DOCSLIB.ORG

CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE Black and Brown

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE Black and Brown: The Impact of Chicana/o Studies on Chicanas/os’ Perceptions of African-Americans A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements For the degree of Master of Arts in Chicano and Chicana Studies By Luis M. Rodriguez May 2016 ! Copyright by Luis M. Rodriguez 2016 ii The thesis of Luis M. Rodriguez is approved: __________________________________________ __________________ Dr. Theresa Montano Date __________________________________________ __________________ Dr. Rosemary Gonzalez Date __________________________________________ __________________ Dr. Rosa RiVera-Furumoto, Chair Date California State University, Northridge iii Acknowledgement I would like to thank Dr. Rosa RiVera-Furumoto for her continued patience in this writing process. Her passion and commitment to students and education encouraged and guided me during my darkest moments of writing this thesis. I also want to acknowledge the efforts of the entire Chicana/o Studies Department and their continued support. I want to thank previous, current, and future generations of Chicana/o Studies scholars and activists. May your efforts continue to grant access to higher education to marginalized communities. iv Dedication I dedicate this thesis to my mother, Francisca Rodriguez. May you rest in peace and live through these words. I dedicate this thesis to my beautiful wife, Elizabeth Gutierrez Rodriguez. This thesis represents the ups and downs that we consciously choose to relish and withstand. I look forward to a lifetime of holding hands. Te amo! To my beautiful children, you amaze me everyday. Your happiness makes everything better. Never stop smiling. v Table of Contents Copyright ii Signature Page iii Acknowledgments iv Dedication v Abstract xi Chapter 1: Introduction 1 Problem Statement 1 Goals of This Research Study 5 Need for Research Regarding Black and Brown Relations 7 Need for Research Regarding Impacts of Chicana/o Studies on RID 9 Overview of Chapters 11 Chapter 2: Literature Review 13 Why History Matters 13 Need to Understand Black and Brown Relations in Los Angeles 14 Black and Brown Relations in Los Angeles: Conflicted or United? 15 Competition: Access to Jobs & Education 15 Deconstructing Theories of Competition 16 Black and Brown Relations: A Colonial Context 20 Black and Brown Unity: A Historical Context 21 The 1960s: The Radical Left 21 The 1960s: Black and Brown Coalitions 24 Education: The 1968 Blowouts (Student Walk Outs) 27 Community Organizing 28 Mothers Reclaiming Our Children (Mothers ROC) – 1980s 28 Community Coalition 30 Environmental Justice 31 Wal-Mart in Inglewood 31 Los Angeles Uprising (Riots): April 24, 1992 32 2008: Our First Black President 34 Ongoing Tensions/Challenges for Black and Brown Unity… 35 The Media 36 African-American Views on Immigration 37 Ongoing Common Concerns 39 Jails 40 Economic Concerns and Job Opportunities 40 Lack of Public Space 41 Summary of Issues Preventing Black and Brown Unity 41 Examples of Black and Brown Sharing Community Organizations 42 The Black and Brown Brotherhood 42 Youth Action 43 SCOPE 43 Colorful Flags Program 44 Chapter 3: Healing: Popular Culture and Ethnic Studies Departments 45 Fusion(s) of Expression… 45 Examples of Black Brown Critically Sharing Popular Culture 46 Lowriders 48 Music 50 Brown-Eyed Soul 50 More Recent Musical Amalgams 51 Hip-Hop 52 Healing through Ethnic Studies 54 Ethnic Studies (Chicana/o Studies) v. Multicultural Education 54 Historical Context: A United Movement in Universities to Resist Oppression 57 Origins of Chicana/o Studies 60 Chicana/o Studies on Interracial Relations 63 Chapter Summary 66 Chapter 4: Theoretical Framework 67 Defining Race and Ethnicity 68 Debunking the Black and White Binary 69 Ethnic Identity Development Theory 71 Phinney’s Three Stage Ethnic Identity Model 72 Ruiz’ Chicana/o/Latino Ethnic Identity Model 73 Critique of Ethnic Identity Theories 74 Racial Identity Development Theory (RIDT) 75 An Overview of Racial Identity Development Models 78 Helm’s People of Color Racial Identity Model 79 Racial Identity Development and College 82 Explicitly Facilitating Racial Identity Development in the College… 87 Chapter 5: Methodology 90 Method of Analysis 90 Types of Interviews 91 Data Analysis Methods 94 Sample/Participants 95 Ethics 97 Chapter 6: Research Findings 100 Meet the Participants 102 Parental College Support 106 Defending Chicana/o Studies to Parents 107 Access to Language 109 Pathway to Attending College 110 High School Experiences 110 Familial Views Toward African-Americans 112 Friendships and Peer Attitudes Toward African-Americans 115 Social Justice 117 Student Activism 118 Student-Professor Relationships 120 Chicana/o Studies and Racial Identity Development 121 Racial Identity: Stage v. Status 123 Black, Brown, and Chicana/o Studies 124 Black, Brown, and Other People of Color 127 Chapter 7: Conclusion 130 Limitations and Implications: Tips for Future Research(ers) 130 Future Research 131 Recommendations: Tips from Aztlan 134 Popular Culture as a Means to Improve Racial Identity 136 Works Cited 139 Appendix A: Interview Questions 157 Abstract Black and Brown: The Impact of Chicana/o Studies on Chicanas/os’ Perceptions of African-Americans By Luis M. Rodriguez Master of Arts in Chicano and Chicana Studies This study examines the relationship(s) between African-American (Black) and Chicana/o (Brown) communities. The study provides positive, negative, historical, and contemporary examples of Black and Brown interactions. The study presents a discussion of Chicana/o Studies and Racial Identity Development in order to expand existing discussions of Black and Brown relations and discussions of the benefits of Chicana/o Studies. The following queries helped guide this research project: 1) What spaces do Chicanas/os and African-Americans share?; 2) What specific factors found in Chicana/o Studies impact the Racial Identity Development of Chicana/o Studies majors; 3) How does participation in Chicana/o Studies impact Chicanas/os’ perceptions of African-Americans? This research was, in part, conducted in an attempt to explore the idea of Chicana/o Studies serving as a medium for improving relations between Chicanas/os and African-Americans. Six recent Chicana/o Studies graduates were interviewed to explore how Chicana/o Studies impacted their Racial Identity xi # Development. Results suggest a positive relationship between Chicana/o Studies and Chicanas/os’ perceptions of African-Americans. Furthermore, the findings suggest that students who completed their Bachelor of Art’s in Chicana/o Studies also showed a positive relationship with their own individual Racial Identity Development. Suggestions for future research are presented at the end of this study. xii # Chapter 1 Introduction Problem Statement Black and Brown students are denied access to an education that teaches them their inherent dignity and hence know how beautiful they are. They are denied the necessary tools to understand and deconstruct racism in their lives, and they are not in an environment that fosters a healthy racial identity. The result can be feelings of shame, guilt, hate, and sometimes, even violence. Too often, throughout my childhood other Chicanas/os and used the term nigger around me in reference to African-Americans. They assumed it would not bother me because, well, it must not have bothered any other Chicanas/os they used it around. For a while, the word did not bother me. In fact, for a part of my adolescent years, I also used the word as a term of endearment with my friends. How I used the word did not justify its usage. Later, as an educator at a Middle/High Non-Public School, my young Chicana/o students continue to call African-American students niggers. They use the word in a negative and hateful context. They call young African-American students this word because racism is so undeniably existent in all facets of public life of the United States, including education. Young Chicanas/os are left with almost no option but to grow up learning to hate the color of their own skin and any skin that is darker than theirs (often African-Americans). 1 As a Los Angeles born and raised individual, I grew up thinking of myself as a part of an international and multicultural community within a much broader Los Angeles. The rich abundance of diversity in Los Angeles has influenced my personal experiences in and outside of school. However, my earliest vivid memory of diversity is a traumatic one; nonetheless, it is one worth explaining in order to contextualize my passion for understanding and embracing diversity. For my entire four years as a student at Inglewood High School from 1997 to 2001, there were annual race riots between Black and Brown students. Every May 5th, the racial tension in my school reached a level that ended in fighting and police intervention. This memory continues with me today as a constant reminder of the importance that respecting and critically understanding diversity has within an educational environment. I could speak volumes about personal instances where racist comments were made towards African-American in front of me. However, what is more important is how I was able to overcome my internalized racism and understand the importance for Chicanas/os to challenge a colonial mentality. Students of color are systematically denied the opportunity to engage with and experience a curriculum that reflects their histories and styles of learning. Furthermore, the educational system that is currently in place habitually ignores social justice issues. The traditional liberal approach to education in the United States has promoted a pedagogy that does not encourage students to use the classroom as a space to resolve or improve societal issues. Chicana/o Studies and all Ethnic Studies were intended to change this. Acuña writes, “The role of Chicana/o Studies is to organize and systemize 2 the knowledge of people of Mexican descent, as well as to serve as a pedagogical tool to educate and motivate the massive numbers of Mexican Americans and Latinas/os in the United States” (xxi).
Recommended publications
  • DOCUMENT RESUME Chicano Studies Bibliography

