Most Noticeable Persuasive Essay Prompts and Samples

Most Noticeable Persuasive Essay Prompts and Samples Some schools in america are requiring that students volunteer for many hours each semester to aid on a community issue. Project requirements would dictate a specific number of constraints made to minimally encourage past progressive practice for a learning outcome. Yearly driving tests ought to be mandatory over a specific age. They should be mandatory for the first five years after getting a license. Writing and essay is an excellent method to talk about your own ideas with different individuals. It's possible to easily depend on us to find essay help as we have a tendency to assist and guide the students with the aid of our professional experts. Before students begin to write, it is a great idea for them to earn a list of the points they wish to make to their readers. Many students have a tendency to encounter the writing issues due to the shortage of appropriate understanding. In any case, you might read the testimonials of our clients. Another benefit of our website is the quickness. There are a lot of reasons why you ought to prefer our services. Our website is just one of the most appropriate for essay help. School should happen in the evenings. Think of one thing you're expected to learn in school that you don't think ought to be included in the curriculum. Students ought to be permitted to pray in school. Now have you tell your students. Persuasive writing prompts are ideal for this. Looking at pictures with writing prompts, rather than simply seeing a sentence, will be able to help you create your arguments and ideas if you're a visual learner. You'll look closely at the arguments to find out what makes them so convincing. Racial slurs ought to be illegal. Consider the local evening news program and why you ought to be chosen as the student reporter. You can decide to put 1 celebrity on your nation's highest-value banknote. Your principal is attempting to determine which teacher is going to be nominated from your school. An act that's complete prompts. The Good, the Bad and Persuasive Essay Prompts and Samples Don't forget that, much like with any other paper, there's a particular structure of a persuasive essay that you must follow. There are a couple of rules which are vital. Should you do, each chapter will end the way that you want. Decide on a normal object and make a story about it so that you can link with your reader's senses. MP3 music ought to be free. Then, you will analyze that content to discover what aspects allow it to be perfect. As tempting as it might appear to skip past the extra info and go right to the list of persuasive essay topics, don't do it. We're all full of interesting info and hungry to discover more. Even then you're unable to discover the informative and accurate info. Or you're a writing who just essays to find out the way to do homework effectively. Read the essay prompt by yourself. Directions for Writing Before you start writing, consider why it is your preferred shop. You learn to compose papers. The Demise of Persuasive Essay Prompts and Samples Other folks think that it wouldn't help. Life is far better than it was 50 decades ago. It is better than it was 10 years ago. Year round school isn't a good idea. Although having the ability to write persuasively can look like a difficult thing for children to learn, remind them that everyone has valid opinions. Persuade your sister or brother th at will help you talk your parents into something you would like to do. The school day needs to be shorter. The Appeal of Persuasive Essay Prompts and Samples You have to keep to it as a way to make your paper really count. Directions for Writing Think about the value of experiencing a mobile phone. Test scores reveal that the United States of america is educationally behind other developed nations in Europe and Asia. It's really difficult to focus that essays because there are a whole lot of temptations around prompt. You can trust the ideal essay help online. All students need to learn how to make YouTube videos. Parents must be at fault for providing a wholesome diet.

Cultural Geography Essay Topics - Writing Arguments About What Others Say

Cultural Geography Essay Topics - Writing Arguments About What Others SayThese days, cultural geography essay topics are becoming increasingly difficult and less focused on a single geographical area. This is an encouraging sign for those looking to write about a broad range of geographical areas and the variety of ways that people actually discuss the way that the world is viewed in their particular culture.In today's culture, many people live in multiple cultures. Those who live in one country still view the world differently than someone living in another country. In some cases, an individual from a different culture may not view the world in the same way as their own culture does. When you have to discuss the way that these individuals view the world, it is important to be aware of the difference between the languages of these different cultures.Writing about another culture requires that you be aware of cultural differences when writing. When you are writing an essay about the w ay people view the world, the way that they discuss things such as their culture is important. If you do not take the time to learn about how different cultures in fact view the world, you will not be able to convey an accurate depiction of how each culture views the world.One way to write about cultural geography essay topics is to write about historical events. Some of the first people to explore the world were explorers like Columbus. The same is true of historians such as Herodotus, Plato, Ptolemy, and others. These historical figures spent years on end living in other countries, observing the different cultures of those countries, and then being able to write about their impressions of them.Another way to consider when you are writing about cultural geography essay topics is to examine the way that people in a particular culture act, dress, and talk about the world in general. While this approach is very challenging, it can be extremely rewarding.It is never a bad idea to consi der an essay about people in a particular geographic areas. History is littered with examples of nations which have failed to reach the next level of development. When you consider the countries which have failed to achieve modern success in the past, it gives you a new perspective on those countries.If you are not familiar with the area of the world in which you are going to write about for cultural geography essay topics, it is a good idea to hire someone who is. Once you know what sort of writing you want to do, it becomes much easier to hire an editor who can help you. The editor will make sure that you do not forget any of the things that you learned or references that you need.The best editors understand that the most effective essays are those in which all of the information that you include is relevant and valuable. Remember that the best essays will not be those in which you only consider some of the information that you provide.

