El Museo de Barrio

   Dear Presente! The Young Lords Group,

          Viewing your exhibition in El Museo De Barrio was truly an emotional experience. From the handmade posters, videos, programs, and marches that you have made has touched me. What had touched me the most was the three photos of Puerto Rican Women describing their struggles within the society in which they had to live in. Even though you have just used photographs to display these three women it had told a story individually. Each woman was posed beautifully and oh so naturally. Reading on the side of these photographs of how Puerto Rican women had to make a living was awfully depressing. No woman should be just a traditional house wife, prostitute, and many more restricting life jobs. Do you think telling these women’s stories in El Barrio will serve a change in today’s society? Do you think only specifically Hispanic women in this time served such harsh duties?

          The medium that you have used is very classic in which I truly appreciate, photography. Despite the fact it was a simple portrait of these women gazing away, or directly into the camera had shown a very intense visual upon the women. Were these natural poses? Or were the “models” themselves posing for the camera to send a message? Furthermore the audio box with the translation of the women speaking, why was it necessary for there to be an audio effect? Was the intent to make the scenery more dramatic? For the motivational aspect I believe the crowds of people walking through the street could have been great inspiration for you to find a specific cause and or emphasize a cause itself. To justify these women in all not only shows that women matter, but to show major importance of the Hispanic community tiring of such objectification. From what I understand that you are communicating to the public is that, not just other colored, or racial people have been opposed to such prejudice social class. These women, not these three women specifically but all Hispanic Puerto Rican women, and all colored women  deserve equal rights, and job rights for that matter. I believe that your intent is to show the public even in the late 1960’s and going in to the 1970’s that women were still repressed. Showing the world today how your world was then can shock everyone, because it was not so long ago that the ordeal of the Young Lords, racial rights, and women’s rights were apparent. I thank you deeply for showing this to the world today because it speaks for freedom for all women today.