Brainstorm #5 - Kimia Preston

 Señorita Extraviada was a complete shock for me as I learned more about the deaths and tragedies occurring in the city of Juarez and how these were covered up. The documentary helps illustrate the atrocities to a greater audience to get closer to justice for those who were killed or harmed and their families. It is wild to know that even the highest levels of government have awareness of these types of happenings, and yet little is done to stop these crimes while women are dying. This documentary relates to Lisa Cacho’s idea of “social death” because the government, in effect, is telling the public that women are simply disposable and that it does not matter that innocent women are dying everywhere. Despite the government’s cover-ups, society and the families of the women who were killed stand together to honor those that they have lost through photos, art, items, and memories. As unfortunate and atrocious were these incidents, they brought people together to fight for a common cause—a strong theme of Chicana feminism. By creating altares for those that they had lost, they used a long-standing tradition and art form to bring social justice and spread a message to those who may not be directly impacted by these killings in an emotional and inclusive way. This art form is a resiliency practice that not only can promote self-healing and connectedness, it holds government accountable and presents the reality behind cloak.