Why Almost Everything Youve Learned About Ancient Philosophy Golden West College Papers Is Wrong and What You Should Know

Why Almost Everything You've Learned About Ancient Philosophy Golden West College Papers Is Wrong and What You Should Know The Hidden Truth on Ancient Philosophy Golden West College Papers This essay topics will talk about the philosophical aspects of several distinct religions, together with topics that compare the similarities between the philosophies of unique religions. Philosopher research paper topics give the chance for students to discover the ideal topic for a research paper undertaking. Papers has to be written in English. Late summary papers won't be accepted. Thus, the essay for our staff it is simpler than ever. Fortunately, a reasonable paperback edition is currently available and a fantastic e-text at Sacred Texts that's freely available for all to read online. Additional reference works could be used and might be included in the report. The summaries and questions have to be turned in at the outset of class, and won't be accepted if they're handwritten. Your analysis ought to be in the variety of 500-1000 words. Also, research reports have to be handed-in to be able to get credit for bibliographies and papers, and bibliographies have to be handed-in in order to get credit for papers. Contact us and we'll help you formulate the ideal philosophy research project you've ever read. I do think that there are going to be raised investment. Proof of eligibility is needed. We recognize this is the very first year of implementation. Additional information and particulars of the requirements for students joining the program via Classics are found on the Classics Department site. Additionally, it assumes you get no grant or scholarship aid and pay the complete list price. It is not easy to find information on their site, too. If you're dedicated enough, and know where to find assistance, you will succeed. If you haven't yet made a profile, click Create a profile below the login button to achieve that. If you've already made a myTROYU profile, you'll need to login. We started by indexing a relatively few of articles which were readily available online. You have to be able to read and interpret instructions. You wind up with three or four pages open all the moment. Also, in case you go to my internet site you will see some helpful links. While attendance isn't required, it's expected. The staff looks friendly and helpful in the event that you can secure a hold of those. The staff is friendly and useful. They gave me a great deal of loans. They did not need to hesitate on the line to see whether it worked. 1 point every day will be deducted for each portion of the written assignment that is handed-in late. This is an exceedingly important point to think about. I wish to have that college experience and be by myself. The option of respondents will be decided by numerous factors, for example, student's research region and the student's performance in, and contribution to London graduate conferences over recent years. At UCI, there are various new initiatives and opportunities to become involved in. Overall job opportunities should be helpful. NLCO became the very first Spanish language college newscast produced by means of a community college. It's a significant college but lacks a couple of things. This community college has came a ways through the years. There has been quite a bit of building improvements on campus. Students in the program that are also in the graduate area of philosophy are usually predicted to fulfill all the normal requirements for a Ph.D. in philosophy. MCHS continues to supply academic programs that are devoted to mastery of the Common Core Readiness Standards, in addition to each content's standards. The program provides graduate students in Classics the chance to take classes in philosophy as an essential part of their work. This 4-week training program contains the simple MC3 curriculum. Class participation needs to be informed. To qualify for ZTC growth grants, colleges might have to explain how they are going to make it feasible for students to move through a full transfer eligible A.A. degree program without needing to pay any out-of-pocket costs for textbooks. Furthermore, graduate students give papers at the workshop and a number of speakers are invited from beyond the University. Enrolling disadvantaged students is one particular thing.

Northwest Law Optional Essay Sample

Northwest Law Optional Essay SampleThe requirement for your northwest law optional essay depends on your needs, level of education and what you want to get out of the essay. Northwest law students should be interested in getting accepted into a law school. If they want to improve their chances, then they should read this article.In this article, I will give you a review of effective essay writing. A good essay is a bit different from good content writing. In essay writing, you have to keep your readers interest because content writing focuses on only one topic. When writing an essay, you need to make sure that it would appeal to your reader.Northwest law optional essay sample includes short sentences and paragraphs. It should have a strong and organized structure. You should avoid the use of excessive words and make sure that you make an effort to make your essays clear and concise. You also need to make sure that your essay is informative and original.Northwest law students can appl y for a variety of law school entrance requirements such as AP credits, LSAT or Law School Admission Test scores, ACT scores, grade point average (GPA), personal statement and other essays. Your essays should be organized and well-structured.Essays should have good topics. However, it must be able to stand on its own. You must be able to address the main point or the basic idea of the essay.You should be able to present a summary of legal rules in each paragraph of your essay. This is important because you need to ensure that your readers understand what the topic is all about. Once you have presented your readers with your main point, you need to continue to engage your readers in the next paragraph.You must demonstrate how your topic can help your readers in comprehending legal rules. To do this, you should use examples and facts. You should highlight the importance of your topic by using several examples in your essay.You can find a lot of essay samples at NW Law School. Some of these are approved by the law schools, some are not. You can choose to apply for them.

