La Jaula De Oro (The Golden Cage)
This piece originated from the "American girl dream house" inspired by the American company, American Girl. I became acquainted with the American Girl doll culture during my childhood. My classmates had multiple American Girl's with fathers who build small scale houses to accommodate them. With my absent father and being first generation immigrants, these dolls were a luxury. During this time my mother warned me to keep our status hidden. As a child, my mother's precautions caused me to become ashamed of my culture entering my adolescence. This shame drove me to neglect my own language, often causing a barrier of communication with my mother. The titled, "La Jaula De Oro" (The Golden Cage) thrives from a song written by Los Tigres Del Norte. The song tells the story of a "mojado" who becomes a stranger to his children.
"..My kids don't speak to me
They've learned another language
And they've forgotten Spanish
They think like Americans
They deny that they're Mexicans..."
The father in the song is living the American Dream, but fears that his children have forgotten their roots. Living in the perfect American home, he feels imprisoned. The cacti in this piece can be read as two separate narratives: a symbol of hope or a symbol of torment.
