The study of the history of various ethnic groups, cultures, and religions is one of the most profound ways an individual can grow their understanding of both themselves and the people around them. The study of gender is one aspect of research highlighting many of these groups’ foundational ideologies and what they provide cross-culturally. For example, the study of gender within Chicano/a/x may provide a researcher with a plethora of historical concepts and ideas that can bolster the understanding of the Chicano/a/x people as well as provide the researcher with new beliefs to inherit. In my personal experience from Chincano/a/x studies, I developed a greater understanding of the group’s challenges and acquired new ways to think about how gender …show more content…
Because I was born and spend my pre-teen years on the island of Maui in Hawai’i, I was quite comfortable with perceptions of diversity like varying ethnicity, culture, and gender by the time I was old enough to begin understanding the importance that these concepts held. The mixing-pot style of culture present in many local communities of the islands of Hawai’i taught me to accept the differences that others retained. Additionally, the stigma of anti-bigotry and love for the community was what I believe greatly fostered my sense of acceptance for other cultures, genders, and …show more content…
I can best describe my experiences as what I now consider to be culture shock; where my preconceived ideas about society and how people perceive one another was flipped on its head. Distinctly, I remember a moment in time when I asked whether there was a boy's school volleyball team, which was commonplace in Hawai’i, and the school teacher I asked was aghast at the notion. This is just one example of many of the cultural differences I found significant. Chiefly, the aspect of myself which I found to be criticized the most was my display, or lack thereof, of masculinity: I sat somewhere in the middle of the spectrum of masculinity. In this new environment, many of my pre-teen peers would make fun of the soft-spoken, delicate nature that I brought from my childhood. Essentially, I felt that it was taboo to be nice to others, be a little nerdy, not be involved in sports, and express how I felt about people and or ideas. Because of this, I was an outcast for a long time; I spent two to three years with little to no friends in my life, but I always thought it better to be true to myself than to sacrifice my integrity for a friendship. Naturally, of course, over the next four or so years I slowly found people who saw past the intransigent views that constrained the area which I moved to, Joshua
Inequality did not just occur in the everyday life of a Mexican-American, there were also signs of inequality in the educational system. This is explained in “Occupied America A History of Chicanos” by Rodolfo F. Acuña. The fact that the Anglo-Americans had stereotypical views such as them being “dirty, shiftless, lazy, irresponsible, unambitious, thriftless, fatalistic, [and] selfish…” (Acuña 186). This made it extremely hard for them to progress since they would always be seen as a nobody.
Chicanos have been discriminated and oppressed by the anglo society since the beginning of times . According to the article Mexican Americans “Disfavor on the part of some Anglo Americans with Mexicans was evident before 1848, but it intensified thereafter”(Englekirk and Marín, 2014). Anglos dislike Mexicans before the Treaty of Guadalupe was made, and even after they became part of the American society. The Treaty of Guadalupe encourage Chicanos to make a change and oppose the way they were mistreated by the anglo society, which later helped initiate the Chicanos civil rights movement. Some of the struggles and results of the Chicano movement are seen on the book “Drink Cultura” by Jose Burciaga.
As a Latina been raised in the USA, I considered Latinos been a multi culture ethnic group. We do share some customs but no all, one of the distinctive are the fact that even though we speak the same language , our accent, pronunciation and some words can be same, but have different meanings, for example Dominican, Cuban and Puerto Rican. We all come from the Caribbean but our music, food, customs and some religious beliefs are totally different. Every country has their unique flavor; they own flags, celebrations, etc. therefore that allow some discrimination because everybody thinks their own kind is better than the others Latinos.
Prior to arriving in UC Davis, I understood the word “Chicana/o” purely by its true definition; Mexican American. I always found the term to just be another word to classify a large group of Mexican individuals. The term appeared generic to me similar to Latino or Hispanic. Growing up in a small town that is largely Latino enclave, I would assume that I have some comprehension, however it seemed truant. It appeared that Mexicans always pride themselves with the word Chicano, however I thought otherwise.
How the mexicans became a colony is Spanish Conquistadores,led by Hernan Cortes,allied themselves with Tlaxcalan tribes to conquer the Aztecs,who were the most important civilization in Mexico at the time. With the aid of these tribes, plus the effects of smallpox disease that killed many of the native inhabitants, that finally conquered the lands now named as Mexico at the Fall of Tenochtitlan (capital city of the Aztecs) on August 13, 1521. Since that day, until September 27,1821 Mexico became a colony of spain. In the early 19th century, Napoleon’s occupation of Spain led to the outbreak of revolts all across Spanish American.
In high school I was able to choose an elective that had great appeal to me- Chicano Studies. This was a new course at my high school, it was providential for me that the course became available because of the large impact it had on my life. In this course we studied, the history of Mexico and its influence on current culture, past civil rights leaders, and the topic that struck me the most, current events. Our teacher, Mr. Pisano, expressed his alacrity to teach the course to the administration at our high school, and with appeal he was able to teach one section of the course.
