Avila, Andrew (Week 3)

When it comes to the image of the Virgen De Guadalupe, I must confess that throughout my whole life her image was never common-place. For many Latinos, Chicanos, and those belonging to both Latinx and Chicanx communities, it seems this image is relatively commonplace, especially among those who are religious. You’re most likely to find this image relatively popular among Catholics, specifically Chicanx and Latinx Catholics. And while I do identify as Latino/Chicano and belong to these communities, it wasn’t until I was about nineteen years old that I actually saw her image for the first time. Now I definitely was raised amongst religion; both my Grandparents (Paternal & Maternal) are very devout Christians, and the same goes for my parents. Yet, being raised Christian while also belonging to a Chicanx/Latinx community can be somewhat odd at times. Most of the people I grew up with shared most of my beliefs, even though we went to different churches every Sunday morning. I realized sort of quickly that growing up in a Christian church rather than Catholic could sometimes make me the ‘odd man out’. Looking back I realize that while fundamentally there was nothing that really separated me from the other kids in my community in terms of identity, there were definitely customs and practices that I simply wasn’t used to. It wasn’t until I enrolled in community college that I began to understand the nuances that came with being raised Christian in a predominantly Catholic community. Like I said, I was about nineteen years old the first time I saw an image of the Virgen de Guadalupe. It was one of my best friends, Joanna, that explained to me for the first time the importance of the Virgen, not just as an image but as a person. As we sat on her couch admiring the ofrenda she, her father, and her brother had to put together for her late mother who had passed only a few years before I met her, she explained to me, often times translating interjections from her father, the significance and importance of Guadalupe. As a symbol she is overwhelmingly tied to a sense of identity and faith, not just for my friend Joanna, her family, and most Catholics, but also for many Mexican Americans, Chicanx, and Latinx peoples. She also explained that the Virgen’s symbol reaches far beyond spheres of faith and religion, and that some people regard the Virgen’s symbol to represent power, feminism, and justice. While the image I included isn’t the first image I laid eyes on of the Virgen herself, I wanted to include it specifically because I find this particular image of her particularly captivating.