 The
Basics
Chicana refers to women of Mexican descent born and/or raised in the United States. The term Chicana (and Chicano) came into popular usage during the Chicano movimiento of the 1960s and 70s as Mexican-American activists sought to define a cultural and political identity for themselves. Some believe that the term derives from the indigenous Mexica (Meh-sheik-a) tribes of Mesoamerica; others point out that the term was used as a derogatory reference to Mexican-Americans in the Southwest U.S. for many years, until it was reappropriated by activists. In the 1960s, the term was picked up by a generation In these pages, I use Chicana in the spirit of a continued critique of racial and gender inequality in the United States. For the record though, it's important to realize that many women of Mexican descent call themselves Mexicans, Mexicanas, Latinas, Mexican-American, or even Hispanic for a variety of significant, often personal, reasons. We call ourselves different names because we are diverse people--we are students, housewives, factory workers, lawyers, mothers, grandmothers, professors, administrators, educators, domestic workers, daughters, and so much more.
Chicana feminism means almost as many different things as there are different
Chicanas. For the |
of
activists to signify their uniquely American identity which meant two things:
1) acknowledged and took pride in their Mexican heritage, and 2)
demanded that white America acknowledge historic and persistent patterns
of racial inequality in legal, political, educational, and social opportunities
for Mexican-Americans. A Chicana or Chicano identity specifically
rejects the idea that we must deny our Mexican heritage in order to be
a 'real' American. To identify as Chicana means we are both Mexican
and
American.
purposes
of this space, I define Chicana feminism as a critical framework which
looks at inequalities along lines of race, class, gender, and sexuality
as they effect women of Mexican descent in the United States.
That means talking about sexism, racism, homophobia, and poverty as interlinked
issues.
Chicanas have launched important critiques of the Chicano movement, the
women's movement, and the gay/lesbian movement, challenging each to think
about the way racism, sexism, and homophobia are all embedded and interconnected,
not only in contemporary society, but in our own movements as well.
