ipl-logo

Summary Of Yo Soy Joaquin

1955 Words8 Pages

In 1967, Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales published his poem, “Yo Soy Joaquin” and it had a profound impact on Chicano social identity. The poem is considered to be the “epic of the Mexican-American people (Blackwell, 110). On March 23, 1969, the Chicano Youth Liberation Conference was assembled. A generation of Mexican-American youth came together on a large scale to discuss and act on issues plaguing the Mexican-American community: discrimination and oppression. The Mexican-American’s history of struggle and sentiment for change peaked during the Civil Rights Movement, which formulated the Chicano social identity.
Above all, Chicana/o is a social identity articulated in the civil rights movement. Tajifel (1981) defines social identity as the aspects …show more content…

Cultural nationalism was to undermine socioeconomic status, rather bring people together based on their struggle, culture, and Mexican blood. It is a multi-faced movement that involved labor rights for farmworkers, educational reform, and economic reform. However, the Chicana’s voice is silenced, and their ideas went ignored. Many Chicana feminists were against cultural nationalism because it replicated patriarchal power structures and cultural norms (Blackwell, 94). A Chicana possesses a political stance that confronts and undermines patriarchy as it overlaps forms of disenfranchisement and silence such as racism and nationalism (Quien Soy Yo, 10/8). In her analysis of the Mexican American epic, Chicana feminist cultural theorist Rosa Linda Fregoso argues that the images of the poem of “Yo Soy Joaquin” portray a “collective” cultural identity that is male-centered. The Chicano identity also does not embody the complete Latino population; rather it focuses on Mexican Americans. Mexicans compose a majority of the Latino population in the United States. However, there are other Latino groups such as Guatemalans, Salvadorians, and Hondurans that have been through similar struggles as Chicanos in the United States. There is a limitation of who can claim the Chicano identity, because certain individuals may not have participated in social activism on behalf of the Mexican-American community or because they may not be Mexican-American. Also, Chicano identity acknowledges mestizaje or the process of mixture of Spanish and indigenous cultures (Conquest, 10/15). A limitation with mestizaje is the mixture of Africans with indigenous, that leave Afro-Mexicans out. Furthermore, the racial mixture of Mexican with Chinese is not mentioned in the Chicano identity, which excludes Chino-Mexicans. Indeed, different interests,

Show More
Related

  • The Changeling By Judith Ortiz Cofer Summary

    794 Words  | 4 Pages

    All cultures have historical figures that it’s people look up to. For Hispanic American people the connection to their past is very important so remembering figures such as Ché is a way to keep roots with their culture. The last portion of traditions explored in this narrative is the inclusion of the phrase “para la libertad” which translates to for freedom and/or for liberty (17). Given the nature of this poem, it is interesting to note that the use of “la” denotes that libertad is feminine. The ways in which the poem explores traditions of Hispanic American culture is subtle, but definitely a theme

    Read More

  • How Did Chicanas Fight For The Women's Liberation Movement?

    1629 Words  | 7 Pages

    Chicanas have proven through their activism that they are powerful and courageous women who aren’t afraid to stand up for themselves and others. Throughout history, Mexican Americans suffered here in the United States, especially women, since they were usually of the lower working class and faced discrimination based on race. Chicanas had an extra struggle that male Mexican Americans didn’t go through and this would be sexism. This led to Mexican American women creating an alliance with the Women’s Liberation Movement and beginning this fight against sexism. Chicana feminists fought battles with their own cultural beliefs, white feminists who didn’t want to include the race struggle in their own fight for gender equality, and the negativity

    Read More

  • The Chicano Movement Summary

    626 Words  | 3 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Summary Of Mexican American Culture

    899 Words  | 4 Pages

    Furthermore, he describes the multiple forms of control Chicana women face when he states, “The Chicana is first of all oppressed economically, socially, and politically by virtue of her being a woman. Secondly, the Chicana as a member of an oppressed ethnic and/ or racial group is limited to the same extent as the Chicano by the dominant Anglo society” (50). However, he fails to mention the experiences of queer women, which implies how the Chicano

    Read More

  • The Chicano And Puerto Rican Movements Of The 1900s

    1122 Words  | 5 Pages

    Unity for Chicanos came in the form of an idea, of a dream, called El Plan Espiritual de Aztlán (The Spiritual Plan of Aztlán). ‘Plan of Aztlán’ became one the Chicanos signature ideas, this ‘Plan’ “sought to connect Chicanos to their indigenous past while… reminding them of the colonial implications of the Mexican-American war.” The ‘Plan’ become a method through which Mexican-Americans could be united through their shared ancestry and culture. Simultaneously, the Young Lords pushed for unity through a much more radical avenue. The Lords aimed to liberate their fellow Puerto Ricans and thus “rejected the established norms and American values…

