The Virgin of Guadalupe is a worldly known work of art; Jeanette Favrot Peterson questions the meaning of this iconic symbol in her article The Virgin of Guadalupe: Symbol of Conquest or Liberation? Peterson argues that this symbol is not only of religious connotation but of political value to freedom as well. Furthermore, paraphrasing her claims, that it was not until the nineteenth and twentieth century’s did the image reach its fullest potential of bringing together a fragmented people and become known as the “Mother of Mexicans.” The legend says that Juan Diego was visited by the Virgin on the hill of Tepeyacac and that she sent a message with him that she wanted a church built in her name, only after the third visit was he able to convince …show more content…
The rendition of the Virgin of Guadalupe Flanked by Saint John and Juan Diego validated the legend of the “original” Virgin by acknowledging the healing history this icon by placing Diego along with a Saint exhibiting its protecting nature to the inherent peoples. Peterson continues to say this would lead to an important first step of associating Mexico with the biblical New Jerusalem creating a stable religious-political foundation for more independent peoples. Although, these people would be continue to be viewed in jaded light for the colonials had a strong sense of class stratification that weighed heavily on race versus worth. Virgin of Guadalupe Venerated by Juan Diego and the Indian display the Indian as a reincarnate of a noble savage causing a disjointed understanding of the proper place in the caste. The Virgin was converted to a national emblem after it is believed that after widespread prayer she stopped a plague that was rapidly killing almost 100,000 proving her efficacy although who is to say that the widespread illness had already run its
The exotification of Dolores del Rio is evident in an article published by a Photoplay issue in 1934, as she is described as possessing “golden skin, smooth as mellowed ivory and her dark, flashing eyes bespoke the lue of those maidenly ‘senoritas’ who peep at life from behind cloistered shutters… When the young man comes to call on a senorita in Mexico… he brings his guitar” (38). Through the exotification of Dolores del Rio, Hollywood found great success in the United States and in Latin America, one of the most profitable film markets in the cinematic industry. As a white-passing Latinx woman, del Rio was “more easily able to move in and out of ethnic roles” (33). Because Dolores del Rio was a Latinx woman that held “upper-class roles” and a Eurocentric standard of beauty while nonetheless, identifying with her Mexican heritage, she not only appealed to the white American public, but to Latin American audiences as well (Hershfield
Today, when one turns on the radio, Pandora, or any type music streaming company, we will most likely hear artists singing songs that do not sound like their ‘usual sound.’ Today they are known as crossover artists, and some of the most widely know to this day are Taylor Swift from country to pop, Enrique Iglesias and Gloria Estefan both coming from Latin fan bases to the American pop culture. Latin artists almost always start off with fan base in Spanish speaking countries, but once they are able to crossover into the American mainstream music it is a completely different story, it leads to instant fame. They are recognized around the world, even if it is for one hit. Yet this is where most Latin artists struggle, because in order to become more popular they need to break the barrier between
Saint paper: Our lady of Guadalupe The Virgin of Guadalupe is the patron saint of Mexico. On December 9, 1531, the Lady of Guadalupe appeared to an Aztec Indian whom had just converted to the Catholic Faith, his name is Juan Diego. Mary asked Juan Diego to tell the Bishop to build a church in the location she needed it to be built. Juan Diego carried the news to the Bishop, but the Bishop wanted proof that the message he was brought was directly from the Lady of Guadalupe herself. Juan Diego went back and told her what the Bishop had asked for.
The legend of the Virgen de Guadalupe has become a common symbol of hope to many incoming immigrants of Latin American countries. Due to U.S. governmental and economic interventions in Latin American countries, it has caused many people to migrate as refuges and flee unstable environments. These mass migrations have been followed by torturous trails and stories that many times end in death or abuse, however, other times it has allowed refugees to move away and live stable lives in the U.S. However, once in the U.S., these immigrants are faced with discriminatory policy based on false accusations that makes their lives unsafe and unprotected. Therefore, Latinx religious faith becomes a strong component of community for these groups.
The Virgin Mary is a primordial icon in the Roman Catholic Church, she has been giving various different titles but a couple of the most important ones are “Queen of Mexico and Empress of the Americas” and “Virgin Patroness of Latin America” (Fastiggi 509). Although she been given these unbelievable prestigious titles and the fact that she has affected various countries in Latin America. It is undoubtedly well known that the Virgin Mary has had the most influence in Mexico were she is called Our Lady of Guadalupe/Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe/La Virgen de Guadalupe. In this essay which will be discussing Our Lady of Guadalupe and how she impacted colonial Mexico. This will go in depth into the transversal historical context and the longitudinal historical context, which will be separated into sections.
