Carmen Lomas Garza chronicles her childhood in a series of paintings, prints, and papel picado. These works not only provide a history of the artist but also illustrate chicano culture. The illustration of chicano culture through personal memory is important because it gives you an authentic perspective of chicano culture rather than a forced recount. Through this technique, Garza is providing a sort of discourse for those who have none. Traditionally, history has been written by those in a position to write it. But what happens if you can’t read or write? Many chicanos and Mexicans, especially immigrants, did not know how to write in the 50’s and 60’s. To this day, I still have family members who are illiterate. How are these people suppose to…show more content… From the Catholicism, to the folklore, the ancestors, and the importance of education. Everything in that image was a part of my life. Even the hanging light bulb is an exact replica of one we had in my grandmothers bedroom in Mexico. As a child, I was simply able to recognize the images. Now, I can fully appreciate the metaphors that Garza depicted and I even recognize their significance in my own world. Some of those significant factors included the arrangement of important figures. For instance, at the highest point in the painting is a painting of La Virgen, just under La Virgen you have folklore, followed by parents, youth, education, innocence, and reproduction. Constance Cortez tells us that these religious and social hierarchies represent communal expectations. In my family, and in my community, the mentioned representations are presented in the same order of importance. God is first, our folklore beliefs next, then your parents, the children, education, and then things like virginity and reproduction follow. For example, many of us were expected to be good catholic children who listen to our
