1. In the "Altar/Alter" reading, Jennifer Gonzalez states that Amalia Mesa-Bains' work "does not seek to ‘salvage’ the past or to claim a place of ‘authentic’ subjectivity, but to use the signs of a material history to illustrate the intricate and overlapping networks of power that produce any given subject" (Altar/Alter 99). This idea sounds very similar to Chela Sandoval's idea of reading signs and the power invested in them. Was Mesa-Bains influenced by the writings of Sandoval?
2. In the "Altar/Alter" reading, as in other pieces we have seen, La Malinche's historical reputation is a negative one: "In La Malinche, it is the historical Malinalli, Cortés’s translator, reviled in Mexican nationalist mythology as a traitor, who emerges, goddess-like, from the cactus." (Altar/Alter 110). Yet, many feminist Chicana artists choose to paint her in a positive light. Why is La Malinche celebrated?
3. In the article "Master Altar-Maker Ofelia Esparza: L.A.’s National Treasure", the author talks about the origins and significance of some popular features of altars: "For example, the Cempasúchil attracts spirits through its bright color and distinct scent. In addition, calaveras (skulls) have been used since pre-Colombian times to represent the dead." ("Master Altar-Maker Ofelia Esparza: L.A.’s National Treasure"). These items have long been featured in altars, but as the nature of altars and different items begin to become incorporated into modern altars, is it possible that at some point, these historical symbols lose their meaning?
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