Week 3:Yolanda M. Lopez, Madre Mestiza

The piece Madre Mestiza by Yolanda M. Lopez is focused on an indigenous woman breastfeeding her child while wearing a garment worn by indigenous peoples. The woman is a modern Virgen de Guadalupe as she appears to be wearing the Virgen's cape and is standing on her altar. This image is a very powerful one that depicts resistance from both women and indigenous people. The act of breastfeeding so openly is often discouraged by those who are uncomfortable with the nudity. However, the bigger problem is the sexualization of the human body which was not happening among indigenous communities prior to colonization which is why the image is that much more powerful. The woman is breastfeeding an indigenous child, a symbol of future indigenous resistance, and she is doing so while standing of La Virgen's altar. The woman is not being covered up by a cape like the original Virgen demonstrating a rejection of "modesty" that is often associated with la Virgen.
    While I do find the image very powerful, I do have some concerns with the term mestizo/a.  I think this term has been used in colonial systems to implement systems of power similar to the term "Hispanic." However, I do understand why the term is continued to be used given the history of the Americas. Despite this, I find this to be one of the most captivating pieces by Yolanda.
Yolanda M. Lopez, Madre Mestiza, 1978, Mixed- media collage, Study for the Guadalupe series.