Astoria, a diverse
neighborhood in Queens, is a melting pot of various ethnic
groups. Italian, Greek, Irish, German, Russian, Spanish, Hispanic,
and Arabic individuals inhabit the buildings of Ditmars Boulevard and Steinway
Street. These individuals open businesses, such as restaurants and
lounges, which are typically geared towards their particular ethnic group or
anyone who may be interested in experimenting with different cultural
flavors. Although Astoria is an obvious example of a
multi-cultural environment, there is a high concentration of individuals who
adhere to and practice Christianity, particularly Catholicism. One
such community is the Latin American or Hispanic population of
Astoria. Generally speaking, Latin American and Spanish-speaking
countries tend to be religious, so it is not surprising that religion should
play such an important role in their established communities here in the United
States, particularly in Queens.
While in the midst of a
relaxing drive through the local neighborhood with a friend of mine, he turned
to me and asked me if I would like to join him on a little adventure. I
agreed, and we made the next left. After traveling southward for several
streets, I noticed splashes of colors and vivid designs that littered the walls
of apartment complexes and shops. Considering the surprising fact that I
am an avid lover of street art and graffiti, I asked my friend to continue his
route through a predominantly Hispanic location or neighborhood near 30th Avenue
and 12th Street. After several moments, we stumbled upon
an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
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| Our Lady of Guadalupe |
Our Lady of Guadalupe is
"the patron saint of the Mexicans." (Matovina, 66) The prime
reason for the location of the image corresponds to the demography of the
surrounding area. As previously stated, the neighborhood is predominantly
Hispanic, and it would seem logical to assume that perhaps a high percentage of
Mexican individuals inhabit the neighborhood.
The image is quite
breath-taking in person. In addition to the plain and sheer immensity of
the image, the colors are vivid and help bring the image of Our Lady of
Guadalupe to life. The eyes of Our Lady of Guadalupe look down upon the viewer
with humility and compassion. The mantle of Our Lady of Guadalupe is
blue-green or turquoise. To the native Mexican people, this color is
representative of the gods and of royalty. The color represents the
natural forces of life, fruitfulness, and fertility, as well. The gold border
of her mantle is an additional sign of nobility and prestige. The stars
on the mantle convey the notion that Our Lady of Guadalupe is from heaven.
Although Our Lady of Guadalupe reigns as the Queen of Heaven, she
approaches her people with the eyes of a humble, kind, and loving mother. The
stars convey the supernatural element of the image, as well as the divinity of
the subject. The color of her dress is rose, which can potentially
symbolize martyrdom for the faith of divine love.
The United States of
America is a country that was found and built based on the idea of religious
freedom or freedom from persecution based on the beliefs and convictions one
may hold. Ironically, the United States of America has a history of
discriminating against various groups of individuals. One such group is the
Catholic denomination of Christianity. Although Protestantism and Catholicism
are sects of Christianity, there are fundamental differences between the two
manifestations of the faith. In the eyes of the Protestants, Catholicism
was seen as the biggest threat to and fault of Christianity. Compared to
the simplistic and authentic rituals of the Protestant faith, the ornate and
elaborate rituals and decorations that were prevalent in Catholic services made
the United States of America uncomfortable and highly anti-Catholic in the
1820's and the 1830's, when there was an influx in the number of Catholic
immigrants entering the United States from Ireland and Italy. Catholics
in general, regardless of nationality, were classified as threats to the
integrity of the United States. One main reason for the fear of Catholics
that arose during this period of time relates to the Pope and his role as the
successor of St. Peter, who presides over the Church with God-ordained
authority. Although the United States exhibited an anti-Catholic and an
anti-immigrant attitude towards these preconceived threats to the integrity of
the nation, the United States upheld the notion of the Manifest Destiny
Doctrine. Manifest Destiny is a term for the prevalent attitude in
the 19th century that held that the United States could,
and was destined to, stretch from coast to coast. This attitude fueled
settlement in the western portion of the country, the removal of Native
American or indigenous populations, and a war with Mexico.
In addition to the belief that Roman Catholicism represented a threat to the integrity of the United States, there were certain negative assumptions about Mexicans that contributed to the poor reception of the community as a whole. Although the Catholic, European nation of Spain introduced Mexico to Roman Catholicism, Mexicans were accused of being unorganized and not devout. However, these false ideas were soon to be shattered by visual evidence of the extreme and undying devotion of the Mexican people to Catholicism. For example, after the U.S. takeover of southern Texas, priests stationed in certain towns visited the ranchos, where Catholics culminated, periodically to administer the sacraments, give religious instruction, and participate in feast-day celebrations. One rancho in particular that was noted for its Guadalupan devotion was Santa Rita, where a wooden chapel was constructed to honor their patroness. The chapel served as a pilgrimage site for residents near the Rio Grande. (Matovina, 65) The ceremony performed by the 700 or 800 Mexican devotees that were present was interesting. Choruses were sung, young girls in white attire bore poles that were ornamented with streamers and flowers, and rosaries were recited before the ceremony came to a conclusion with the advent of amusements and instances of cordial hospitality. (Matovina, 66-67)
Twenty-three years later (1874) in the Colorado city of Conejos, a Jesuit priest provides comments on "one of the most joyous and delightful days ever seen in Guadalupe." (Matovina, 73) The celebration for Our Lady of Guadalupe was well planned and organized, the crowd in attendance was large, and people came from various regions, not simply from the local vicinity. Similar to the aforementioned ceremony, the celebration at Conejos featured hundreds of individuals and various elaborate occurrences. A prevalent theme is to dress the young girls in white attire, probably symbolic of the nature of their purity. The priest concludes the letter with a remark pertaining to the devotion and enthusiasm of the faithful, which says much for the religious spirit of the Mexican people.
In light of the
historical context, it is safe to say that the Mexican population is a devote
group of Catholics. In keeping with the early criticisms of the Roman
Catholic Church, the ceremonies are ornate and elaborate. However, the
criticisms did not cause the Mexicans to waver in their devotion to the figures
of Catholicism, namely Our Lady of Guadalupe. Our Lady of Guadalupe can
be seen as a religious symbol that is representative of the religion of the
particular group of people, or Our Lady of Guadalupe can be seen as a symbol
that is representative of the nationalism that is felt by the Mexican people in
regards to the love that they must have for their country of Mexico and for
their heritage. Although they are not physically in Mexico, the people
have a clear affinity to the local beliefs and traditions of the native Mexican
people. These beliefs and tendencies are physically showcased with the
image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. In a predominantly Hispanic neighborhood,
it seems natural for the inhabitants to unite into one collected and unified
body in order to establish a sense of togetherness. The symbol of the
Mexican people in a Hispanic neighborhood is marked by the presence of a large
image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The image is a form of identification and
unification.
The image of Our Lady of
Guadalupe contributes to the plethora of other religious images and
institutions that are scattered throughout the area. A Catholic Church is
located around the corner from the image. The general presence of
religious articles in the area reinforces the notion that the Mexican people
are both personally and culturally devout. Fortunately, Catholics in the
former centuries survived the extreme implications of prejudice and
persecution. Today, Catholics like the Mexicans are allowed to publicly
display their love of Catholicism and its customs and traditions. Additionally,
their religion serves as a testament to their perseverance in the
face of obvious challenges to their faith. The strength that religion
provided the Mexican people with in times of hardship is the same religion that
binds them together and unifies them under a single identity in the Kingdom of
God.
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