Introduction
Chicana or Chicano refers to an identity used by a certain community of Mexican-Americans who live in the United States. Most of the Americans born Mexicans do not like to be called Chicanos or Chicanas as they have a negative personality towards it. They take it as a refusal of identity since it is difficult to identify whether they are Americans or Mexicans. To them, it is a sign of discrimination as they are at times called ‘country less people’ (Doubleday, 1970).
The pro-indigenous or Mestizo characteristics of Chicano nationality has established firmly like the national identity of the Mexicans in which culture is strongly syncretic between the Spanish and indigenous culture. The Chicano or Chicana identity resulted from the experience of the Mexican-American, who lived in the United States.
The Chicanos or Chicanas have therefore tried to
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The text of the poem makes a clarification that ‘Marina speaks for herself', (Chicana Poetry, pg 187). The text states that the daughter of Marina is an equal mixture of Christian and pre-Columbian legacies. The poem describes how the Chicana or Chicanos and the pre – Columbian have come to respect the religion of each other. They have bonded, and all of them have become Christians.
According to Marina poems La Malinche, a woman from the Mexican and an actor in the Spanish conquest where she acted as an interpreter and a lover was married to a Spaniard. La Malinche conceived a child who is said to be the very first Mestizos since he was a mixture of the European and indigenous American. La Malinche is said to have brought Christianity and she interacted with the Spaniards despite the fact that she was indigenous American. By the actions of La Malinche the Spanish and pre – Columbian shared a common characteristic of being Christians, (Chicana Poetry, pg
In the reading, “Who Is a Chicano? And What Is It the Chicanos Want?” by Ruben Salazar we learn that during the era of the Chicano Movement, we see how this specific era has been an influence on ethnic labels and identity of the Chicanos. To begin with during this era a lot of people didn’t know what Chicano meant or who a Chicano was. Ruben Salazar mentions, “A Chicano is a Mexican-American with a non-Anglo image of himself” which means that they pertain and identify to belong to this group because they are nothing like the Anglos, the Anglos where the White Americans (Salazar, 1970).
In the book, Chicana Sexuality and Gender, Cultural Refiguring in Literature, Oral History, and Art by Debra Blake reveals the various experiences and perspectives many Chicanas endure growing up with the culturally symbolic female figures: La Malinche, La Llorona, Mexica goddess, and La Virgen de Guadalupe. Blake describes the multiple forms Chicanas refigure and reimagine these powerful figures that are originally used to confine and marginalize women by providing the oral history and insight of the working class and semi-professional Chicanas and Mexican Americans. Blake emphasizes how these female figures need to be preserved and redefined to dismantle the heterosexist and patriarchal narratives since they have a profound effect on the
Before Catholicism was brought in to people’s lives, the Mexicans believed the words of their ancestors and passed their stories down among generations. The clash between these two cultures leaves Antonio questioning the word of God and following down a dangerous path between stories
Hatuey a Native of Cuba explains to his fellow kens men that he believe that god of the Spaniards is gold. This scene not only proves La Casa portrayal of the natives but also shows how the Spaniards greed is over shadowing the native’s views of Christianity. To prove
Logan Tanaka 5/10/23 World History La Malinche Art Analysis Malinali, commonly known as “La Malinche” was a slave girl of South American indigenous blood who served as a translator/bridge between the old world Spaniards and new world Aztecas. She was originally given to the leader of the conquistadors, Hernan Cortez, as an enslaved concubine. She would take advantage of her heavy influence on both the Aztecs and Spaniards due to her being the literal connection between both worlds thanks to her knowledge of Spanish and Nahuatl, the language of the ancient Aztecs. She was able to forge diplomatic relationships and explain customs new to the Spanish explorers. Despite helping the two sides diplomatically and making things go a lot smoother
The Chicano movement derives from early oppression of Mexicans. Robert Rodrigo, author of “The Origins and History of the Chicano Movement” acknowledges that, “At the end of the Mexican American war in 1848, Mexico lost half of its territory to the United States and its Mexican residents became ‘strangers in their own lands.’” In stating this fact, Rodrigo exemplifies the United States’ relations with Mexico, that, ultimately, led to their oppression. Moreover, these early relations led to social injustice for the Mexican community. Carlos Muñoz, author of The Chicano Movement: Mexican American History and the Struggle for Equality reports, “As a conquered people, beginning with the Texas-Mexico War of 1836 and the U.S. Mexico War of 1846-48, they have
The legend of the Virgen de Guadalupe has become a common symbol of hope to many incoming immigrants of Latin American countries. Due to U.S. governmental and economic interventions in Latin American countries, it has caused many people to migrate as refuges and flee unstable environments. These mass migrations have been followed by torturous trails and stories that many times end in death or abuse, however, other times it has allowed refugees to move away and live stable lives in the U.S. However, once in the U.S., these immigrants are faced with discriminatory policy based on false accusations that makes their lives unsafe and unprotected. Therefore, Latinx religious faith becomes a strong component of community for these groups.
