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Sean Juarez 12/04108

Final Paper Chicano M175

The Virgins of Guadalupe: Women and Immigrants

It is difficult to categorize Chicana art; however Ester Hernandez in her

representations of the Virgin de Guadalupe, presents themes frequently seen in Chicana

art, fully embodying the Chicana art movement. Each piece deals with conventional religious imagery setin Mexican culture differently. Hernandez has taken one of the

most popular and easily recognizable Chicana iconographic images, the Virgin de

Guadalupe, and has reassessed its role in relation to women and immigrants, while

making commentary on the traditional gender roles of women and the economic situation

of newly arriving immigrants. Hernandez addresses the different perspectives of women

in the Chicana art movement, approaching the Virgin de Guadalupe in three distinct

ways. All the pieces make commentary about the status of women; using both subtlety

and open rebellion, while creating unity amongst different groups in society. Hernandez

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has taken these ideas and has transformed them into powerful and politically fueled

pieces.

Hernandez comes from an area of California that has many immigrant farm

workers, and as a result, has witnessed first hand the struggles that farm workers have

continually endured. Even early in her life Hernandez" was introduced to the world of

political activism, "In 1965 she witnessed a farmworker march, led by the civil rights

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leader Cesar Chavez, in her hometown'{Congdon and Hallmark 2). Hernandez in "one of

six children of farm worker parents," making the fight for immigrant workers all the

more personal (Hernandez 1). Her ties to her community run deep as can be seen in her

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different Virgin de Guadalupe pieces, which represent the many adversities fac,ed by

members of her community. "From an early age, she [Hernandez] was committed to

work for the empowerment of her community. Her work is full of images that are rooted

in the Chicano experience'.' (Congdon and Hallmark 1). The women in the images are not

anyone specific; instead they represent many of the women from the border region of the

U.S. who have struggled to balance both tradition and assimilation.

The 'Virgin de las Calles", a pastel on paper, has a solid black background with

the focus of the piece on a single woman standing in the center. She is wearing an

oversized and baggy red sweatshirt, with the letters "USA" displayed prominently on the

front of the shirt. On her head and draped over her shoulders there is a veiL The color

scheme used on her clothing is the same as seen in imagery of the Virgin de Guadalupe.

She is wearing a pair of jeans and has on Nike tennis shoes. She is staring at the audience

with a passive look, showing very little emotion. In front of her there is a large painter's

bucket filled with individually wrapped roses, ready for sale. The colors used in the

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painting are soft and warm, contradicting the hardship being experienced by the woman.

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"La Virgin de Guadalupe Defiendo ~Rights" is a lighthearted

interpretation of the Virgin de Guadalupe compared to the traditional images of the

Virgin. The piece is an etching done in black and white, devoid of the vibrant reds and

greens that are seen in the "Virgin de las Calles" piece. The woman is wearing the same

type of veil that the Virgin of the streets is wearing. In the background of the image there

are lines, which radiate outward from around her body, which represent the halo seen in

the more traditional interpretations of the Virgin. This is one of the more traditional

features of the piece. The halo allows the viewer to immediately recognize the subject of

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the piece, the Virgin. Other than the veil, the woman's clothing is much different from

what is commonly seen in imagery of the Virgin. She is wearing a karate outfit complete

with a black belt. There is a lot of movement in the piece, which can be seen through the

karate kick. The woman has long black hair emerging from under her veil, reminiscent of

the indigenous people of the border regions.

Hernandez in her piece titled "Budalupe", has taken the image of the Virgin de

Guadalupe and combined it with the image of the Buddha. The woman is, once again,

wearing the traditional green veil. The image is not in black and white as in the karate

interpretation of the Virgin, instead Hernandez has brought color into the piece. The

colors are much more neutral than the colors in the "Virgin de las Calles" piece. The

most vibrant aspect of the piece is the halo that surrounds the woman. The use of earth

tones connects with the idea of the Buddha's harmony with the earth. The woman is not ~ ~. standing which is frequently seen in images of the Virgin. The woman is sitting in a

~ ~,t. ol ~.., peaceful pose that the Buddha IS usually seen sitting m. The woman's eyes are closed, as

~ if deep in thought or meditation. She looks to be at peace with the world.

