week 5 Blog La Virgen de Guadalupe

 

I grew up in a non-religious household, although both my parents were religious at one point when they crossed the border and met in California, and theyre life changed. Financially at the time, we were struggling, and my parents had to work long shifts, and I would usually see them until after theyre work shifts and had to raise myself, so, in a way, media and film helped garner who I am today. My parents drifted away from religion. My dad was highly catholic, and my mom was part of the "El Luiz del Mudo" ( the light of the world ) church, but as theyre was less time. My parents focused on other things. So I never was raised going to church nor believing in the faith. La Virgen de Guadalupe was always a figure I connected to the Chicanx and Latinx community. I never had any negative connotation with the Virgin de Guadalupe other than the church itself just because I would see the church exploit or dismiss my extended LBTQ+  extended family members. But I reminiscence or am nostalgic with the Virgen de Guadalupe's image since her image is still in my neighborhood at my local panaderia. Every holiday from Valentine's Day to Christmas, people would be selling flowers with bears and candles with the Virgen de Guadalupe's image. I garnered respect for the Virgen De Guadalupe when I went to my local 99 cents store and saw candles with the image and wanted to purchase myself one because I was intrigued by the vivid colors. My mom wouldn't let me because she said, "No Somos católicas," basically saying it's disrespectful to purchase if we aren't catholic. During the same period, my grandma had Alzheimer's, and I would often see her throughout the weeks before passing away. My grandma was called Lupe, and she would always wear a cross and pendant of the Virgen de Guadalupe. In a way, I associate the image with her. We ended up going to the Placita Olvera often, and I would see many images of the Virgen de Guadalupe. This made me associate the Virgen de Guadalupe image as an image that makes me feel safe.  I grew a better understanding of the image when I took a course in my Community college  pre- Columbian art history and learned about the syncretic properties with the Virgen de Guadalupe and the past. I don't connote hatred or negativity with the image and never analyzed my experience with the Virgen de Guadalupe. The image now still feels nostalgic for me because even though I'm not catholic, it reminds me of my grandma, neighborhood, and culture.