The Chicano movement derives from early oppression of Mexicans. Robert Rodrigo, author of “The Origins and History of the Chicano Movement” acknowledges that, “At the end of the Mexican American war in 1848, Mexico lost half of its territory to the United States and its Mexican residents became ‘strangers in their own lands.’” In stating this fact, Rodrigo exemplifies the United States’ relations with Mexico, that, ultimately, led to their oppression. Moreover, these early relations led to social injustice for the Mexican community. Carlos Muñoz, author of The Chicano Movement: Mexican American History and the Struggle for Equality reports, “As a conquered people, beginning with the Texas-Mexico War of 1836 and the U.S. Mexico War of 1846-48, they have
The Chicano movement brought unity, nationalism, and cultural pride by addressing social and civil right issues. However, the Chicano social identity that arose in the 1960’s was not inclusive to Chicanas, moreover, it did not acknowledge and encompass the contribution of Central Americans and Asian Mexicans. The Chicano social identity definition needs to be changed to be more inclusive and accommodate all the configurations and diverse expressions of
Before the 1960s many social science disciplines utilized cultural determinist paradigms as their framework for knowledge production. For example, in “The Anthropology and Sociology of the Mexican-Americans,” Octavio Ignacio Romano describes how anthropologists and sociologists used the concept of Traditional Culture to explain the history of Mexican Americans. According to Romano, this concept “deal[s] with human beings only as passive containers and retainers of culture,” which posits Mexican Americans are ahistorical people (“The Anthropology” 26). Therefore, in using this theoretical lens Romano argues social science scholars not only erase the history of Mexican Americans but also perpetuate the idea that Mexican American culture is deficient and prohibits their progress. For example, he criticizes Ruth Tuck along with other sociologists and anthropologists for describing Mexican Americans as fatalistic people who adjust to their problems, instead of making an effort to overcome them (“The Anthroplogy” 29).
Injustice and inequality often ignite the sparks of social and political movements. The Chicano (Mexican-American) and Puerto Rican movements of the 1900s provide such examples. Latinos are often considered a homogeneous and involved political subsection or as Beltrán describes a ‘sleeping giant.’ The metaphor describes a sleeping giant who contains much political control through its sheer size but does little with its power. Mexican-Americans and Puerto Ricans have historically proven this metaphor wrong and mobilized in great numbers to affect real change within their respective communities.
The Chicano movements were not primitive. Instead they were movements that protested the inequalities and treatment of their people like they did not matter. These movements then attracted police brutality on the people though this violence always been justified like an effort to liberate the people from the tranny of the Mexicans. None of this is true, however. Accuna thus looks to deconstruct the myth that the Hispanics were any primitive or wild or that they could not govern themselves (Acuna, n.p).
The Chicano Movement was a civil rights movement that emerged in the late 1960s and early 1970s in the United States. The movement was led by Mexican American activists who sought to fight for the rights of their community. The Chicano Movement was inspired by the Civil Rights Movement and aimed to address issues such as discrimination, poverty, and unequal treatment of Mexican Americans. The movement was characterized by various forms of activism, including protests, boycotts, and strikes. Through their efforts, Chicano activists were able to bring attention to the struggles of their community and make significant progress towards achieving equality.
During the Chicano Nationalist Movement, a well-known speaker, Rodolfo ‘Corky’ Gonzales, delivered a speech titled Chicano Nationalism: Victory for La Raza. In this speech, Rodolfo Gonzales tries to unify the Latin American people within the United States by using the idea of a family and to create a new political organization for the Chicano people. This speech was a cumulation of various ideas which stemmed from his own life, the experiences of the Chicano people, and the Chicano Nationalist Movement in general. Each of these factors contributed to the context of the speech and how the ideas within the speech are presented by Rodolfo Gonzales. Rodolfo ‘Corky’ Gonzales was born to Federico and Indalesia Gonzales, two Mexican immigrants, on June 18, 1928.
Chicano culture came as result of a mixture of different cultures (Shingles and Cartwright 86). Despite the assimilation by the majority whites the Chicanos have preserved their culture. This paper seeks to prove that Chicano culture has deep cultural attributes that would appeal to the larger American culture, leading to strengthening of
From this day, I still remember how lonely I felt and how badly I wanted to be accepted. I dreaded to go to recess because I wasn't sure what type of crowd I would “ fit in” with. As I walked in class, I saw everyone divided into various cliques and eventually I found myself every week trying to fit in with a different one. I tried my best to act like those kids in order to fit in, I changed so many things such as my attitude, my clothing, my hairstyles and how I spoke in the span of one year. I was so desperate to feel like I was not alone and had real friends that I basically would’ve done anything for others to like me.