Hernandez has taken the most easily recognizable image in the Buddhist religion,

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the Buddha, and has combined it with the image of the Virgin de Guadalupe. The Buddha

whose original name was Siddhartha Gautama, became the "enlightened one", and

through this enlightenment was able to discover the path to salvation, that is, the end of

rebirth (Samsara), " ... in. Buddhism for example Samsara is the scene of impermanence,

lives give rise to other lives ... "(Noss 1 00). He then became a teacher in India, trying to

show the path to salvation (Nirvana) to his followers, his teachings would evolve into

Buddhism. "Siddhartha Gautama ... abandoned the luxuries of home ... to become a

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wandering ascetic ... to seek a more personal religion"(History worId).The idea of

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salvation can be applied to the hardships experienced by Chicana women. In Chicana

culture there are two cycles which need to be broken, the discrimination of immigrants

and the perpetuation of Chicana stereotypes in Mexican culture, which fail to capture the

diversity of women. The pressure for assimilation and the lack of understanding of other

people's cultures has become a cruel cycle which has yet to be ended. The incorporation

of the Buddha into the piece symbolizes a desire for the discrimination of women and

immigrants to end. The Buddha represents the optimistic hope for change that resides in

the hearts of many Chicanas. The peace that the Buddha represents will be the attained

through the other two Virgins who resist subtlety and loudly. The Buddha is at peace, as

he has attained salvation. Salvation from oppression, discrimination, and economic

distress is the aspiration of many in the Chicana movement.

"Virgen de las Calles", like the other pieces takes the traditional visual elements

of a Virgin de Guadalupe painting and has incorporated them into a non-traditional

presentation. Charles H. Lippy in "Porous Borders: Mexican immigration and American

Civic Culture" states:

"Chicano/a artists have reinvented Guadalupe in a variety of forms symbolizing

political and cultural autonomy. Although the image of Guadalupe has retained its

sacredness, many artists depict the Virgin in a manner that radically departs from

Catholic orthodoxy" (Lippy 5).

Hernandez/is taking the conventional view of women, using the imagery oftbe Virgin

and reconstructing it to represent the strength and determination of women.j'Chicana l)A ~~ feminists have re-imagined Guadalupe in a host of forms suggestive of feminine strength

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and sexuality ... Guadalupe has been cast as a black-belt karate practitioner, as a jogger, as a factory worker ... " (Lippy 5). The image is passive, in the sense that she is not openly acting out her aggression as can be see in the karate fighter piece. The defiance is not open rebellion; it is instead being acted out silently by the woman. The selling of the flowers however subtle is making a statement about the reversal of the roles of women. In the story ofthe Virgin de Guadalupe ''..; she [Virgin] tells Juan Diego to pick the

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Castillian roses, impossible to exist in that climate ... "(Wynne 1). Hernandez has reversed the roles of the two women; the receiver of the rose is not selling them. This role reversal

is a sign of empowerment.

Hernandez' "La Virgin de Guadalupe Defiendo Chicano Rights" takes a much different approach to redefining women in the Chicano/a community. "Again she [Hernandez] breaks the rules presenting an image of an active Virgin, wearing pants, who moves out of her aura to the oppressors of the world."(Congdon and Hallmark 3). The woman in the karate image is aggressive; she is not waiting for society to define her role. She instead, is breaking out of the stereotypical image of the Mexican woman through open rebellion. The woman represents the need for Chicana women to identify themselves. The idea of self-empowerment through the ability to define one's place in society was prevalent throughout the Chicano/a movement. "Twenty-five years following the mid-1960's were an era in which all Chicanos sought to define themselves and to understand the sources of their identity"( n.p. Mesa-Baines), The woman must not only define herself in relation to the Chicano movement, but also has to discover her role in American society, and attempt to balance both Mexican culture and American culture. Judy Baca discusses the pressure to assimilate stating, "I was born at a time when

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everybody was working very hard at just being American ... the prevailing idea was that

we should blend in" (Neumaier 256). Hernandez uses the aggressive nature of the image

to express the urgency for change of not only gender roles, but of the current state of

inequality. The karate fighter represents the artists of the Chicana movement, who must

metaphorically "kick" down the barriers between Chicanas and the rest of society. She is

being openly defiant by kicking her leg into the air. Artists must force the world to open

their eyes to the culture and struggles of the people living around them, through their

artwork. Chicana art is inherently political; this piece is the mos/folitical of the three. It o'{t-(>A.~

is making a statement about the current status of women, in this respect tile karate fighter

could be Hernandez herself, the "kick" being the equivalent of an artist's work being

thrust upon the world.

