Chicano Literature Essay

“To me, you have to declare yourself a Chicano to be a Chicano. That makes a Chicano a Mexican-American with a defiant political attitude that centers on his or her right to self-definition. I 'm a Chicano because I say I am” (Marin). A Chicano may be defined as a person of Mexican origin residing in the United States, but mostly someone who is politically active. For many years, the Mexican-Americans have been highly discriminated throughout the United States, but mostly in the southwest area.…

The Chicano Movement fought for inclusivity, but unfortunately, the dominant traditional definition of Chicano is associated with machismo and male chauvinism which fails to recognize a Chicana. As a result, this primary characteristic of a Chicano oppressed Mexican American women and excluded them from the customary identity which gave rise to the Chicana Movement in the 1960s. This was one of the first actions that occurred in order to redefine the Chicano identity. Ironically, the Chicana…

As a child, Gary Soto imagined that he would “marry Mexican poor, work Mexican hours, and in the end die a Mexican death, broke and in despair” (Soto, “Living Up The Street” 184). Although this may seem surprising coming from the renowned modern Chicano poet of “Saturday at the Canal”, it was the inevitable fate of many in his childhood community. Soto grew up in Fresno, California at the heart of San Joaquin Valley’s agricultural industry in the mid-20th century, where everyone in his family…

1. FOR WHAT AUDIENCE WAS THE DOCUMENT WRITTEN? a.The audience that it was written for were for Chicanos. Chicanos advocated nationalism and sovereignty for Mexican Americans. It was also to show awareness of the mistreatment that Mexican-Americans have had to endure from the “gringo” since being invaded by Europeans. “El Plan Espiritual de Aztlán,” brought a spirit to the Mexican-Americans to show a movement and unit as a race. 2. DOCUMENT INFORMATION (There are many possible ways to…

Chicano Student Program As a result of the most recent election, many minorities, such as hispanics and latinos, are terrified for the seemingly desolate future. Many chicanos panic that their rights as human beings may be taken away and that their daily lives will be even more troublesome. Some fear that there is no safe place for them to go, however there is a inconspicuous source that lies within UCR that acts as safe space for students. A little past beyond the infamous HUB, directly across…

Reflection: Chicano/a Civil Rights Movement Cesar Chavez was the most recognized Chicano activist in the U.S.. He was the co-founder of the United Farm Workers (UFW), a labor union for agricultural workers, and promoted nonviolence. In 1965 to 1970, he helped lead the Delano Grape Strike, a strike started my Filipino workers to protest the poor pay and working conditions of farm jobs in Delano, California. Cesar Chavez became the face of the Chicano/a Civil Rights Movement. Another leader of…

believe success can only measured later down the road, years after an event has happened to truly try and comprehend what they were trying to accomplish. So when comparing two chicano movements, you have to analyze and dig deep too see how much of an impact they had alone trying to accomplish their goals. The first chicano movement started was in the very early 1960's where they began talking about latino politics and rights. It was a progressive shift for latino politics to get the ball rolling…

We fight for what we want, Justice! For over a decade, “Chicanos” have been treated differently especially in the rural East Los Angeles area in 1968, “It is a community of small Mexican restaurants painted in reds and greens… where people and their complicated lives spill into the streets” (p.15). From the Mexican students who did attend school that did not live in LA “just over a quarter had completed high school, while in Los Angeles as a whole 62 percent had high school degrees” (p.16).…

The vibrant and charismatic Dolores Clara Fernandez, better known as Dolores Huerta, was born on April 10, 1930 in Dawson, New Mexico. Dolores would grow up to become the most prominent Chicana labor leader in the United States. She has dedicated her life to improve social and economic conditions for one of the most exploited groups of men, women, and children who pick vegetables and fruits that stock grocery stores. “According to Dolores, her mother’s independence and entrepreneurial spirit…

The Couple in the cage was a performance, filmed into a documentary of artist Guillermo Gómez-Peña and Coco Fusco. Guillermo Gómez-Peña is a Mexican–American performance and installation artist and writer, as well as an activist and educator. His works revolves around the issue of the north–south border and US–Mexican interactions. Gómez-Peña is deemed as a pioneer of performance art, experimental radio, video and installation art. His works often involve dense texts, a collaboration with…