The Evolution of La Virgen de Guadalupe in Chicano Art free essay sample

A beautiful dark-skinned brunette stands before you. Her long, flowing hair beautifully frames her sweet face and demure smile. Yards of richly colored clothing adorn her tall, slender frame. Rays of sunlight appear from behind, emphasizing pure beauty. Her hands are joined together and she holds them at her chest in worship or, perhaps, in gratitude. Who is she, or rather, who do you see? Practicing Catholics all over Central and South America see a venerated patron saint. In Mexico, she is immediately recognizable as symbolic mother of a nation, ‘nuestra madre. New generations of mestizos see a symbol of all that is woman, as real and complex as their mothers, sisters, daughters, and lovers. Who you see depends on who you are, but all identify her as the Virgin of Guadalupe, perhaps the most recognizable icon to emerge out of post-conquest Americas. La Virgen of Guadalupe has evolved throughout history as a cross-cultural and multi-generational icon of virginity, femininity, purity, and maternal love. We will write a custom essay sample on The Evolution of La Virgen de Guadalupe in Chicano Art or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Her presence can be seen everywhere, on clothing, jewelry, car windows, and even on coffins. This essay charts the evolution of La Virgen de Guadalupe in Chicano art, from religious icon to feminist mascot; I examine the forms in which contemporary Mexican-American artists have adopted this image, in the tradition of the Chicano art movement, to galvanize communities toward a common social or political cause, and, as Chicana artists will co-opt her image as a vehicle to assert gender issues within the larger agenda, I will argue that the opposition to such efforts reveals a double-standard of allegiance in stark contrast to the goals of the Chicano movement. To understand how La Virgen has evolved outside of her intended religious context, her genesis must first be examined. Origin stories vary but, according to tradition, on Dec 9, 1531, Juan Diego first saw La Virgen on top of Tepeyac, a hill northwest of Mexico City. She instructed him to have the Bishop build a church on the site. Little Juan Diego immediately found the Bishop and relayed the message, but was dismissed as a storyteller. Three days later, on Juan Diego’s walk to church, la Virgen again reappeared. This time, she told Juan Diego to go the hilltop and pick roses, pack them in his tilma, and take them to the bishop to prove he saw her and to convince the bishop to build a church there. When he presented them to the bishop as instructed, he dropped his cloak with the roses. What appeared in their place was the brightly painted image of the Lady. Once news spread of Juan Diego’s sightings of the Mother of God speaking to him in his native tongue, thousands traveled to Mexico City to see the legendary cape of the ‘brown‘ Virgin Mary. Some say the Virgin of Guadalupe represents early efforts at syncretism by the Catholic church in an era when indigenous religious practices were discouraged. Jeanette Rodriguez explores this theory in Our Lady of Guadalupe, beginning with an in depth analysis of the Aztec empire and its eventual conquest by the Spanish. Rodriguez argues that, through conquest and colonialism, Christian deities overpowered indigenous gods in terms of propagandistic exposure and eventually a dichotomy of virtues emerges. The monotheistic male god came to represent power, assertiveness, rationality and independence, attributes once associated with Aztec gods. Opposing characteristics like purity, virginity, fertility and maternal love were then attributed to female deity figures, like the Euro-Catholic Virgin Mary and Aztec goddess, Tonantzin. Concurrently, contends Rodriguez, the folkloric story of Juan Diego and La Virgen on Tepayac Hill emerges and the legend of Guadalupe is born. Eventually, this image evolves into the dominant national icon, symbolizing the new mestiza, who was born from both Spanish and indigenous blood. Jody Brant Smith agrees, in The Image of Guadalupe, that she appeared â€Å"miraculously on the cactus cloth tilma, or cape, of Juan Diego, an Aztec peasant, in 1531, a mere dozen years after Hernan Cortes conquered Mexico for the King of Spain. † This cape proved valuable to the Church and its goals of conversion. â€Å"In just seven years, from 1532 to 1538, eight million Indians were converted to Christianity. Whether one believes the Virgin de Guadalupe appeared to Juan Diego on the hill or believe that Guadalupe was created to convert the Indians to the Catholic Church, the legend of Guadalupe as we know her today begins at this time. As a placebo for a changing guard, La Virgen de Guadalupe proved highly successful. The iconic image of La Virgen de Guadalupe remains static in both form and symbolism until the mid twentieth cen tury, when a new movement among Mexican-Americans emerges in California, dubbed the Chicano movement. As visual propaganda becomes a large part of the movement, a significant body of art with common themes and styles, known as Chicano art, follows. This shift in subject matter among Mexican-American artists toward a specific