm, a novel very renowned and place in much of our curriculum of history. It creates a simple way for most readers to really understand what she is trying to imply that the movement, and in general most movements of resistance, have shown a biased towards some group of people within those oppressed that are seen as "more equal." I appreciate that in class, Professor Alicia discussed her initial lack of knowledge in the art realm because it shows that this kind of analysis and critique is not one that needs to be supported by a long history of privileged academia but of simply being a Chicana woman and feeling unprioritized and unappreciated.
      The centrality to motherhood as our identity as women is one that has always bothered me, and I appreciated the fact that Alicia called out the overemphasis of this theme within the exhibition itself. It placed us into categories of "Adelitas" or "Malinches" still catering to our reproductive responsibilities, with much of the artwork propelling our identities as mothers. The point being, our representation was very limited, as it has always been. I do wonder, how exhibitions like these have progressed from this time, and if inclusion has become more well-rounded for Chicana women. I hope that feminism within the art movement has transcended to more than just revolving around a few women, and becomes more intersectional. Its art and representation are not solely for the Chicana woman or by the Chicana woman. This misled ideology creates a barrier to dialogue, and there are already so many other barriers on top of that.