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Find sources: "Chicano poetry" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (December 2009) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) Part of a series on Chicanos and Mexican Americans Terms Identity Chicana/o Mexican American Chola/o La Raza Pachuca Pachuco Pinta/o Xicanx History Early-American Period Josefa Segovia Las Gorras Blancas Mexican–American War Mutualista San Elizario Salt War Sonoratown Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo Pre-Chicano Movement 1917 Bath riots Bisbee Deportation Bracero program Cantaloupe strike of 1928 California agricultural strikes La Matanza Mexican Repatriation Operation Wetback Plan de San Diego Porvenir Massacre Sleepy Lagoon trial Zoot Suit Riots Chicano Movement Aztlán Black-brown unity Brown Berets Católicos por La Raza Chicanismo Chicano Moratorium Colegio César Chávez CFMN Conferencia de Mujeres CRP East L.A. walkouts Hijas de Cuauhtémoc Huelga schools United Farm Workers Land grant struggle Las Adelitas de Aztlán Los Siete de la Raza Los Seis de Boulder MANA MAYO MEChA PCUN Plan Espiritual de Aztlán Plan de Santa Bárbara Quinto Sol Raza Unida Party Southern California drywall strike Culture Language Caló Chicano English Food New Mexican cuisine Tex-Mex cuisine Music Chicano rap Chicano rock Tejano music Symbols Centro Cultural de la Raza Lowrider Lowrider bicycle Mexican-American folklore Zoot suit Literature Literature Xicana literature Chicano literature Chicano poetry Autobiographical Always Running Living Up the Street Who Would Have Thought It? Novels Bless Me, Ultima Caballero Desert Blood From This Wicked Patch of Dust Mexican WhiteBoy The Dirty Girls Social Club The House on Mango Street The Rain God The Revolt of the Cockroach People So Far from God Under the Feet of Jesus ...y no se lo tragó la tierra Poetry and Short Stories Emplumada I Am Joaquin Moment of Silence Pensamiento Serpentino The Moths Chicana/o studies Fields Chicana feminism Chicanafuturism Chicano critical race theory Organizations MAS Programs, Tucson NACCS UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center Texts Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza Brown, Not White The Church in the Barrio This Bridge Called My Back Theory Barrioization Coyolxauhqui imperative Gringo justice Nahui Ollin Nepantla New tribalism Rasquachismo Spiritual activism Vergüenza Youth control complex Visual art Visual Art Chicana art Chicano art Chicano films Paño Tortilla art Art Collectives Asco Culture Clash East Los Streetscapers Los Four Mujeres Muralistas Teatro Campesino Royal Chicano Air Force Locations Balmy Alley Chicano Park Estrada Courts Galería de la Raza Great Wall of Los Angeles Precita Eyes Self Help Graphics & Art Law Supreme Court cases Botiller v. Dominguez Hernandez v. Texas San Antonio I.S.D. v. Rodriguez Espinoza v. Farah Manufacturing Co. U.S. v. Brignoni-Ponce Plyler v. Doe Medellín v. Texas Flores-Figueroa v. U.S. Leal Garcia v. Texas Mendez v. Westminster Bernal v. Fainter Perez v. Brownell DHS v. Regents of the Univ. of Cal. Federal Court cases Madrigal v. Quilligan Population Population by City Arizona (Tucson) California (Los Angeles) Illinois (Chicago) Michigan (Detroit) Nebraska (Omaha) Texas Dallas–Fort Worth Houston Multiethnic Blaxicans Hispanos Californios Nuevomexicanos Tejanos Indigenous Mexican Americans Punjabi Mexican Americans Lists Chicano poets Chicano rappers Mexican Americans Writers Bibliography  United States portal Category Index v t e Chicano poetry is a branch of American literature written by and primarily about Mexican Americans and the Mexican-American way of life in society. The term "Chicano" is a political and cultural term of identity specifically identifying people of Mexican descent who are born in the United States. In the same way that American poetry comprises the writing of the offspring of English and other European colonists to North America, so Chicano poetry and literature comprises the writing of the offspring of Latinos who either emigrated to the United States or were involuntarily included in the country due to the Mexican–American War of 1848. Chicanos have been writing poetry in these lands that became the United States since the late-sixteenth century. Despite their having cultivated all types of written and oral literature, many of their literary traditions persisted in order to preserve their cultural identity within an expanding and overwhelmingly aggressive "national" culture that did not recognize Spanish speakers as part of an ever-evolving "America."[1] Chicano poetry is different from other types of poetry in that there is a certain Chicano voice being told. This voice is the Chicano culture that is being highlighted throughout the poem. Chicano poetry is diverse, but roots back to the same element of culture. Chicano poetry becomes its own genre according to Pérez-Torres when a similar structure is represented throughout the poems. There is a similar terrain in the work, but each may offer different elements to the work like sexuality. Core values of the Chicano community includes culture and is often highlighted in Chicano poetry.