The woman in "La Virgin de Guadalupe Defiendo Chicano Rights" is wearing a .t,. t)"

ct . lJljay. k belt. The black belt, in the world of karate, represents the experience of the fighter, /

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1\( V~ who has acquired their knowledge through years of submergence in the culture. The use

)J' ~ yr of the black belt represents the experiences of the woman that have created a defiant, self-

~)~ aware, strong Chicana. The experiences that shape one generation of Chicana women are

~ ~ Q~0fferent from that of the previous ones. There aredifferent life experiences amongst the

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different Chicana generations, each generation holds common themes that run through

the lives of Chicanas. Each experience shapes Chicanas as they continues to define

themselves in society. .

There is a stereotypical image of women that is presented in the Chicano/a

community that does not accurately portray the varied backgrounds of Chicana women.

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Hernandez is challenging the frequently accepted stereotypes of women. Alicia Gaspar de Alba states:

cc ••• in the early chauvinist years of "el" Movimiento, Chicanas were granted one

oftwo patriarchally defined identities. They were either "Adelitas", depicted ... as

loyal supporters and followers of their men, or "Malinches" ... traitors ... pursuing

their own individual interests" (Gaspar de Alba 6).

All three of the pieces present alternative representations of women than that of the mother, virgin, and whore. Hernandez has combined a holy image with that of an ordinary Chicana. This combination forces the viewer to look differently at the traditional definitions of women. This idea of women as the supporters of men directly contradicts the image of the woman in "Virgin de las Calles", who is supporting herself by selling the flowers. She is not in the home, but instead is working trying to sell her flowers on the side ofthe road. The karate fighter is not supporting anyone other than herself, she is kicking away all of the oppressors in her life, including men. Hernandez is trying to break the normal gender roles assigned by society. Gaspar de Alba, responding to the comments made by a reviewer of a Chicana art exhibit, states that" ... gender identities have nS-been redefined in Chicano/a culture, and we can still rely on the mother/virgin/whore archetypes to represent the women of el Movimiento" (Gaspar de Alba 8). The "Virgin de las Calles" references all three gender identities discussed by Gaspar de Alba. The virgin is the first and most easily recognizable reference to gender identity in the piece. The imagery takes the form of a contemporary Virgin de Guadalupe. The whore archetype is not visually represented like the virgin, but is referenced in the name of the piece, which translates to "Virgin of the Streets". The title is full of irony

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when a woman is described as a "street woman" she is usually a prostitute; this is not the case in this piece. She is referred to as a virgin, referencing the purity of the Virgin de Guadalupe and the nobility of hard work. The last gender identity discussed by Gaspar de Alba is that of the mother. The woman could be a mother, in the traditional sense of a stay at home mother, but this is unlikely because of the work she is doing in the piece. Hernandez has used the Virgin to show the empowerment of women as they assert themselves in the world.

Hernandez takes two different approaches in the Virgin pieces "Virgin de las Calles" and "La Virgin de Guadalupe Defiendo Chicano Rights" in her attempt to challenge the traditionally accepted stereotypes of women in the Chicano/a world. The woman in "Virgin de las Calles" is almost inactive, selling flowers, but doing nothing else. She is not physically fighting back against the society that has continually defined her as the "mother/whore/virgin". Her strength is in her ability to take all that comes at her, while also redefining her role in society by distributing the flowers to others. The inactive role of the woman in the "Virgin de las Calles" is in direct contrast to the role of the woman in "La Virgin de Guadalupe Defiendo Chicano Rights". The karate woman may have the same difficulties as that of the virgin of the streets, however the karate fighter is much more vocal in her fight against the oppression she is forced to endure. She takes on the world through physical resistance. The movement and lack of movement in the two pieces shows two distinct ways in which Hernandez has shown women trying to assert themselves into not only Mexican society, but into society as a whole.

