Week 5: The Virgin of Guadalupe

Growing up in Los Angeles, I have seen a lot of images of the Virgin of Guadalupe painted on walls, in shops, and in corner stores. However, because I did not have personal experiences or a lot of previous knowledge regarding the Virgin of Guadalupe at the time, it was always a passive interaction. One English course that I took at community college, where I was assigned to read Thirteen Senses by Victor Villaseñor, served as my first introduction to the Virgin of Guadalupe’s impact on Chicanx/Latinx culture. This book was a memoir to the author’s parents, where the story revolved around the struggles presented in Victor's parents' marriage. The book introduced me to some of the concepts in regards to how the Virgin of Guadalupe traditionally served as a model for what was believed to be “proper” behavior for Chicanx/Latinx women. The story included many themes related to feminism and the Virgin of Guadalupe: Lupe’s (Victor’s mother) defiance against the church in order to embrace her individuality and autonomy in her marriage, struggling to uphold tradition in hopes of pleasing her religious parents, and being compared to the Virgin of Guadalupe whenever she went against her husband’s wishes. 

Through this course, I have learned more in terms of what the traditional image of the Virgin of Guadalupe can represent in Chicanx/Latinx communities. As mentioned in “Where are the Chicana Printmakers?” by Holly Barnet-Sanchez, the icon traditionally represents virgin motherhood, protection, and passive intercession which has been highly influential in stereotyping what constitutes a “good” Chicana. Chicanx women artists, like Yolanda M. López, have been able to transform the Virgin of Guadalupe into a more assertive, active, youthful, and active figure. I hope to continue educating myself when it comes to learning more about this topic, and I look forward to reading about the personal experiences of my peers as well!