Nicolas Enriquez’s piece titled The Virgin of Guadalupe with the Four Apparitions depicts the Virgin mother Mary as she revealed herself to a newly transformed Christian Native named Juan Diego. This 1773 painting is a reproduction of the 1531believed arheiropoeita of Virgin Mary when she descends on Mount Tepeyac and tells Indian Juan Diego to go inform the bishop that a temple shall be built for her. The Virgin of Guadalupe is an iconic piece of Catholicism in Mexico and holds religious and cultural importance to both Spaniards and the Natives of Mexico, such as the Nahuatl. Enriquez’s painting has several deviations from the original arheiropoetia, such as different color choice and addition of Nahuatl symbols, which portrays his painting
Along with Brazil, Mexico has demonstrated a similar phenomenon, amongst the Nahuatl-speaking locals. It is another Virgin Mary figure which was discovered on a sacred Aztec site. The statue is commonly referred to as Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe (Our Lady of Guadalupe, pictured below), however the indigenous people call her Tonantzin, after an indigenous goddess of the earth. Asides from religious figurines, there are many buildings in Latin America which are known to be influenced by the colonisation which are religious sites, most often churches. The increase in the number of churches in Latin America is another sign that religion took a large part in changing Latin American society and lifestyle.
103-5). Ruiz strongly suggests that no matter what profession that Mexican women have played an important part in making history but one way or another their accounts have been kept in the dark. What sets Ruiz aside from previous historians is that, while they was fixated on male European immigrants’ creation of the American society, she proved the journey and challenges of Mexican immigrant women that contributed to developing the American and Latino American
In the altar’s center is “a plaster image of the Virgin of Guadalupe, quarter-life size, its brown Indian face staring down on the woman” (Paredes 23). The implication of the stare is of criticism as the Virgin, symbolic of an ideal Mexican womanhood, looks down on Marcela, whose Anglo features starkly contrast with the Virgin’s, and whose actions are in opposition to the values that she represents. This carefully constructed scene is meaningful. Marcela’s lifeless body lies between the bed and the altar, and opposite to the altar is Marcela’s shrine dedicated to Hollywood movie stars. These are the visual images of the opposing forces that characterize the Mexican-American struggle for resistance against American cultural hegemony.
Maria Amparo Ruiz De Burton work entitled the “The Squatter and the Don” captures the essence of Michel Foucault’s proposition on discourse and power by drawing from the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo in 1848. She illustrates the racism and deprived rights the Mexican-American faced after being falsely promised to be given citizenship. The discourse of Burton’s work is the written laws that any citizen living within the state is supposed to abide by. Don Mariano is a man of the Alamar family who resided in San Deigo with his wife Dona Josefa and their children.
The Decolonial Imaginary, an undoubtedly challenging book that makes the reader question not only their knowledge of history and theory but also the way in which it has been told through the centuries. Emma Pérez, a Chicana historian with her bachelors, masters, and doctorate from the University of California, Los Angeles, put into perspective the ideas of Freud, Foucault, archeology and genealogy to lead the reader through the deconstruction of Chicana feminist historiography. Pérez then reconstruct history in a way that breaks the destructive cycles of patriarchy. She crosses many boarders as she takes nationalist history and traverses it into a Chicana Feminism, and by doing so she rewrites history from the perspective of a decolonial imaginary.
I gained some insight from this piece of artwork. I chose to start with this video due to my background knowledge on the Virgin of Guadalupe. However, I obtained so much more knowledge after viewing this. The thing that was most striking to me was when Juan Diego presented his cloak to the bishop, not only did the requested roses fall, but also the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe. Next, I observed the Sun Stone documentary.
The two women kneeling down in their bulky bodies symbolize strength and perseverance. Being a laborer during the Mexican Revolution meant that one had to be tough and resilient in order to survive. Rivera’s depictions of the two women symbolize Mexico’s triumph over the Mexican Revolution. He wanted to create paintings that spoke highly of his country after being hired to do so by the government of Mexico. His purpose was to inform the natives of Mexico that even in times of struggle, they still are strong enough to
La Chingada can take many forms; in this context, it is mother Mexico and La Malinche. Native Mexico and the conquest are obvious examples of a taking, however, La Malinche is all but a personified chingada. Doña Marina (La Malinche) was Hernán Cortés’s personal advisor and Indian mistress. Marina was used by Cortes and became recognized as evidence of the physical violation of women by Spanish conquistadors, or chingones. Paz argues that La Malinche can be seen as the violated Mother of Mexico, while La Virgen de Guadalupe is hailed as the virgin Mother.
In the article “The Virgin of Guadalupe: A Mexican National Symbol” by Eric R. Wolf, the facts are given about the history of the symbol as well as the importance that it plays in the lives of the people of Mexico. This Wolf applies the agnostic approach in his article by the language that he uses. He does not attempt to persuade or dissuade from believing in the Virgin of Guadalupe. Wolf starts out by explaining that the terms he uses do no represent the Mexican people as a whole, “In this paper, I should like to discuss this [Virgin of Guadalupe] Mexican master symbol, and the ideology which surrounds it. In making use of the term ‘master symbol,’ I do not wish to imply that belief in the symbol is common to all Mexicans” (Wolf 2).