Blog week 5 La Virgen

 My experience with La Virgen De Guadalupe

I grew up in a catholic household with 2 very religious parents so La Virgen was always present in my life. Our grandparents lived with us growing up so they made sure that we had a “proper” religious upbringing. My siblings and I each had our own mini statue of the icon on the dressers next to our beds. Every night our grandma would have us kneel before this old painting of La Virgen in the living room and pray to her so we could live to see the next day. Looking back now I never really acknowledged the intensity that my grandparents placed on religion. But now that I’m “grown up” and have separated myself from the church it’s astonishing that I haven’t processed that until now. There have been many turns in my life but I think the most contentious was when I left the church. I left for personal reasons and never thought about going back but for some reason La Virgen always creeps up somehow. In classes, media, or even in casual conversations. These last couple years her significance had changed a lot being exposed to different theories about her significance and in general her creation. Tonantzin holds the most relatable connection to me more so than the actual painting of La Virgencita.

Although I will admit that that being a chicanx studies major my first year I was bothered by the images of La Virgen. Somewhere deep down I guess that religious part of me that died still holds some kind of gratitude for the Virgen, even though as one of the interviewees said in profes video La Virgen to me is more of an “it” now. It’s interesting to see what she means to different people but I think for me she’s become more of an item of subject than an icon in any form.