[2] Contents 1 History 1.1 Origins 1.2 Mexican American cultural resistance 1.3 Chicana poetry and literature 1.3.1 Pachucas in Poetry 1.3.2 Pioneers and forerunners 1.3.3 Historic milestones 2 Important publishers 3 Unifying concepts 3.1 Chaperoning 4 List of major Chicano poets 5 See also 6 Notes History[edit] Origins[edit] Chicanismo is a cultural movement begun in the 1930s in the Southwestern United States by Mexican Americans to recapture their Mexican, Native American culture. The four major themes of Chicanismo are generally considered to be: (1) the power of the creative earth and labor upon it; (2) political transformation through collective efforts; (3) strong familial ties extending back into Mesoamerican pre-history; and (4) spiritually-influenced creative artistic imagination as reflected in the visual ARTS. There are several theories concerning the origin of the term Chicano. The most prominent is that it is derived from Mexicano, which comes from Mexica (pronounced "meshica"). Whatever its origin, the term was in widespread use by the 1950s and gained popularity in the 1960s. It is also during this time that the label Black gained popularity in place of the terms Negro and Colored People. It was the young Black community angry at the racism that was being perpetuated against them who burned and destroyed several cities. However, many older black people wanted to be called Negro or colored because they did not wish to be identified with the word black which for some represented the turmoil of the times. So too, many older Mexican-Americans refused to accept the term Chicano, instead proudly identifying themselves as Mexicano. Many Chicanos and Mexicanos born on the American side of the border, suffered an identity crisis, they did not want to throw away their proud Mexicaness instilled by their parents and yet they were not from Mexico. Building on that cultural pride many responded by identifying themselves as Chicano.[3] From this cultural phenomenon stemmed what we now know as Chicano poetry. The literary movement was gained notoriety in spite all of the hostility of the early 1900s to give a voice to Chicanos. Mexican American cultural resistance[edit] Many working class and second generation Mexican Americans began to rebel from discrimination by wearing a zoot suit. This act was seen as unpatriotic during the 1940s as World War II demanded precious materials like fabric be used for the war and zoot suits used a substantial amount of cloth. This suit was popular among youth of various races and ethnicities in cities all over the United States.[4] According to Pérez- Torres, cultural resistance is represented by wearing a zoot suit.[2] This wardrobe style was called a zoot suit and consisted of, for men, large hats, a draped coat and high waisted baggy bottoms; accessorized with a watch chain or pompadour (a specific hairstyle).[4] The women's version of this suit consisted of a broad shouldered fingertip coat, a knee length skirts and large hair styles that helped hide small knives. The men and women who participated in this wardrobe statement were called Pachucos/as. Zoot suits signified rebellion, differences and even un-Americanism[4] According to Pérez- Torres, cultural resistance is represented by wearing a zoot suit.[2] due to the amount of fabric used while in a war. The young Mexican American community used this suit to identity show others they were fighting for equality for their community. The zoot suit functioned as a way of changing the social order. Young Mexican American women wore this suit to diverge from the barriers that encased them due to their ethnicity, gender, and class. The zoot suit symbolized meanings of youthfulness or uprising.[4] According to Pérez-Torres, by wearing a zoot suit, there is a cultural division.[2] Chicana poetry and literature[edit] The 1970s was a critical time period for ethnic minorities and women in the United States. An out pour of writing and creativity was the result of the intellectual and political climate of the time. For the first time in history, people of Mexican descent in the United States were able to produce a large body of emerging literature that offered a new way of seeing the world. Chicanas in the 70s faced a double set of social racism; Chicanas experienced racial discrimination like Chicanos, and also sexual discrimination, like white women experienced. Thus, this double identity supported the Chicano struggle for racial equality as well as supporting the women's movement. The support for the women's movement inspired Chicana's to search for new definitions of the feminine identity as well as bringing awareness to their own cultural heritage. [5] Chicanas often used poetry in the 1970s to express their views of aggressive masculine pride. This is known as machismo which is used to portray male gender roles.[6] In the poem "Machismo Is Part of Our Culture" by Marcela Christine Lucero-Trujillo, she emphasizes her viewpoint of machismo.