Introduction
Chapter three expresses the use of Loteria as a tool for artists to articulate social commentary in Chicana feminist art production. In Mexico, Loteria is a game like bingo that uses cards featuring different images in playing. The Loteria tool is used in the Chapter to resignify cultural and social symbols, challenge societal norms, and promote critical consciousness within communities (Fish, 2003). The Chapter explores the circular nature of Chicana feminist knowledge production, where the community gets an engagement point for activism and resilience in the evolution of Chicana feminism.
Key Issues in the Chapter
The Chapter focuses more on the circular nature of Chicana feminist production. The circular nature involves the relationship between the feminist artists and the communities more on the issues experienced. Artist from the Chicana production, mostly coming from marginalized areas, find a platform to seek benefit for their community through the production and articulating of the issues affecting them (Fish, 2003). This association is activated through community organizing, knowledge dispersal, consciousness-raising, and political mobilization. The Chapter also points out the controversy and community engagement, which include the issues surrounding the artist Alma López’s resignification of La Virgen. The resignification of Lopez sparked debate within the communities within the production base of Chicana. The Chicana community of feminists defended the work of Lopez, emphasizing the importance of the artist engaging with the community through lotería tools.
The Chapter draws much concern on the resignifying cultural symbols as the Chapter dwells on the use of imaginary items to represent cultural and religious norms. To empower depictions and inclusivity needs, representations of the expanded images through stereotypes accomplish the objectives of the artists. The Sirena image is an example of how the Chapter delves into depicting images is it are stereotyped to large females with indigenous features to challenge Western beauty standards. The Chapter also focuses on deconstruction and empowerment through the use of Loteria tools and technology to empower the community and individuals undergoing stigma (Fish, 2003). The tools push viewers to rethink their social identities and defeat societal norms and expectations by creating critical consciousness. The Chapter also engages the readers through assignments and discussions, which entail the modification of Loteria cards to express their social identities. The assignments encourage learners to engage with Chicana art production of feminists and their principles.
Questions and Vocabulary
Several questions arise from Chapter Three work. How did the feminists in the Chicana production overcome the tension between the traditional art and culture, viewing the progressiveness of the new emerges in the production? With the evolving artwork skills in the production, how was the Loteria craft evolved to meet society’s needs and issues at the place? Community engagement is well focused on in the Chapter; what roles did it have in the production of art or in receiving the production in society?
New vocabulary is also used in the Chapter with words like resignify indicating the significance of something, consciousness-raising meaning creating awareness about social or political activities in the community, and hegemonic indicating ruling as used in expressing the dominant norms and ideologies in the Chapter.
Opinion and Conclusion
The use of Loteria tools is are powerful form to be used by artists for expression and social commentary. The Chicana production is helping the feminist group to be meaningful in society by articulating the issues affecting them as marginalized groups. The tools are helpful in the community to redefine cultural symbols and empower societal ideologies or individuals. In conclusion, the discussion in the Chapter is circular on the knowledge of production in the Chicana production touching all aspects of the society. The Chapter is critical in explaining the correlation between social identities and the use of art to transform society.
References
Fish, S. (2003). Chicana Feminisms: A Critical Reader. Duke University Press. ISBN-13. 978-0822331414