Post #6: Define Rasquachismo or Domesticana

Domesticana was stated to be the counterpart to rasquache. There were definitely distinctions within the art movement between Chicano art (rasquache) and Chicana art (domesticana). Amalia Mesa-Bains says it best, “Chicana rasquache (domesticana) . . . has grown not only out of resistance to majority culture and affirmation of cultural values but also from women’s restrictions with the culture” (94). Within domesticana, it seemed that the art typically was focused on the home, church, and the community - overall, a domestic space within working-class Chicanas. This domestic space includes home embellishments, altars, healing traditions, and a feminine style. Altars will include family history and/or cultural beliefs and are typically placed in the bedroom. They contain objects such as flowers, candles, mementos, family pictures, flags, and more. 

I have never thought about domesticana being a present artform in a household, now that I have learned about it, I always have had an altar in my home or have seen one when I go to my grandma’s house or even one of my aunt’s homes. They always have pictures, flowers, trinkets, candles, and so on - the ones I have seen are in the living room but I do not doubt there are some in the bedrooms as the article has stated. A personal example of an altar comes from mom and from myself. The image on the top left is first seen when entering my house, though it is simplistic, my mom often decorates it according to holiday or the season. No matter, some recurring items are a candle, a photograph of family (or mainly my baby brother), or a plant, along with some holiday decorations. The image in the middle

right and bottom left are in my own room, I would consider my examples as an altar because it follows the list of objects found in altars such as flags (from countries I’ve been to), pictures, plants, candles, or small trinkets that I find valuable. Both examples indeed create a feminine style that also has a timeline of family history of a sort. My mom will also typically have some sort of religious item on the constantly changing altars as she is a Christian.