[7] Chicanas have played an active role in all aspects of political, economic and cultural life, yet their contributions have not been part of official history.[8] Pachucas in Poetry[edit] Pachucas is a lifestyles that some Chicanos chose during the chicano movement. They were often young women who rebelled against Mexican and American norms.[7] Pachucas were described wearing short, tight skirts with sheer tops and their hairdos high. Women who chose to take on this way of living were often faced with much criticism from inside and outside their community. Inside the community, the women were seen as traitors to the Mexican-American code of feminine conduct, or as ‘las malinches’, as described by ‘La Opinion, a Spanish-language newspaper based in Los Angeles, California, USA. The following days after the newspaper published, a group of East Los Angeles teens wrote a letter to ‘Eastside Sun, Stating that the women who affirmed their virginity and patriotism. Females who dressed as pachucas were often looked down upon due to the nature that the Poetry was a prominent role in the Chicano movement. Poems relating to the pachuca lifestyle were mostly written by Pachucos or former Pachucos. Their poems contributed to an important part of movement-era cultural production.[4] Pachuca poems often related to pachuquismo. During the 1960s language and the zoot suit became a big part of the chicano movement for a number of Chicana and Chicano writers.[4] Dressing like a Pachuco signified a refusal to conform to the status quo and style of urban, working class youth. It meant resistance, showed style, and showcased resistance in style. An example of the poetry would be “La Nueva Chicana” by poet Viola Correa, Hey She that lady protesting injustice, Es mi Mamà The girl in the brown beret, The one teaching the children, She’s my hermana Over there fasting with the migrants, Es mi tía. These are the women who worry, Pray, iron And cook chile y tortillas. The lady with the forgiving eyes And the gentle smile. Listen to her shout. She knows what hardship is all about All about. The Establishment calls her a radical militant. The newspapers read she is A dangerous subversive They label her name to condemn her. By the FBI she’s called A big problem. In Aztlàn we call her La Nueva Chicana. Pioneers and forerunners[edit] Notable Chicano poets who were instrumental in creating a niche both in American and Latin American literature and developed an impetus were early writers such as Abelardo "Lalo" Delgado, Trinidad "Trino" Sánchez, Rodolfo "Corky" Gonzales. Delgado wrote "Stupid America", Sánchez wrote "Why Am I So Brown?" and Gonzales authored the epic "Yo Soy Joaquin." Gonzales' "Yo Soy Joaquin" has been acknowledged as the Chicano epic poem. Self-published in 1967, it reviewed the exploitation of the mestizos from colonial times to the present. Yo soy Joaquín, perdido en un mundo de confusión: I am Joaquín, lost in a world of confusion, caught up in the whirl of a gringo society, confused by the rules, scorned by attitudes, suppressed by manipulation, and destroyed by modern society. My fathers have lost the economic battle and won the struggle of cultural survival.[9] Another early pioneer writer is the Poet/Painter and gypsy vagabond of the national community, Nephtalí De León, author of "Hey, Mr.President, Man!", "Coca Cola Dream," and "Chicano Popcorn." The latter part of the 20th century saw the emergence of Juan Felipe Herrera as a dominant force in the genre. In Herrera's works, cultural expression is shown from the 1960s to the present. His poetry is most known for being willful, expressing a unique voice.[10] The early literature of the movement was characterized by indigenismo, or looking to the ancient past for the roots that would inform modern Chicano/Chicana identity. La Raza, as the central Chicano activist group of the time was called, sought to shape and solidify a national and cultural identity based on the history of the Azteca people and their legendary homeland, Aztlán. The surge of creative literary activity among Chicano authors in the 1960s and 1970s became known as the Florecimiento, or Renaissance.[11] Notable Chicana poet Lucha Corpi published a collection of poetry that emphasizes the theme of culture and authored "LLuvia/Rain." This work creates a framework on Mexican cultural remembrance with an emphasis on the sensuality of rain that offers a sense of Mexican arts culture using the Nahua god of rain.[2] Major poets for Pachuca poetry are Alurista, José Montoya, and raúlrsalinas, who chose to share their poems at festivals, marches, rallies, and festivals. Poems such as “Los Corts (5 voices)” and “and when I dream dreams” by Carmen Tafolla, “Para Teresa,” by Inés Hernández and “Later, She Met Joyce” by Cherríe Moraga are one of the earlier known works to include the pachuca character.[4] Historic milestones[edit] After winning the National Book Critics Circle award for poetry in 2008, Juan Felipe Herrera became the first Chicano to be appointed United States Poet Laureate.