El patrocinador
Araceli Hernandez
Grade: 12
Card Number: 20
Refran: "Look for prosperous sponsors,
you will find uniformed crime."
Card Description: For my Loteria Card, I wanted to share my thoughts on authorized delinquency and how criminal organizations have become normalized to the point that criminals are seen as celebrities and negatively influence the government, music genres, and youth. I chose authorized delinquency as a subject matter because in my community I see many people my age be negatively influenced by delinquency and the music genre of Narcocorridos, it leads them to drug addiction, a life of crime, and death. The colors in the piece represent the Mexican pride used in the Mexican flag. The colors represent hope and pride. The images in the piece represent a form of hierarchy that exists in authorized delinquency. I did this by painting El Chapo at the top of my painting. El Chapo represents the drug lords and criminals who have a lot of power. In the mid-section of my painting, I painted a soldier of the National Guard of Mexico. This represents the Mexican government that seems to sometimes be affiliated with criminal organizations. The American government is represented by a badge of the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration). Below the government is Chalino Sánchez, a Mexican singer who became more well-known after his death because of his affiliation with criminal organizations. He serves as a reminder of the dangers that come with making Narcocorridos and singing about these drug-related topics that many artists do. For me, this card represents the controversial topic of criminal normalization that everybody knows about but isn't talked about the way it should be, regardless of the harm it causes, it is found in my culture. I want the audience to see the harm authorized delinquency causes to not only its direct victims but to our communities and our youth who should be protected since they are the future of this world.
Student Biography: My name is Araceli Hernandez, and I am a senior at Santa Maria High School. I live in Santa Maria, California with my mom, dad, and two sisters. My family is from Guerrero, Mexico. In my Loteria card, I chose to represent La Delincuencia Autorizada (authorized delinquency). What inspired me to draw my Loteria card was the attention that narcotraficantes (drug traffickers) have because of Narcocorridos, the modernized branch of the traditional Mexican music genre Corridos, that tells stories of real people and events. Narcocorridos are songs that are produced to praise the criminalization, money, and lifestyles most Narcos have. I chose the name "El Patrocinador" (The Sponsor) to raise awareness about the corruption that exists within the government and police force because of their associations with drug traffickers. This name also represents the association that narcos have with artists/singers who sing and produce Narcocorridos. This relationship is beneficial and dangerous for the artists. The artistic process was really enjoyable. I had so much fun during the process. I got to find my creative side and got the chance to express an issue that interests me. I had been looking forward to this project since last year and it exceeded my already high expectations. After this project, I plan on letting my creative side out more and exploring the world of Art by painting. Life after high school will be interesting since I plan on going to college and majoring in English Language Development, something I am passionate about.