CARA Reflection

In this week’s reading, de Alba discusses and explains the under representation of Chicana artists in the CARA exhibition. To explain the lack of representation for Chicana artists and the incorrect representation of their art and issues, the author shows how the CARA exhibition perpetuated the continuation of adelita/malinche culture of the Chicano movement. 

As de Alba compares, El Movimento is like Animal Farm in that “‘some [...] are more equal than others.’” Chicanos of the movement saw their own equality and nationalism as the end goal leaving behind and ostracizing Chicanas who sought complete equality beyond race and class.

I thought the reclamation of the concept of La Malinche by Chicanas and Chicana lesbians was powerful and compared to the Chicano patriarchy’s use of this term. According to the general patriarchy of Chicanos, La Malinche negatively defies the efforts of Chicano empowerment for her refusal to obediently follow the movement of the males; as a result, they are labeled by under the common grouping of “traitor/sellout/whore.” Out of this Malinchismo was born; the empowerment of a Chicana’s reflection and defiance against macho Chicanismo. The CARA Exhibit failed to correctly and accurately depict Malinchismo and ignored the rage and power of such ideology within the Chicana community.

For de Alba, I’m curious to know how she manifests Malinchismo in her own work. Also, I’m curious to know if there have been more recent exhibitions that have been able to more accurately and correctly represent the work of Chicana artists.