The Influence of Artwork in Immigrant and Feminist Experience

Because of her role as an activist in the Chicana community, Wilson was able to connect with many different Latin American women in the United States. The image on the right is a picture of a dust jacket for Marjorie Agosín’s Of Earth and Sea: A Chilean Memoire. Agosín chose Liliana Wilson to create the artwork for the cover of her memoir. As Chilean women, both Wilson and Agosín working together embody the community Anzaldúa writes about. The bridging of two stories through a community and the support that one can provide another through their influence and talents.

As an activist herself, Anzaldúa inspired many women to tell their stories through art. While art was not Anzaldúa’s main medium of expression, she did inspire quite a few pieces of art from Chicana activists. The image to the right is a sketch made for Gloria Anzaldúa by an unidentified artist. The sketch depicts a woman’s body acting as a bridge for children and families to cross over. She represents the bridge between two worlds. Illustrating the idea of transcending borders from one country to another. Activists create identities for themselves, to help others relate to and identify with their experiences as a part of a bigger or ongoing idea. The individuals who depict their identities through their art or narratives create pathways for understanding for those who can relate to the concepts told through this form of activism and can learn and grow from it. Perhaps this sketch was created in anticipation for, or as a form of inspiration from Anzaldúas's novel Bridge Called My Back. This sketch made for Anzaldúa furthers the idea that activists, educators, and figureheads can raise awareness through multiple mediums for a specific community or identity that others can relate to. As an avid activist, Anzaldúas's ideas grew beyond the pages of her writing and not only inspired other artists such as the artist that created this sketch and Liliana Wilson, but created a realm of beautifully understanding concepts such as women transcending borers.