Perez Gutierrez, Richard (Week 3)

    I have definitely seen images of the Virgin of Guadalupe throughout my life. Both of my parents are Catholic and Mexican so they are familiar with religion and the Virgin of Guadalupe. They often placed religious images and objects around the house. Some of these had the Virgin of Guadalupe. I inserted a little figure of the Virgin of Guadalupe that I found around my house. I also remember them lighting candles that had her image and saying her name in their prayers. I also live in a community where the majority of people are either Catholic or Christian and from Latin America. I did not really know the history or story behind the Virgin of Guadalupe. My basic understanding was that she was the Latin American version of the Virgin Mary. 

    When I did schooling to do my first communion I don't remember every discussion about who the Virgin of Guadalupe was. Although I do remember the church having a memorial outside with a statue of her where people can drop off flowers and offerings. I was not aware of the history of the Virgin of Guadalupe until recently. I learned about who Juan Diego was and how there was a basilica made for the apparitions of the Virgin of Guadalupe. From googling I learned this location is one of the most-visited holy sites in the world and the most visited in the western hemisphere. 

    I find it very interesting how the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe evolved to mean many things. During a lecture, we saw how she can represent feminism, sexuality, or perpetuate sexism. She is a significant symbol among Catholics in Latin America, It has been used in many social movements like the farmworkers labor movement, and overall an icon used in pop culture. We'll be seeing more interpretations and reworks of the Virgin of Guadalupe when we read Yolanda Lopez and her work which I am looking forward to reading. The Virgin of Guadalupe has had a large influence on Chicano culture and is a celebrated figure among many.