social and political agenda began earlier, as evidenced by the work of Rivera, Orozco, and Posada, but, it isn’t until the mid 1960’s that national or religious iconographic images are recycled to support a larger political or social agenda. Scholars cite the famous 1966 United Farm Workers protest, in defense of migrant farm worker’s rights, as the beginning of what is now known as the Chicano Art movement. Organizers for the protest communicated through graphic art forms, like newsletters, posters, and cartoons. Symbolism and iconography that drew upon cultural resources, like La Virgen de Guadalupe and an Aztec inspired thunderbird, connected visual communication to these agendas. Reclamation of traditional cultural and religious iconography for political purposes becomes a recurring theme among Mexican-American artists and the defining criteria for the classification of art as Chicano. While Chicano art differs from Mexican art in that Mexican and other Latin art is rooted in pre-Columbian traditions and folklore, Chicano art also acknowledges American education and experience as part of what shapes an artist and his message. On the heels of the Chicano movement, the Civil Rights movement, and public outrage over America’s participation in the Vietnam War, women’s issues also battle for attention on a national level. Feminism as a movement gains significant momentum in the 1960’s; within a decade, Chicana feminists begin to use Guadalupe in their artwork. As Rosie the Riveter forged a path for Anglo feminists, Guadalupe remains the most powerful vehicle for the Chicana agenda. Up until this point, the Virgin was most often appropriated for purely inspirational purposes, and artist’s interpretation of her image and intent remain congruous to her religious authority. Now, in light of new feminist theory, says Felipe Ehrenberg in Framing an Icon: Guadalupe and the Artist’s Vision,â€Å" Latina artists â€Å"seek to reconstruct the deity’s presence, and in doing so, manage to define her usefulness to their causes. † Ester Hernandez, a Chicana artist working early in the movement’s history, is one of the first to utilize the visual power of La Virgen for feminist purposes. Hernandez’s work, which has exhibited internationally, focuses on â€Å"the dignity, strength, experiences, and dreams of Latina women. † The etching, La Virgen de Guadalupe Defendiendo los Derechos de los Xicanos, (etching; 1974), does not explore issues of sexuality, but rather Hernandez takes the opportunity to make a social statement. The image portrays a woman in karate clothes, stepping out of the classic ring of sunrays, with one leg in the air in a classic Karate pose. Reinterpreted by Hernandez, La Virgen is now a symbol of emerging feminist ideas, and will set the path for similar explorations by other Chicana artists. Born in 1942, Yolanda Lopez is another Chicana artist who uses Guadalupe as a springboard to discuss a feminist agenda. Lopez portrays herself in the image of la virgen in Portrait of the Artist as the Virgin of Guadalupe (oil pastel on paper, 1978, 32â€Å"x24â€Å"). No longer a passive icon, Lopez utilizes Guadalupe to represent slowly shifting views about gender issues and sexuality in Chicano culture. Lopez situates herself in the position of the virgin, assuming the role. However, Lopez instead depicts herself athletic and strong, even assertive. She wears jogging shoes and a grin as she appears to sprint toward the viewer. Juan Diego, the putti-like boy that generally supports the virgin in traditional versions, instead lay underfoot. Still, characteristics that identify this portrayal as an interpretation of Guadalupe are unmistakable: the palette remains faithful to original portrayals, the iconic rays surround her, and the navy tilma billows behind Lopez as she moves. For early Chicana feminist artists, utilizing the iconic image of La Virgen de Guadalupe is critical to their agenda; in the tradition of the Chicano art movement, Guadalupe recalls nationalistic affiliations while including gender issues as part of the debate. However, secondary to political concerns of the Chicano movement as a whole, Chicana artists whose work serves to insert gender issues into the rubric of the Chicano movement are criticized within the community. Says Gaspar de Alba, â€Å"[a]ny divergence from that role, be it through a political engagement with the ideology of women’s liberation, as in the case of Chicana feminists [†¦] mmediately casts Chicanas who subscribe to either or both of these choices in a suspect light. † Further challenging the virgin ideal, new generations of women are reinterpreting her image from a feminist viewpoint to explore sexuality as it pertains to gender. Perhaps the most controversial example of such discourse involve s the work of Mexican-American artist, Alma Lopez. Lopez, a contemporary Chicana artist, explores her relationship with La Virgen de Guadalupe through mixed media piece titled Our Lady (digital print on canvas; 1999). She planned to show it at the Fullerton Museum Center as part of a larger exhibit, â€Å"The Virgin of Guadalupe: Interpreting Devotion. † The work depicts her partner, Raquel Salinas, posed and framed in the likeness of la Virgen de