The initial roots of Garza's artwork lay in her family, to whom she is close, and in the Chicano Movement. Garza later wrote that the Chicano Movement nourished her goal of being an artist and gave her back her voice. She says that her artistic creations helped her "heal the wounds inflicted by discrimination and racism." Garza also feels that by creating positive images of Mexican-American families, her work can help combat racism. Her choice to use personal and family images to combat racism is a departure from more political works by many Chicano artists. The creation of her narrative, rather than one that is forced on her, however, speaks against racism on its own.