March 17, 2001

Subject: Our Nuestra de Guadalupe in New Mexico is Sacred
Date: Sat, 17 Mar 2001 15:17:09 -0700
From: "Jose Villegas" <Jose_Villegas@email.msn.com>
To: < almalopez@earthlink.net>
CC: <dadsacp@hotmail.com>
March 17, 2001
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Dear Ms. Lopez:
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I posted a response on March 17, 2001 in your website, however, I am not sure if you received it. Therefore, I am resending another email to you.
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As you know or aware of, our local Santa Fe newspaper wrote a story "Skimpily Attired 'Our Lady' Protested'. So far, the community reaction to this story is very unfavorable towards your Cyber Arte exhibit and you may find yourself in some serious trouble with our raza in Northern New Mexico.
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If you are truly tune in with our gente's religious history in Northern New Mexico and how we feel towards this specific issue, you will understand that regardless of where you live, your disrespect towards the catholic community and our blessed mother will not be tolerated in Northern New Mexico.
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According to the newspaper article, you stated "I have supporters in New Mexico, pointing out that members of the audience for a panel discussion in Santa Fe expected some controversy over "Our Lady" and attended to offer their support".
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Let me reassure you one thing about your New Mexico supporters, we will find out who they are and when we do, we will do whatever it takes to admonish them in the public form and hold thier actions accountable. We will take them to a higher level. They have no clue on what a controversy is in New Mexico, especially when you mess with a sacred image that does not belong to you. Some people say it is alright to do your own onda in art expression, however, when you cross the sacred boundaries of our gente traditional values of over five hundred years, you cannot imposed and/or provoke thought on an issue that will inflame emotions against your own gente. Our Nuestra de Guadalupe does not belong to the new age interpretation of the millienum century and never will.
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Again, how can you transformed a sacred fifteenth century "sacred" image of our blessed mother into a millienum century man-made object? What you consider "devotion" in this type of art is not what my generation was taught by our parents, grandparents, and ancestors.
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I do recognize that you have special graces that god has given to you to share with others such as your art work, however, you have no say-so regardless on whether you think you have the moral, legal, or ethical right to become irreverence toward something considered "sacred" or "inviolable" with our gente, especially with our blessed mother.
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A point of clarification, Our Nuestra de Guadalupe picture really constitutes Guadalupe. It makes the shrine whether it is located in Mexico City, Los Angeles, and/or Santa Fe, New Mexico; it occasions the devotion. It is taken as representing the Immaculate Conception, being the lone figure of the woman with the sun, moon, and star accompaniments of the great apocalyptic sign, and in addition a supporting angel under the crescent. Nothing else counts!
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Northern New Mexico also has a long history of struggle with the United States Congress over the recognition of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo and its provisions relating to our New Mexico Land Grants, senior water-rights, and the preservation of our mother tongue. The list goes on and on. So what is it that you don't understand about our Indio-Chicano-Mexican history relating to our devotion to Our Nuestra Madre?
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So then, what is the message I bring to you today? Is it our common future? Yes it is? It seems that we are living in a time of prophesies, a time of definitions and decision. We are the generation with the responsibility and option to choose the path of life with a future for our children or the path that defies the laws of respect.
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We were also told that there would come a time when parents would fail this obligation, and we could judge the decline of humanity by how we treat our children. Yes, the time has come because we have your pluralistic society that says anything goes and that your type of Christian philosophy is okay. Again, my generation does not support your point of view relating to sacred art images being disrespected. You have no right to provoke new thoughts of what type of sacred art images are accepted or not in my generation.
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In conclusion, I am here today to submit to you that we will defend our blessed mother from the assaults that you have decided to aggressively pursue.
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Our indio-Chicano-Mexican religious beliefs, customs, traditions, principles, and value system is part of an entire Nuestra de Guadalupe story. Our sacred images and religious symbols is the foundation of our faith and belief systems in place and should not be taken advantage of. Copyright and the Freedom of Speech laws that you claim to possess does not apply to my generation. Again, these sacred images belong to the indigenous people of the Americas, not you and /or your new-age ideology that your exhibit portrays as "CyberArte Tradition Meets Technology".
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One thing you don't do in Northern New Mexico is become "playful" over a sacred image that will create irrapable harm to its people and culture. In this case, you violated the sacred boundaries of our Indio-Chicano-Mexicano community. Ya! Basta! You started a firestorm in New Mexico and we are going to put it out.........
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Que Viva La Raza!
Que Viva La Causa!
Que Viva Los Brown Berets!
Que Viva Cesar Estrada Chavez!
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José L. Villegas, Sr.
Chicano Activist