Guadalupe. Lopez choices, using her lover as subject and depicting her clothed only in bunches of roses worn like a bikini, reflect the difficulties experienced by Lopez and other lesbian women in a deeply Catholic culture. Lopez explores personal contradictions between her religious piety and her own sexuality as a lesbian woman of Mexican-American descent. She saw the image of Guadalupe as one that belonged to her, to interpret as she saw fit. I am relating her to the women in my life, my mom, my grandma, my aunt. They had to be strong to survive, like Christs mother. The piece caused a controversy among Mexican-American citizens in the community, and many citizens worked tirelessly to block the work from public view. Gustavo Arellano covers this story for OC Weekly in an article titled, â€Å"Nuestra Senora de Censorship: Who Says the Virgin Can’t be Sexy? † which discusses the controversy surrounding the exhibit. Arellano cites a letter written by Ernesto Cienfuegos, editor of La Voz de Aztlan, a website devoted to contemporary Chicano/a issues. In the letter, Cienfuegos expresses his outrage (and homophobic sexism) with Lopez and her work. â€Å"Firstly, the person†¦representing the ‘Mother of Jesus’ is nothing less than Raquel Salinas, the lesbian lover of the so called artist Alma Lopez. Raquel Sa linas calls herself ‘La Chuparosa’ which Alma Lopez often depicts on her abominable images. † He goes on to assert that such artwork is being â€Å"†¦promoted by many USA based pornographers† and dismisses the museums director’s decision to feature the piece as â€Å"†¦merely ignorant of the facts and not involved in an anti-Mexican effort to destroy our most revered spiritual beliefs and cultural values. † Lopez defends her position, citing her unique perspective as a Chicana artist, and says of the backlash, â€Å"I admit, I was surprised by the violent reaction to Our Lady because I am a community artist born in Mexico and raised in California with the Virgin as a constant in my home and my community. I am know that there is nothing wrong with this image which was inspired by the experiences of many Chicanas and their complex relationship to La Virgen de Guadalupe. I am not the first Chicana to reinterpret the image with a feminist perspective, and Im positive I wont be the last. Cienfuegos‘ letter touches upon a larger, more serious concern for Chicana artists, such as Lopez, who utilize Guadalupe in their art. Such evident venom and blanket disapproval is consistent with aggression received by many homosexual activists, including that of the Mexican-American woman, for whom both gender, religion, and race are inextricably linked. Gaspar de Alba offers insight into why Chicana artists like Lopez have met with so much opposition, even within her own community. Viewed as ‘wannabe’ white women, Chicana feminists are still accused in some inner circles of betraying the Chicano revolution and subscribing to a divisive politics that breaks up the ‘familia’ -both symbolically, by criticizing the ‘brothers’ and ‘jefes’ of the movement and calling them on their sexism and heterosexism, and literally, by not using their sexuality in the service of breeding new revolutionaries for La Causa[. Sandra Cisneros’ essay, â€Å"Guadalupe as a Sex Goddess,† offers an alternative contemporary perspective on the implied symbolism of the Virgin of Guadalupe through her personal experiences growing up in a Mexican-American household. Within this framework, she reconciles her cultural roots with her emerging sexual curiosity. She writes that she looked for signs of Gua dalupe as a ‘whole woman. ’ She wanted to look â€Å"underneath her dress† to see if she was a real woman. † Cisneros’ discussion about â€Å"the double chastity belt of ignorance and erguenza† also touches on the double standard that exists in Mexican-American culture as it relates to La Virgen. â€Å"Did boys have to aspire to be Jesus? I never saw any evidence of it. † These types of double standards perpetuate la Virgen as the symbol for a virgin/whore dichotomy deeply rooted in Mexican-American culture. As Emma Perez writes in Sexuality and Discourse, â€Å"Consciousness is born out of one’s intimate awareness of one’s oppression. † By claiming sitio y lengua, or a place and a voice, she states Chicanas and other women of color can form a new discourse on issues of feminism and sexuality. Claiming sitio y lengua, as argued by Perez, also includes the freedom to adopt images and icons like La Virgen. For centuries, la Virgen de Guadalupe has served as the single strongest symbol of virginity in the Americas. New generations of Chicana artists, such as Isis Rodriguez, San Francisco based cartoonist, adopt Guadalupe as an image, manipulating or controlling her attributes, claiming a personal, as opposed to cultural relationship, with la Virgen. In a discussion with Benjamin Francisco Hernandez for Low Rider Arte Magazine, Rodriguez says of this piece, â€Å"Whenever I have her in my artwork it’s not so much disrespectful as it is that she carries certain virtues that we assign her. She is a protectress [sic] or a caregiver. I put her in those roles. † Others, like Sandra Cisneros and Lopez, also acknowledge personal connections with Guadalupe, yet