Chicano Art Research Paper

From our previous film showing, High Noon, we got a taste of how the Western genre portrayed Chicano/a characters. The late 1970’s saw a decline of the western, and “with the decline of the filmic western came the rise of the urban violence film” (Cortés 134). The 1980’s and 90’s saw film after film released portraying gang violence, and the Latino gang film was a “natural crossroads for sex, violence, and ethnicity” (Cortés 135). Some see these Latino gang members “as updated, modern variants of the Mexican bandit type” (Treviño).

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

All these varieties mentioned above made possible that a movement was created called Chicano Movement, a group that David Montejano provides a deeply understanding and description of the movement during the reading of the book. Since, the city was governed by a tough Anglosocial elite that was firmly convinced in the way

The immigrants entering the United States throughout its history have always had a profound effect on American culture. However, the identity of immigrant groups has been fundamentally challenged and shaped as they attempt to integrate into U.S. society. The influx of Mexicans into the United States has become a controversial political issue that necessitates a comprehensive understanding of their cultural themes and sense of identity. The film Mi Familia (or My Family) covers the journey and experiences of one Mexican-American (or “Chicano”) family from Mexico as they start a new life in the United States. Throughout the course of the film, the same essential conflicts and themes that epitomize Chicano identity in other works of literature

Born in 1941 in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, Frank Romero holds a special place amongst the many greats of the Hispanic community of the United States. Of Mexican heritage, Romero expressed an early aspiration for the work of art and was inspired to take the path towards becoming one of the most influential, instrumental and renowned artists of his time. Romero was closely attached to his rich Hispanic heritage and gained much inspiration from his culture and his surroundings of Los Angeles, a city bustling with millions of diverse, culture-rich backgrounds. As a painter and muralist, Romero was profoundly influenced by the Chicano population of Los Angeles in which he spent most of his lifetime living as a part of. His passion for art quickly

Stereotyping has been a problem for society for many years. People believe that stereotyping does not exist because they might not experience it, but little do they know stereotyping has existed for quite some time. In the book Zoot Suit, Luis Valdez illustrates stereotyping toward the Mechicanos who lived in Los Angeles in the 1940s by utilizing external conflict, imagery, and symbolism to show how the Mechicanos suffered through the discrimination by the media and the court.

This is because the movement itself began as a search for identity in a nation where Chicanos where once classified as White, but never received any of the rights associated with it and where later reclassified as Hispanic. It is also because what was once considered Mexican culture is no more as it has been taken, manipulated, and killed by the Anglos in their conquest. In “I am Joaquin” we see this concept throughout the work in a variety of forms that range from what Mexicans are to the concept of being Chicano. One major example of the search for Identity in the work is shown in the beginning with the paradox question where many young Chicanos are forced to choose between cultural life in poverty or stability at the price of their culture. Basically it states that they must choose between embracing their heritage at the cost of stability or to reject it and conform to the Anglo world and have a chance to be successful. Something that many can argue is sadly prevalent in our modern

societies in the world. These sub-cultures include Whites, African Americans, Asians, Irish, Latino, and European among others. Chicano refers to the identity of Mexican-American descendant in the United State. The term is also used to refer to the Mexicans or Latinos in general. Chicanos are descendants of different races such as Central American Indians, Spanish, Africans, Native Americans, and Europeans. 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

In the 1960’s, the United States went through a period of clarity and diversity in thought, analysis and action for people from Mexico or those who practiced the Mexican culture. Issues of deep resonance and problems both Mexican and American communities faced were brought to light through different platforms that include multiple socio-political mobilizations, art, and music all throughout the country (Cockcroft, 1993). This later ensued into battles of cultural reclamation and self-determination that combined into a national consciousness called the Chicano Movement. The Chicano Art Movement represents the attempts made by Mexican-American artists in establishing a unique artistic identity in the United States. Most of the Chicanos belonged

