A Mexican - Puerto Rican Identity in the U.S.
Location
SU 214
Department
Art
Abstract
This project represents a mixing of cultures passed down through generations and the altering and loss of traditions through immigration. Those affected in this way may feel a loss in heritage and that they do not belong in one or the other culture, if at all. As a Mexican - Puerto Rican born and raised in the United States, I feel this way, and this project is a means to visualize that experience and help me get back to my roots. The project’s main focus pertains to visuals of my Mexican and Puerto Rican cultural experience and my Chicago experience. As a first-generation college student, my experience is very different from my parents’ and grandparents’, such as how I grew up and what I have seen and learned. I am conveying my experience as such, representing three worlds in one place. Contents include creating an embroidery pattern in the Tenango style inspired by a dress my mother bought for me when I was a child. The Tenango type of embroidery was designed and inspired by daily life and the surroundings of the Otomi people, such as animals and plants. Recreating this was to honor my Mexican grandmother in creating the hummingbirds and crown of thorns cacti present in her home. My Puerto Rican grandmother’s dress inspired the floral prints I made using the Puerto Rican national flower, the hibiscus, to honor her. Accompanying these patterns are photography works in double exposures, combing visuals of these countries. My project is a culmination of my three cultures to represent who I am today.
Faculty Sponsor
Lauren Meranda, Northeastern Illinois University
A Mexican - Puerto Rican Identity in the U.S.
SU 214
This project represents a mixing of cultures passed down through generations and the altering and loss of traditions through immigration. Those affected in this way may feel a loss in heritage and that they do not belong in one or the other culture, if at all. As a Mexican - Puerto Rican born and raised in the United States, I feel this way, and this project is a means to visualize that experience and help me get back to my roots. The project’s main focus pertains to visuals of my Mexican and Puerto Rican cultural experience and my Chicago experience. As a first-generation college student, my experience is very different from my parents’ and grandparents’, such as how I grew up and what I have seen and learned. I am conveying my experience as such, representing three worlds in one place. Contents include creating an embroidery pattern in the Tenango style inspired by a dress my mother bought for me when I was a child. The Tenango type of embroidery was designed and inspired by daily life and the surroundings of the Otomi people, such as animals and plants. Recreating this was to honor my Mexican grandmother in creating the hummingbirds and crown of thorns cacti present in her home. My Puerto Rican grandmother’s dress inspired the floral prints I made using the Puerto Rican national flower, the hibiscus, to honor her. Accompanying these patterns are photography works in double exposures, combing visuals of these countries. My project is a culmination of my three cultures to represent who I am today.