[12] Important publishers[edit] This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2018) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) A handful of U.S. publishers specialize in Chicano poetry, including the following: Arte Publico Press Aztlan Libre Press Bilingual Review Press Chiricú Cinco Puntos Press University of Arizona Press Unifying concepts[edit] These poems primarily deal with how Chicanos deal with existence in the United States and how Chicanos cope with marginalization, racism and vanquished dreams. Many Chicano writers allude to the past glory of the Mesoamerican civilizations and how the indigenous people of those civilizations continue to live through the Chicano people who are predominantly of mestizo (mixed) ancestry. Chicana (female) writers have drastically expanded on the theme of marginalization. They have added a feminist component to the overall Chicano poetry movement. Chicana poets have pursued such themes as sexual abuse, marginalization of women, and the creation of complex Chicana identity. Overall, this literary movement has seen great thematic diversity which can be accredited to different Chicano/a writers throughout American history.[11] Chaperoning[edit] When it comes to young, unmarried Mexican American women wanting to attend the night out they are accompanied by a male, who watches over them throughout the night. Many young, unmarried, women felt confined in their own homes and unable to enjoy a night out due to familial oligarchy, a way families would structure power to the adults and maintain control over certain things, such as what their daughter would be allowed to do. A female's purity was linked to the family's reputation. Sending along a chaperone was a way for the family to keep an eye on their daughter's activities in an attempt to shape their daughters into ‘sheltered young matrons.[7] Chaperonage often caused many women to question their own self-determination and autonomy. They sought freedom while still being able to be viewed as dutiful daughters to their families.[7] Many daughters often challenged the views of their families by sneaking out to attend events. Older Mexican generations often assumed responsibilities for what their children/grandchildren would do. Mexican American coming of age during the interwar period sought to end the practice of chaperonage. In the 1950s chaperonage had become a generational marker as later generations started to not attack the familia oligarchy but the manifestations of it.[7] Poem ‘“Pueblo, 1950” by Bernice Zamora, a Chicana poet who emerged during the Chicano Movement in the 1960s, showcases the consequences young, unmarried, Mexican-American women would face from a simple kiss: I remember you, Fred Montoya You were the first vato to ever kiss me I was twelve years old. my mother said shame on you, my teacher said shame on you, and I said shame on me, and nobody said a word to you. List of major Chicano poets[edit] Main article: List of Chicano poets Lucha Corpi Gloria E. Anzaldúa Ana Castillo Lorna Dee Cervantes Sandra Cisneros Carlos Cumpian Ray Gonzalez Daniel Olivas Rodolfo "Corky" Gonzales Juan Felipe Herrera Javier O. Huerta Tino Villanueva See also[edit] Chicano literature History of Mexican Americans Zoot Suit La Raza Chicano art movement Pachuco American literature in Spanish Latino poetry Latino literature Notes[edit] ^ Nicolas Kanellos "An Overview of Latino Poetry: The Iceberg below the Surface." American Book Review. 2002 ^ a b c d e Pérez-Torres, Rafael (1995). Movements in Chicano poetry : against myths, against margins. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521470196. OCLC 30783346. ^ Introduction to Chicano Poetry http://teachart.msu.edu/chicano.html Archived 2012-04-01 at the Wayback Machine ^ a b c d e f g Ramírez, Catherine Sue (2009). The woman in the zoot suit : gender, nationalism, and the cultural politics of memory. Durham: Duke University Press. ISBN 9780822342861. OCLC 272303247. ^ Sanchez, Marta, E. (1992). Contemporary Chicana Poetry: A Critical Approach to an Emerging Literature. Berkeley: University of California Press. Retrieved 2017-10-25. ^ Bui, Ngoc H.; Diaz, Tanya (2017-04-01). "Subjective Well-Being in Mexican and Mexican American Women: The Role of Acculturation, Ethnic Identity, Gender Roles, and Perceived Social Support". Journal of Happiness Studies. 18 (2): 607–624. doi:10.1007/s10902-016-9741-1. ISSN 1573-7780. ^ a b c d e Ruíz, Vicki (2008). From out of the shadows : Mexican women in twentieth-century America (10th anniversary ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195374773. OCLC 555994926. ^ Sandoval, Anna Marie (2008). Toward a Latina Feminism of the Americas: Repression and Resistance in Chicana and Mexicana Literature (1st ed.). Austin, TX: University of Texas Press. ^ Rodolfo "Corky" Gonzales. "Yo Soy Joaquin." 1967. ^ Rodriguez, Andres (1996). "Contemporary Chicano Poetry: The Work of Michael Sierra, Juan Felipe Herrera and Luis J. Rodriguez". Bilingual Review. 21 – via Academic Search Complete. ^ a b "Contemporary Chicano/a Literature" Contemporary Literary Criticism Select. 2008 Detroit: Gale. ^ "Juan Felipe Herrera Named U.S. Poet Laureate". Retrieved 2015-10-06. 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