From 1966 to 1981 San Antonio, Texas, was a segregated city ruled by Anglos and important business people. The people who lived in the west and south sides of this city fell under housing. Gangs were really popular and broke out frequently. Then farm workers broke out in the strike and marched through the city’s streets forming a movement to get rid of the Anglos who took advantage of them. David Montejano, in this book, uses sources that are not open to anyone unless asked for. The author divides this book into three different parts. In the first part, he communicates to the reader how students with high leveled education and others get together to challenge the high-powered Anglos and Mexican American. In the second part, he examines how the Chicano movement flourished and how women and ex-gang members attempted to join the political world. In the final part, Montejano decided to include his point of view on how the political leaders that failed could’ve made a difference in the political world. This book was full of surprises, the way Montejano quotes actual people is just beautiful. He makes you feel like this was not so long ago and makes you feel part of it.

In the Chicano movement art was used through murals and poems to combat racism. The poem “I am Joaquin” was used to “exemplify the Chicano faith and strength of their community” (Quest for a Home Land). This was a tool to combat racism through the use of creative writing, thus showing the peaceful manner of the Chicano movement. The murals created by Chicano community exemplified their struggle in an Anglo American society and peaceful beauty of their culture that was once thought to be “savage and violent” (Mann, 15). In history our ancestor’s artistic expression was similar to the Chicano art to show our strength and pride of who we are, but early historians showed it as something “violent and uncultured” (Jackson, 10/20/15). A great example of the murals created was the development of Chicano park in San Diego, California. The Chicano turned the negatives of the area into something with hope, similar to how they took the term Chicano and turned it

Chicana/o was positioned between indigenism and indigeneity because it emerged from various forms of creativity and political face during the Chicano movement. In addition, it was established following redeployment of different tools from the initiative of the previous indigenism but having different goals and motives as well as the outcome (Rios, 2013).

However the word Chicano doesn't have to have a definition. The word Chicano/a is unique because it can only be understood by one who has lived the Mexican American experience. The Chicano identity is flexible, because the word Chicano can mean something very different to everyone. This film shows that the 1960s Chicano movement created an identity for Mexican Americans who were stuck in the middle between Mexican and Anglo culture. In one identifies themselves as Chicano/a they are identifying themselves with the Chicano struggle. The word Chicano is an empowering identity, yet very complex. Being born a Mexican American doesn't mean you are a Chicano, you are Chicano because you chose to be. In this film, we learned about different Chicano movements like, La Raza, which means Chicano people as a whole. Along we also learned about La Causa, known for campaign for equality for Chicano people, conjointly we learned about the Huelga which was the strike led by Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta in order to persuade farm owners to negotiate. The 1960 Chicano movement empowered Mexican Americans, it gave them awareness to the struggle that was happening at the time with Mexican Americans. The 1960’s Chicano movement also gave Mexican Americans an identity that a Chicano will stand up and do something about the injustice happening to

The Chicano movement was formed by mexican-americans. They influenced the Chicano culture and Chicano artistic expression by giving it the power to find themselves and express.The Chicano culture allowed them to know about themselves. It can be different than other U.S cultures and can be under estimated. The Chicano artistic expression allows people to express themselves. “ The high school walkouts and demands by high school and college students for curricular reform and the establishment of Chicano studies program” 12. They were a group of students which wanted change in their education. The way in which we see things or make a change can have an influence.

In American history, social equality developments have assumed a noteworthy part for some ethnics in the United States and have shape American culture to what it is today. The effect of social liberties developments is huge and to a degree, they finish the targets that the gatherings of individuals set out to accomplish. The Mexican-American Civil Rights Movement, all the more generally known as the Chicano Movement or El Movimiento, was one of the numerous developments in the United States that set out to acquire fairness for Mexican-Americans (Herrera). At to start with, the development had a frail begin however inevitably the development picked up energy around the 1960's (Herrera). Mexican-Americans, otherwise called Chicanos, started to