Unity for Chicanos came in the form of an idea, of a dream, called El Plan Espiritual de Aztlán (The Spiritual Plan of Aztlán). ‘Plan of Aztlán’ became one the Chicanos signature ideas, this ‘Plan’ “sought to connect Chicanos to their indigenous past while… reminding them of the colonial implications of the Mexican-American war.” The ‘Plan’ become a method through which Mexican-Americans could be united through their shared ancestry and culture. Simultaneously, the Young Lords pushed for unity through a much more radical avenue. The Lords aimed to liberate their fellow Puerto Ricans and thus “rejected the established norms and American values…
To many people “I am Joaquin” is more than just an epic poem, it is the anthem of the Chicano movement which embodies our peoples struggles and culture. What made the work become the Chicano Movements anthem is the fact that it is a piece that seems to evaluate the Chicanos and their history from the good to the bad. It also seems to emphasize the Chicanos search and struggle for identity starting from the beginning of the Spanish conquest to our modern times. Basically this poem has become such an iconic work because it attempts and succeeds in encompassing as much Chicano history into it and makes no bias choice as it has both positive historical moments and negative, but they all tie back to Chicanos and their history. One of the main aspect that makes “I am Joaquin” an interesting piece of work and an icon for the Chicano movement is how the work seems to
Both Okita's and Cisneros's stories talk about the American identity and how it is much more complex than just your physical appearance or your family's heritage. Okita's poem talks about how she identifies much more with the American culture than her Japanese heritage, and it focuses on a conflict with an American girl that she has grown up with in school. Okita's classroom friend, Denise, becomes hostile and rude towards her after the passing of the executive order that targets Japanese American people. Okita writes her letter to clarify that she may be Japanese-American, but she is not the enemy and she is just like Denise. Cisneros's story focuses on how different she feels from her Mexican culture, comparing and contrasting her
The immigrants entering the United States throughout its history have always had a profound effect on American culture. However, the identity of immigrant groups has been fundamentally challenged and shaped as they attempt to integrate into U.S. society. The influx of Mexicans into the United States has become a controversial political issue that necessitates a comprehensive understanding of their cultural themes and sense of identity. The film Mi Familia (or My Family) covers the journey and experiences of one Mexican-American (or “Chicano”) family from Mexico as they start a new life in the United States. Throughout the course of the film, the same essential conflicts and themes that epitomize Chicano identity in other works of literature
During the Chicano Nationalist Movement, a well-known speaker, Rodolfo ‘Corky’ Gonzales, delivered a speech titled Chicano Nationalism: Victory for La Raza. In this speech, Rodolfo Gonzales tries to unify the Latin American people within the United States by using the idea of a family and to create a new political organization for the Chicano people. This speech was a cumulation of various ideas which stemmed from his own life, the experiences of the Chicano people, and the Chicano Nationalist Movement in general. Each of these factors contributed to the context of the speech and how the ideas within the speech are presented by Rodolfo Gonzales. Rodolfo ‘Corky’ Gonzales was born to Federico and Indalesia Gonzales, two Mexican immigrants, on June 18, 1928.
For this book review, I am going to be talking about David Montejano’s book entitled Quixote’s Soldiers, A local history of the Chicano Movement, 1966-1981. The author’s purpose is very well explained and it is not hard to understand. The author clearly tries to explain different ideologies, individuals and organizations located in one of the Southwest’s major cities, San Antonio, Texas, during the late 1960s and early 190s. All these varieties mentioned above made possible that a movement was created called Chicano Movement, a group that David Montejano provides a deeply understanding and description of the movement during the reading of the book. Since, the city was governed by a tough Anglosocial elite that was firmly convinced in the way
“Never Marry a Mexican” is both the title of Sandra Cisneros’ short story published in the collection Woman Hollering Creek, and one of the most ironic as well as provocative statements present in the Chicana literature. The story itself is a critical as well as self-reflexive exercise in understanding concepts such as gender, race and ethnicity. Working with the presumption that the affiliation to distinct gender as well as racial and ethnic background is determined by the certain level of performativity, Cisneros illustrates difficulties in performing a double role , frequently faced by the second and the third generation of Mexican immigrants in the United States. Following paragraphs will consider Cisneros’ story with Judith Butler’s concept
Latin American and feminist theologians, artists, and writers have reimagined the sedate and obedient Virgin as an ordinary woman experiencing the joys and challenges of sexuality, work, and motherhood as exemplified by Yolanda López’s “Portrait of the Artist as the Virgin of Guadalupe.” Although the Virgin of Guadalupe has made an impact on the country of Mexico, at the same time, she has also had effects on others parts of the Americas. The apparition did not only convert the whole nation of Mexico to Catholicism, but the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe brought an end to the Aztecs worship of stone gods and the practice of human sacrifice. When the indigenous people embraced Catholicism, the religion of the Spaniards, the two groups discovered a way of living together in relative harmony. In 1737, she was proclaimed patroness of Mexico City, and in 1746, her patronage was accepted by all the territories of New Spain, which included part of present-day California as well as Mexico and regions as far south as Guatemala and El Salvador.