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The Making Of Chicana/O Studies By Rodolfo Acuña

677 Words3 Pages

The Making of Chicana/o Studies discusses the historical development of Chicana/o studies from Civil Rights movements until today. In addition, the book written in 2011 by Rodolfo Acuña, one of the 100 most influential educators of the 20th century, identifies the mistakes and consequences of Chicana/o studies in the past and offers solutions for the future. It portrays the struggles of becoming Mexican and building of Chicano Studies, the sixties and the rise of the Mexican American youth organization, the trenches of academe, and the resist in the mainstreaming of Chicano Studies.
The book starts off with the two phenomenons that have marked Mexicans in their journey and includes the three hundred years of Spanish colonialism and the creation of a 2,000-mile border, which affected Mexicans identity. Mexicans have tried to establish cultural roots and engaged in a system of beliefs in order to fit into society. It took time and transformation in order to become a Mexican American or a Chicano. Acuña emphasizes, that during this transformation, becoming Chicano Studies involved forming a common identity and considering separate and distinct …show more content…

Chicano studies began with women wanting justice and equality as well as the rapid growth rate of Latinos living in the United States. Finally, Chicano Studies evolved and created new departments and programs such as the EOP program, which provided the opportunity to low income students and minorities to achieve higher education. All of this was a product of sacrifice and struggle. They had to face racism, oppression, discrimination and injustices to overcome all the barriers and achieve what they deserved. Chicano Studies prevails and is important since it holds a rich fund of knowledge that must be share with

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