Before this class, I had little to no knowledge about Chicanx art and especially about Chicana art and artists. I am so thankful that over the course of this quarter I have been able to learn more about people and specifically about women who have shaped and will continue to shape Chicanx history.
Something that I learned from this course and that will stay with me is the concept of rasquachismo. Rasquachismo is the instinctual response to the lived conditions of the working class. This concept will stick with me because it finally put a name to what I have seen in my community my whole life. Tomás Ybarra-Frausta explains it is a collection of movidas that holds together an environment that is close to coming apart which beautifully encapsulates the resilience and resourcefulness of Mexican, Mexican-American, and/or Chicanx people. Though rasquachismo may not produce outcomes that the masses deem aesthetically pleasing, it shows our peoples’ ability to keep fighting.
It was also great to see everyone's presentations and see how much they have learned about their artists over the course of this quarter. I especially enjoyed Perry Hernandez’s presentation of Emilia Cruz. This presentation stood out to me because I was initially introduced to her work through the Netflix show Gentefied. After I saw her work in the show I did a little research and saw pieces she did specifically for the show so it was great to learn more about her and other work she has produced. The piece that stood out to me the most was her piece Am I Too Dark? because it highlights an issue that is incredibly prevalent in Mexican and Chicanx culture which is colorism. Colorism and racism is embedded into our culture because of colonialism and the only way it can be properly addressed is by acknowledging that it is a problem and acknowledging the damage it has caused and continues to cause.
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