Shadow Box Artist Statement
Valerie Rodriguez
This shadow box represents me by showing different parts of my identity. The inside shows counter narratives which means it comes from my life experiences. Meanwhile, the outside shows dominant narratives by saying some slurs and stereotypes said towards my identity. As you can see on the inside I am not dangerous and neither is my family. My assigned identities are being Mexican and female. My chosen identities are being an ally to the LGBTQ + community and being female. When people see me they might scan me and think about how I look. People might look at my body type/features and others might think about what personality traits I have. Many people believe all females are the same and are emotional wrecks but that’s not true. We have the same strength as any other gender and aren’t different just because we have different body parts. By being a Mexican female I am automatically put into a category of being a chola. I see myself as a proud Mexican female who stands up for others by using my words as my weapons.
Hi Valerie,
I like how your shadow box explains your chosen identity, being an ally to the LGBTQ+ and describing the identity people first see based on first glances. I as well deal with slurs and attacks on my identity based on my ethnicity, which is African American. Of course it’s not right nor fair but it’s the culture we live in. I liked that the end of your paragraph you made a point to mention your own identity and stand up for others which shows your strength.
-Kalyna, SJSU
Hello Valerie!
Thank you for sharing your shadow box project! I think it’s wonderful you are an ally to the LGBTQ+ community and you consider it as a large part of your identity. Being able to vocalize your strengths and cultural identity takes a lot of courage in today’s world, props to you! Best of luck!
-Mia B #SJSU
Dear Valerie,
Your shadow box is amazing! I saw the effort you put in it when we worked on our shadow boxes. I like how you explained the dominant narratives. The last sentence was so powerful just like Ms.Portugal says “ Words Have Power “. The baby pictures you included are so cute! Just like you ;). Overall your shadow box is amazing!
Sincerely,
Imelda 🙂
Dear Valerie,
Your shadow box is really beutiful and unique. One sentece you wrote that stands out for me is “I see myself as a proud Mexican female who stands up for others by using my words as my weapons.” I really like this quote because it expresses how you are a proud Mexican female and that you aren’t what people say you are. Another quote I really like is,”We have the same strength as any other gender and aren’t different just because we have different body parts.” I really like this quote because now that we have a sexist president he says really nasty things about women. Overall, thank you for posting this
Sincerely, Christy