La Virgen de Guadalupe

La Marqueta, East Harlem

 Our Lady of Guadalupe, or the Virgin Mary, is the most important religious symbol in Catholic Latin American cultures. Many Hispanic families both in Latin America and the United States have altars in their homes similar to this one, with images and depictions of the Virgin Mary, colorful prayer candles, and incense.

As demonstrated in our course reading “Our Lady of Guadalupe,” Latin American Catholics highly venerate the Virgin Mary, and spend days orchestrating elaborate festivities and rituals in which they pray to her. Mexico specifically has a special connection with Our Lady of Guadalupe, as she is not only religiously significant, but played an important role in their national identity. In 1810, Miguel Hidalgo led a revolt against the Spanish and used the Virgin Guadalupe to justify his means of approach. He bore banners with her image on them and chanted her name through the streets. From that day on, the Virgin Guadalupe was known for freeing the Mexican people and bringing together the Spanish and indigenous populations of the country. To this day, families still put out shrines for her.

I found this shrine worshiping the Virgin Guadalupe at La Marqueta, a small café, bakery and grocery store in East Harlem. La Marqueta was created in 1936 to help provide families and low-income New Yorkers with Spanish food not offered anywhere else in the city. I spoke with Barbara, who was working at the La Marqueta the day I visited. She explained to me that the marketplace was once very popular and busy, but that due to budget cuts and displacement, they don’t receive as many customers. The marketplace is located under the subway tracks and doesn’t appear too welcoming on the outside, but inside the workers are welcoming, there are Spanish ballads playing, and the sweet smell of pan dulce.

I decided to walk around the market a bit. On the walls were photos of whom I assumed was the founder, and lots of little crosses and flowers. As I continued deeper into the building, I saw the shrine for the Virgin of Guadalupe. I wasn’t surprised, as this was a Latin American establishment, but I was taken aback at how big it was. The shrine took up a good amount of wall space and floor space, and there was so much detail involved into making it look nice. As I looked at the shrine Barbara said to me in Spanish: “The Virgin of Guadalupe is the queen of Mexico.” Barbara then began to tell me about her life in Mexico and how she had hoped for an easier life in the states.

What I realized as I was talking to Barbara is how important the Virgin Guadalupe is not to Latinos but to Latin Americans specifically. Like Moxley-Rouse explains in Engaged Surrender, there are ways in which Western interpretations of Christianity are oppressive to blacks. I think in this day and age this concept can also apply to Latin Americans. The Virgin of Guadalupe provides a comfort, a sort of solace to Latinos, and connects them with their culture and people in a way that the Western version of Christianity never could.