Rasquachismo

 Rasquache is a term that originally held a negative connotation, referring to that which is low class and of bad taste. It is similar to kitsch, but holds connotations of poverty and low access to resources. It is not something that one would like their work, clothes, house, or decorations to be called in most contexts, however, much like with the term Chicano, rasquachismo has been recontextualized and appropriated by many in the Mexican-American community. Rasquachismo aesthetics are made with limited resources, and oftentimes lead to crude results, but the inventiveness and resiliency involved in their creation is one that artists who purposefully employ these aesthetic and techniques embrace. Similarly to the reappropriation of the word “Chicano”, rasquachismo stems from the embracing of the limitations and “othering” experienced by the artist, producing through the limited or “low class” materials, not in spite of them. Rasquachismo is also an attitude, vibe, energy, or approach. It is an empowered and self-aware griminess, one which embraces the realities of the situation and shows the beauty that can come from it, difficult as it may be. It is tragicomic, reflecting the grueling reality of poverty without having self-pity, portraying its realities proudly.

Personally, I have employed rasquachismo in school assignments of the past. I created a zine for one of my chicano classes, however, I did not have access to a printer that could print color images, so I used colored poster paper to add details to my black and white printouts. I also chose to illustrate some of the pages by hand with a cheap ball point pen, which led to some smearing and very sketchy illustrations, which did not look too out of place in a shoddily stapled little zine. Instead of trying to make a refined product with my limited materials, I put them together in a way that reflected the limitations and used them to emphasize the themes of my zine.