question what is known, and not known, about the Americas’ most revered female figure. As Cisneros notes in â€Å"Guadalupe is a Sex Goddess,† â€Å"When I see La Virgen de Guadalupe I want to lift her dress as I did my dolls and look to see if she comes with chones, and does her panocha look like mine, and does she have dark nipples too? † Like the term Chicana, the symbolic meaning of the Virgin of Guadalupe is always growing, evolving, and changing. As she was born out of syncretism, it is befitting her history to continually redefine her in contemporary terms, by contemporary participants of society. Alma Lopez and Sandra Cisneros have experienced firsthand the backlash from the Mexican-American community and society at large. It is more difficult to examine why something makes society uncomfortable than to ignore or destroy it. It is the very awkwardness, tension and insecurity of the experience itself that serves to formulate new and relevant questions about solidarity, femininity, and sexuality within the Chicano art. The Evolution of La Virgen de Guadalupe in Chicano Art free essay sample A beautiful dark-skinned brunette stands before you. Her long, flowing hair beautifully frames her sweet face and demure smile. Yards of richly colored clothing adorn her tall, slender frame. Rays of sunlight appear from behind, emphasizing pure beauty. Her hands are joined together and she holds them at her chest in worship or, perhaps, in gratitude. Who is she, or rather, who do you see? Practicing Catholics all over Central and South America see a venerated patron saint. In Mexico, she is immediately recognizable as symbolic mother of a nation, ‘nuestra madre. New generations of mestizos see a symbol of all that is woman, as real and complex as their mothers, sisters, daughters, and lovers. Who you see depends on who you are, but all identify her as the Virgin of Guadalupe, perhaps the most recognizable icon to emerge out of post-conquest Americas. La Virgen of Guadalupe has evolved throughout history as a cross-cultural and multi-generational icon of virginity, femininity, purity, and maternal love. We will write a custom essay sample on The Evolution of La Virgen de Guadalupe in Chicano Art or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Her presence can be seen everywhere, on clothing, jewelry, car windows, and even on coffins. This essay charts the evolution of La Virgen de Guadalupe in Chicano art, from religious icon to feminist mascot; I examine the forms in which contemporary Mexican-American artists have adopted this image, in the tradition of the Chicano art movement, to galvanize communities toward a common social or political cause, and, as Chicana artists will co-opt her image as a vehicle to assert gender issues within the larger agenda, I will argue that the opposition to such efforts reveals a double-standard of allegiance in stark contrast to the goals of the Chicano movement. To understand how La Virgen has evolved outside of her intended religious context, her genesis must first be examined. Origin stories vary but, according to tradition, on Dec 9, 1531, Juan Diego first saw La Virgen on top of Tepeyac, a hill northwest of Mexico City. She instructed him to have the Bishop build a church on the site. Little Juan Diego immediately found the Bishop and relayed the message, but was dismissed as a storyteller. Three days later, on Juan Diego’s walk to church, la Virgen again reappeared. This time, she told Juan Diego to go the hilltop and pick roses, pack them in his tilma, and take them to the bishop to prove he saw her and to convince the bishop to build a church there. When he presented them to the bishop as instructed, he dropped his cloak with the roses. What appeared in their place was the brightly painted image of the Lady. Once news spread of Juan Diego’s sightings of the Mother of God speaking to him in his native tongue, thousands traveled to Mexico City to see the legendary cape of the ‘brown‘ Virgin Mary. Some say the Virgin of Guadalupe represents early efforts at syncretism by the Catholic church in an era when indigenous religious practices were discouraged. Jeanette Rodriguez explores this theory in Our Lady of Guadalupe, beginning with an in depth analysis of the Aztec empire and its eventual conquest by the Spanish. Rodriguez argues that, through conquest and colonialism, Christian deities overpowered indigenous gods in terms of propagandistic exposure and eventually a dichotomy of virtues emerges. The monotheistic male god came to represent power, assertiveness, rationality and independence, attributes once associated with Aztec gods. Opposing characteristics like purity, virginity, fertility and maternal love were then attributed to female deity figures, like the Euro-Catholic Virgin Mary and Aztec goddess, Tonantzin. Concurrently, contends Rodriguez, the folkloric story of Juan Diego and La Virgen on Tepayac Hill emerges and the legend of Guadalupe is born. Eventually, this image evolves into the dominant national icon, symbolizing the new mestiza, who was born from both Spanish and indigenous blood. Jody Brant Smith agrees, in The Image of Guadalupe, that she appeared â€Å"miraculously on the cactus cloth tilma, or cape, of Juan