I agree with Silky’s remark about how she relates to the domus centered society to her own family life. As a child I was always surrounded by family, my cousins where my babysitters and my friends, and missing family gatherings was a big “no no” to us. It’s how I was raised and I can see where this kind of family bond stems from after this week’s readings. My family may be Hispanic, but the value of family unity still comes before anything else. Respect wasn’t just expected, it was required. Much like the domus centered society of the Italian immigrants, family ties and religion is what kept my family so united. I always hear stories of how my cousins were punished whenever they showed disrespect to someone older and I could only think to myself, how did I get so lucky to avoid that? My answer came from reading about the respect-fear that was instilled to keep Italian children in line. That kind of respect-fear doesn’t exist as much in the U.S. because of all the child abuse laws that prevent parents from punishing their kids the way they might have in their countries of origin. But I also think there’s another reason why respect-fear might not be as common, at least in my household. My parents never wanted to subject me to the punishments that they had to undergo when they were younger, and because of how American society shapes our values it’s easy to see how it might influence younger generations of parents to be a little easier on their children.
Reading about La Madonna really made me see the similarities between Italian and Bolivian heritage. In New York we have statues of the Virgin Mary that come straight from different cities in Bolivia that are celebrated and prayed to in hopes that the processions, feasts and festivities in her honor bring about success and prosperity. It’s a tradition that I became so accustomed to, but always had to explain to others why Bolivians did it.
La Madonna was more than just a religious symbol, she was a powerful figure who received respect and admiration from the likes of men and women alike. She was the symbol that women looked to for strength, guidance and protection in difficult times.
