It's also possible that Cardi's outfit has an even deeper meaning, relating her to La Virgen de Alatagracia, or the "patron image and protector of the people of the Dominican Republic." Given the fact that she is the first person of Dominican descent to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and has been referred to as " a beacon of hope for Dominican girls ," this is a potent, culturally specific theory we can get behind.