Diego, an Aztec peasant, in 1531, a mere dozen years after Hernan Cortes conquered Mexico for the King of Spain. † This cape proved valuable to the Church and its goals of conversion. â€Å"In just seven years, from 1532 to 1538, eight million Indians were converted to Christianity. Whether one believes the Virgin de Guadalupe appeared to Juan Diego on the hill or believe that Guadalupe was created to convert the Indians to the Catholic Church, the legend of Guadalupe as we know her today begins at this time. As a placebo for a changing guard, La Virgen de Guadalupe proved highly successful. The iconic image of La Virgen de Guadalupe remains static in both form and symbolism until the mid twentieth cen tury, when a new movement among Mexican-Americans emerges in California, dubbed the Chicano movement. As visual propaganda becomes a large part of the movement, a significant body of art with common themes and styles, known as Chicano art, follows. This shift in subject matter among Mexican-American artists toward a specific social and political agenda began earlier, as evidenced by the work of Rivera, Orozco, and Posada, but, it isn’t until the mid 1960’s that national or religious iconographic images are recycled to support a larger political or social agenda. Scholars cite the famous 1966 United Farm Workers protest, in defense of migrant farm worker’s rights, as the beginning of what is now known as the Chicano Art movement. Organizers for the protest communicated through graphic art forms, like newsletters, posters, and cartoons. Symbolism and iconography that drew upon cultural resources, like La Virgen de Guadalupe and an Aztec inspired thunderbird, connected visual communication to these agendas. Reclamation of traditional cultural and religious iconography for political purposes becomes a recurring theme among Mexican-American artists and the defining criteria for the classification of art as Chicano. While Chicano art differs from Mexican art in that Mexican and other Latin art is rooted in pre-Columbian traditions and folklore, Chicano art also acknowledges American education and experience as part of what shapes an artist and his message. On the heels of the Chicano movement, the Civil Rights movement, and public outrage over America’s participation in the Vietnam War, women’s issues also battle for attention on a national level. Feminism as a movement gains significant momentum in the 1960’s; within a decade, Chicana feminists begin to use Guadalupe in their artwork. As Rosie the Riveter forged a path for Anglo feminists, Guadalupe remains the most powerful vehicle for the Chicana agenda. Up until this point, the Virgin was most often appropriated for purely inspirational purposes, and artist’s interpretation of her image and intent remain congruous to her religious authority. Now, in light of new feminist theory, says Felipe Ehrenberg in Framing an Icon: Guadalupe and the Artist’s Vision,â€Å" Latina artists â€Å"seek to reconstruct the deity’s presence, and in doing so, manage to define her usefulness to their causes. † Ester Hernandez, a Chicana artist working early in the movement’s history, is one of the first to utilize the visual power of La Virgen for feminist purposes. Hernandez’s work, which has exhibited internationally, focuses on â€Å"the dignity, strength, experiences, and dreams of Latina women. † The etching, La Virgen de Guadalupe Defendiendo los Derechos de los Xicanos, (etching; 1974), does not explore issues of sexuality, but rather Hernandez takes the opportunity to make a social statement. The image portrays a woman in karate clothes, stepping out of the classic ring of sunrays, with one leg in the air in a classic Karate pose. Reinterpreted by Hernandez, La Virgen is now a symbol of emerging feminist ideas, and will set the path for similar explorations by other Chicana artists. Born in 1942, Yolanda Lopez is another Chicana artist who uses Guadalupe as a springboard to discuss a feminist agenda. Lopez portrays herself in the image of la virgen in Portrait of the Artist as the Virgin of Guadalupe (oil pastel on paper, 1978, 32â€Å"x24â€Å"). No longer a passive icon, Lopez utilizes Guadalupe to represent slowly shifting views about gender issues and sexuality in Chicano culture. Lopez situates herself in the position of the virgin, assuming the role. However, Lopez instead depicts herself athletic and strong, even assertive. She wears jogging shoes and a grin as she appears to sprint toward the viewer. Juan Diego, the putti-like boy that generally supports the virgin in traditional versions, instead lay underfoot. Still, characteristics that identify this portrayal as an interpretation of Guadalupe are unmistakable: the palette remains faithful to original portrayals, the iconic rays surround her, and the navy tilma billows behind Lopez as she moves. For early Chicana feminist artists, utilizing the iconic image of La Virgen de Guadalupe is critical to their agenda; in the tradition of the Chicano art movement, Guadalupe recalls nationalistic affiliations while including gender issues as part of the debate. However, secondary to political concerns of the Chicano movement as a whole, Chicana artists whose work serves to insert gender issues into