As a Chicana who grew up in LA and in a family who practices Catholicism, I am very familiar with La Virgen de Guadalupe. She is often referred to as la reina de los mexicanos. There are pictures of her in my home, there is a small statue of her on my bedside table, I have pieces of jewelry with her on them, she is represented in one way or another in the homes of my tías and tíos who I visit frequently, and there are murals of her throughout Los Angeles.
La Virgen is also shown in one of my mom’s favorite shows, “La Rosa de Guadalupe”. This show is about people going through difficult times, they turn and prey to La Virgen, a white rose appears, then their problems are resolved (cue music and majestic wind). Here, she is depicted as a protector and I think this may be part of the reason why I have found so much comfort in her throughout my life .
She is also used to uphold incredibly toxic gender expectations for Mexican and Mexican-American women, and Chicanas. The norm in my family, especially for the older members, was for girls and women to emulate La Virgen’s devotion, humility, and “purity”. For me this meant I was held to higher standards than my brothers and as the eldest daughter, if my mother was ever not present it was then my responsibility to take on the role of the caregiver for the rest of my family.
Though my mom upheld a lot of these gender expectations, I think it was seeing the ways in which she defied many of them that made me find deeper meaning in La Virgen. My mom is one of the strongest people I know and I think many of the characteristics I attribute to her are the ones I attribute to La Virgen. To me La Virgen de Guadalupe is of course a protector and caregiver, but she is also compassionate, brave, and strong. She encourages me to be less fearful and more outspoken about the things I believe in and I will keep her beside me to remind me of that.
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