The "Virgin de las Calles" is unifying, in that it displays not only the struggles of the Mexican immigrant, but also makes a subtle reference to other exploited workers who

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contribute to the overall high standard of living enjoyed by the American public. The woman in the image personifies the struggle that is shared by so many who come to the United States to better their economic situations. She is giving a voice to the disenfranchised. It is common to see immigrants selling flowers or fruit at freeway exits and on street medians. The Virgin de Guadalupe represents all those who are not represented; they are the ones who are the lowest in society. Amalia Mesa-Baines states, " ... Chicanas express a kind of resistant feminine commentary. These devices of subversion take benign symbols of North American Culture and present them as signs of exploitation" (Mesa-Baines 2). The pair ofNikes worn by the woman is most likely made by another underpaid worker trying to survive. The pair ofNike shoes represents the "signs of exploitation". Hernandez takes the idea of the American dream and puts a face to it showing the harsh realities of immigrant life in all lines of work. The "U.s.A." sweatshirt is questioning the idealism that embodies the American dream. The farm worker who picked the roses, the person who assembled the Nike shoes and the woman who is selling the roses are all united behind the banner of the letters "U.S.A." labeled across her chest.

"Budalupe" is also a unifying piece, however for different reasons than that of "Virgin de las Calles". The piece is unifying in a religious and spiritual sense. The combination of two distinct religious backgrounds into one piece brings together people of different faiths. The fusion of religion can be somewhat controversial; however it is peaceful in its union of the tworeligious icons. It gives an opportunity for people of different backgrounds to open their eyes to the similarities between all people. The union symbolizes the need for understanding and cooperation amongst all people of varying

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backgrounds. Having a cultural identity is important, but it is important to make a

connection with all of humanity. "Budalupe" helps create unity while embracing Mexican

culture. "Budalupe" not only combines Christianity with Buddhism, but also combines

male and female figures. By combining a male figure with a woman, Hernandez is trying

to bring all people together, regardless of gender.

Ester Hernandez visits the traditional stereotypes of Chicana women in her

different pieces, opening a dialogue about gender roles. She addresses the "virgin, whore,

and mother" archetypes, which have remained so prevalent in Chicano/a culture. Each

piece uniquely speaks to all those who have been oppressed, as both visually stimulating

pieces and thought provoking statements about the current conditions of Mexican women

and immigrants.

Works Cited

Congdon, Kristin G, and Hallmark, Kara Kelley. "Ester Hernandez."> Westport, CT:

Greenwood Press, 2002. The Latino American Experience. Greenwood Publishing Group. 28· Oct 2008 http://lae.greenwood.com!doc.aspx?fileID=GR1544&chapterID=GR1544853&=e ncyclopedias/ greenwoodll

Ester Hernandez. California College of the Arts. 29 October 2008 www.esterhernandez.com

Gaspara de Alba, Alicia. "Out of the House, the Halo, and the Whore's Mask"

"History of Buddhism" History World.

<http://www.historyworld.netlwrldhislPlain TextHi stories. asp ?historyi d=ab77>

Lippy, Charles H. "Porous Borders: Mexican Immigration and American Civic Culture." 2006. The Latino American Experience. Greenwood Publishing Group. 28 Oct 2008 http://lae.greenwood.com/chunk doc.aspx?fileID=C8606-

940 &chapterID=C 860 6-94 O&path=chunkbo okll

Loucky, James, Armstrong, Jeanne, and Estrada, Larry J. "Women." Westport, CT:

Greenwood Press, 2006. The Latino American Experience. Greenwood Publishing Group

http://Iae.greenwood.com! doc .aspx?fileID=GR I 212&chapterID=GR 1214- 3062&path=encyclopedias/greenwoodll

Mesa-Baines, Amalia. "EI Mundo Femenino: Chicana Artists of the Movement- A Commentary on Development and Production"

Neumaier, Diane. "Judy Baca: Our People are the Eternal Exiles"

Noss, David S. A History of the World's Religions. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education Australia, 2002.

Wynne, Patrice. "Virgin of Guadalupe Goddess of the Americas." San Miguel Designs. <http://www.sanmigueldesigns.comlvirgin-of-guadalupe-stories.asp>

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1. Do you have a thesis and then develop it? (10 points) 10

2. Do you effectively compare artworks (or artists)? (10 points) to

3. Do you cite readings, especially from the assigned essays? (10 J () points)

4. Do you demonstrate that you understand key words and concepts I 0 from the lectures, discussions and readings as they apply to your

topic? (10 paints)

5. How well do you articulate your argument? (10 points) I. D