    Read More

  • Mexican Borderlands

    710 Words  | 3 Pages

    Men within the Chicano community felt that they were done a social injustice by “white” citizens. Moreover, women who were “white” felt that they were done an injustice by white males. The contradiction of the border, stated in the preface, is due in part to the Chicano community believing that they were better than the “white” community. Furthermore, the men of the Chicano community had done a gender injustice to the

    Read More

  • Poem Analysis: I Am Joaquin

    585 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • How Did The East La Walkouts Impact The Civil Rights Movement

    1153 Words  | 5 Pages

    Mexican Americans were often seen as second-class citizens incapable of holding high level occupations. There was nothing the students could do, however, due to the fact that schools failed to provide the necessary education to allow them to attend college. As sought after of a position as a doctor or lawyer was, it was almost guaranteed that, without the necessary education, students would find it impossible to reach a status of that level. For example, in his epic poem, “I am Joaquin”, Mexican American poet and political activist Rodolfo Gonzales recalls the discrimination they faced saying, “My culture has been raped./ I lengthen the line at the welfare door/

    Read More

  • La Chicana Research Paper

    172 Words  | 1 Pages

    The most popular definition of a Chicana is a Mexican-American female who is raised in the United States. La Chicana “has minority status in her own land even though she is, in part, indigenous to the Americas and a member of one of the largest (majority) ethnic groups in the United States. She is a woman whose life is too often characterized by poverty racism, and sexism, not only in the dominant culture, but also within her own culture”1 The term Chicana was coined during the Chicano Movement by Mexican American women who wanted to establish social, cultural, and political identities for themselves in America. Chicana refers to a woman who embracers her Mexican culture and heritage, but simultaneously, recognizes the fact that she is

    Read More

  • Themes In Mi Familia

    938 Words  | 4 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Summary Of From Out Of The Shadows By Viki L Ruiz

    895 Words  | 4 Pages

    In her book, From Out of the Shadows, Viki L. Ruiz argues the contributions to history that was made by farm workers, activists, leaders, volunteers, feminists, flappers, and Mexican women. She explores the lives of the innovative and brave immigrant women, their goals and choices they make, and how they helped develop the Latino American community. While their stories were kept in the shadows, Ruiz used documented investigations and interviews to expose the accounts of these ‘invisible’ women, the communities they created, and the struggles they faced in hostile environments. The narrative and heartfelt approach used by Ruiz give the reader the evidence to understand as well as the details to identify or empathize with.

    Read More

  • Review Of Rodolfo 'Gonzales' Speech: The Chicano Nationalist Movement

    834 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Avocado Lake Gary Soto Analysis

    1578 Words  | 7 Pages

    The Power of Hope Gary Soto brings the impoverished, crime filled streets of the Mexican-American communities where he grew up to life by “evoking the harsh forces that often shape the life for Chicanos” (“‘Gary Soto’: Poetry Foundation” p. 1). He combines an archetypal young love poem with the concept of poverty to create the powerful poem: “Oranges” (1985). Soto also works with the notion of old age and the importance of life in his somber poem: “The Seventieth Year” (1986).

    Read More

  • Quixote's Soldiers Summary

    741 Words  | 3 Pages

    For this book review, I am going to be talking about David Montejano’s book entitled Quixote’s Soldiers, A local history of the Chicano Movement, 1966-1981. The author’s purpose is very well explained and it is not hard to understand. The author clearly tries to explain different ideologies, individuals and organizations located in one of the Southwest’s major cities, San Antonio, Texas, during the late 1960s and early 190s. 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

    Read More

  • The Myth Of The Latin Woman Analysis

    1045 Words  | 5 Pages

    “The common denominator all Latinos have is that we want some respect. That 's what we 're all fighting for” - Cristina Saralegui. Judith Ortiz Cofer published the article, “The Myth of the Latin Woman,” where she expresses her anger towards stereotypes, inequality, and degradation of Latin Americans. Cofer explains the origins of these perceived views and proceeds to empower Latin American women to champion over them. Cofer establishes her credibility as a Latin American woman with personal anecdotes that emphasize her frustration of the unfair depiction of Latinos in society.

    Read More

More about Summary Of Yo Soy Joaquin

Open Document