Chicano Nationalism

Chicano Nationalism

Chicano as defined by the American Heritage Dictionary , is “a Mexican-American”. Nationalism, as defined by the same publication, is “devotion to the interests or particular culture of a particular nation”. So by definition, we can infer that Chicano Nationalism is an interest in either the Mexican or American culture by a Mexican American, which is not a very concise definition. Before we can begin to define Chicano Nationalism, we must first define what is it to be a Chicano. In it’s simplest form, the American Heritage Dictionary’s definition of a Chicano is correct, but there is much more to it than being a Mexican-American. It is a realization of one’s past, present and future; realizing how far the culture has come, and how far it has yet to go. It is not only living the duality of both being a Mexican and an American, but also the multiplicity of being a descendant from any number of tribes and nationalities of people that have peppered the landscape of North and Central America over hundreds of years. There is no one distinct definition of being a Chicano, but an ever-evolving sense of being that at once combines heritage, personal beliefs, culture, politics and nationality.

Defining nationalism, although not as simple as American Heritage Dictionary’s definition, is an easier definition to ascertain. As it refers to the Chicano, nationalism has to do with a strong belief in one’s heritage, their homeland, the oppression felt be their people, the belief in the self as a nation, the sense of community, equal rights, and the right to exist and follow one’s roots. The concept of Chicano nationalism is one that Chicano writers have expressed their views upon in many ways. With analysis’ of Lorna D...

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...community, equal rights and the right to follow your roots) with the central focus of the poem. As Susan Bassnett states in her essay Bilingual Poetry: A Chicano Phenomenon , there is a “Latin American tradition of the poet who occupies a prominent place in the struggle for freedom and national unity”, and as Cervantes and Gonzales demonstrated, the poet’s role in Latin America has not been diminished.

Bibliography:

Berube, Margery S., et all; The American Heritage Dictionary Second Edition; Houghton Mifflin Company; Boston, Mass, 1985

Fernandez, Maria Elena; Chicana/o Studies 380 Reader; CSUN Press, Northridge, Ca; 2001

Calderon, Hector; “Chicano Literary Studies Past, Present and Future”; Left Politics and the Literary Profession; Columbia Press; New York, NY; 1990

Rebolledo, Tey Dianna; Infinite Divisions; University of Arizona Press; AZ 1991