the rubric of the Chicano movement are criticized within the community. Says Gaspar de Alba, â€Å"[a]ny divergence from that role, be it through a political engagement with the ideology of women’s liberation, as in the case of Chicana feminists [†¦] mmediately casts Chicanas who subscribe to either or both of these choices in a suspect light. † Further challenging the virgin ideal, new generations of women are reinterpreting her image from a feminist viewpoint to explore sexuality as it pertains to gender. Perhaps the most controversial example of such discourse involve s the work of Mexican-American artist, Alma Lopez. Lopez, a contemporary Chicana artist, explores her relationship with La Virgen de Guadalupe through mixed media piece titled Our Lady (digital print on canvas; 1999). She planned to show it at the Fullerton Museum Center as part of a larger exhibit, â€Å"The Virgin of Guadalupe: Interpreting Devotion. † The work depicts her partner, Raquel Salinas, posed and framed in the likeness of la Virgen de Guadalupe. Lopez choices, using her lover as subject and depicting her clothed only in bunches of roses worn like a bikini, reflect the difficulties experienced by Lopez and other lesbian women in a deeply Catholic culture. Lopez explores personal contradictions between her religious piety and her own sexuality as a lesbian woman of Mexican-American descent. She saw the image of Guadalupe as one that belonged to her, to interpret as she saw fit. I am relating her to the women in my life, my mom, my grandma, my aunt. They had to be strong to survive, like Christs mother. The piece caused a controversy among Mexican-American citizens in the community, and many citizens worked tirelessly to block the work from public view. Gustavo Arellano covers this story for OC Weekly in an article titled, â€Å"Nuestra Senora de Censorship: Who Says the Virgin Can’t be Sexy? † which discusses the controversy surrounding the exhibit. Arellano cites a letter written by Ernesto Cienfuegos, editor of La Voz de Aztlan, a website devoted to contemporary Chicano/a issues. In the letter, Cienfuegos expresses his outrage (and homophobic sexism) with Lopez and her work. â€Å"Firstly, the person†¦representing the ‘Mother of Jesus’ is nothing less than Raquel Salinas, the lesbian lover of the so called artist Alma Lopez. Raquel Sa linas calls herself ‘La Chuparosa’ which Alma Lopez often depicts on her abominable images. † He goes on to assert that such artwork is being â€Å"†¦promoted by many USA based pornographers† and dismisses the museums director’s decision to feature the piece as â€Å"†¦merely ignorant of the facts and not involved in an anti-Mexican effort to destroy our most revered spiritual beliefs and cultural values. † Lopez defends her position, citing her unique perspective as a Chicana artist, and says of the backlash, â€Å"I admit, I was surprised by the violent reaction to Our Lady because I am a community artist born in Mexico and raised in California with the Virgin as a constant in my home and my community. I am know that there is nothing wrong with this image which was inspired by the experiences of many Chicanas and their complex relationship to La Virgen de Guadalupe. I am not the first Chicana to reinterpret the image with a feminist perspective, and Im positive I wont be the last. Cienfuegos‘ letter touches upon a larger, more serious concern for Chicana artists, such as Lopez, who utilize Guadalupe in their art. Such evident venom and blanket disapproval is consistent with aggression received by many homosexual activists, including that of the Mexican-American woman, for whom both gender, religion, and race are inextricably linked. Gaspar de Alba offers insight into why Chicana artists like Lopez have met with so much opposition, even within her own community. Viewed as ‘wannabe’ white women, Chicana feminists are still accused in some inner circles of betraying the Chicano revolution and subscribing to a divisive politics that breaks up the ‘familia’ -both symbolically, by criticizing the ‘brothers’ and ‘jefes’ of the movement and calling them on their sexism and heterosexism, and literally, by not using their sexuality in the service of breeding new revolutionaries for La Causa[. Sandra Cisneros’ essay, â€Å"Guadalupe as a Sex Goddess,† offers an alternative contemporary perspective on the implied symbolism of the Virgin of Guadalupe through her personal experiences growing up in a Mexican-American household. Within this framework, she reconciles her cultural roots with her emerging sexual curiosity. She writes that she looked for signs of Guadalupe as a ‘whole woman. ’ She wanted to look â€Å"underneath her dress† to see if she was a real woman. † Cisneros’ discussion about â€Å"the double chastity belt of ignorance and erguenza† also touches on the double standard that exists in Mexican-American culture as it relates to La Virgen. â€Å"Did boys have to aspire to be Jesus? I never saw any evidence of it. † These types of double standards perpetuate la Virgen as the symbol for a virgin/whore dichotomy deeply rooted in Mexican-American culture. As Emma Perez writes in Sexuality and Discourse, â⠂¬Å"Consciousness is born out of one’s intimate awareness of one’s oppression.