In The Corrido, The Ballard Of Gregorio Cortez

Since the 60s, some Mexican Americans have used the word Chicano to identify themselves. For me, the word Chicano defines the unique experience of navigating and balancing between two cultures, customs, and languages. Although I was born in Mexico, my parents and I immigrated to the United States when I was a year old. In high school, I tried to understand my identity because I found myself in the middle of both worlds. It was very frustrating at times to not understand either world fully so I took courses that would give me knowledge about my Mexican roots. This has led me to see the contributions and struggles of Mexicans in the United States. In learning about the people who have navigated through two different worlds, it has led me to understand

This corrido is a great example of the role regional boundaries play in the Chicano experience because the conflict takes place in the county near the border of Mexico and United States called El Carmen. The corrido helps us understand the difficult of being a Mexican American in the United States when Gregorio Cortez says, “‘I’m not sorry I killed him, My brother’s death I would not stand…Self-defense is my rightful claim’” (133).The new boundaries created by the acquisition of Mexico’s land results in laws that only protected white United State citizens. The regional boundaries result in the struggle of Mexican Americans keeping control of their land that was previously owned by Mexico. Regional boundaries put an emphasis on identifying who a person is which can is demonstrated when Gregor Cortez says, “‘Don’t run off, cowardly rangers, From one sole Mexican man’” (134). The emphasis that Gregorio Cortez puts on his Mexican identity results from the conflict of the creation of borders. The creation of borders resulted in affluent and poor Mexican Americans being treated like second-class citizens that did not have the same rights as white Americans. This conflict is demonstrated when Gregorio Cortez tells the law when to arrest him and take him into custody. In taking this action, he demonstrates that the regional boundaries will not affect him rather he will do as he