Week 10 Reflection

This class is very important to me because it is a very important cultural staple for many of my friends. I walk away from this course able to describe and connect with a Chicana sensibility and greatly appreciate the craft and philosophy encouraged by a Chicana existence. After experiencing live talks with Prof. Alicia Gaspar de Alba and Ofelia Esparza, I am able to appreciate the knowledge and values embodied in these radical individuals. Through their art, they created networks of community and change by supporting the people and voices of their land. I think that this class taught me about the utility, adaptability, and survivance of the Chicana identity. I have discovered a greater respect by focusing my Final Presentation and Paper on seminal and influential Chicana artists in history. Although they may not be fully seen in the mainstream canon, I know now that I see them and that they exist. They have always existed, through resistance, resiliency, and perseverance. I hope to continue exploring and learning more about Chicana artistry and its evolution. I look forward to engaging in thoughtful discussions with my friends about the ideas and concepts I have taken from this course. Above all, I hope to incorporate the knowledge offered by the Chicana existence into my own artistic practice. How can we embody the tension, sensuousness, and awkwardness found in the exchange between different identities? How can we navigate the uncomfortable difference that can actually become a celebration of our existence? How can we use art to empower the people and counteract the oppressive impersonal forces like patriarchy and whiteness that dominate our landscape? Thank you for an insightful quarter!