    DOCUMENT RESUME Chicano Studies Bibliography

    DOCUMENT RESUME ED 119 923 ric 009 066 AUTHOR Marquez, Benjamin, Ed. TITLE Chicano Studies Bibliography: A Guide to the Resources of the Library at the University of Texas at El Paso, Fourth Edition. INSTITUTION Texas Univ., El Paso. PUB DATE 75 NOTE 138p.; For related document, see ED 081 524 AVAILABLE PROM Chicano Library Services, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas 79902 ($3.00; 25% discount on 5 or more copies) EDRS PRICE MF-$0.83 HC-$7.35 Plus Postage DESCRIPTORS Audiovisual Aids; *Bibliographies; Books; Films; *library Collections; *Mexican Americans; Periodicals; *Reference Materials; *University Libraries IDENTIFIERS Chicanos; *University of Texas El Paso ABSTRACT Intended as a guide to select items, this bibliography cites approximately 668 books and periodical articles published between 1925 and 1975. Compiled to facilitate research in the field of Chicano Studies, the entries are part of the Chicano Materials Collection at the University of Texas at El Paso. Arranged alphabetically by the author's or editor's last name or by title when no author or editor is available, the entries include general bibliographic information and the call number for books and volume number and date for periodicals. Some entries also include a short abstract. Subject and title indices are provided. The bibliography also cites 14 Chicano magazines and newspapers, 27 audiovisual materials, 56 tape holdings, 10 researc°1 aids and services, and 22 Chicano bibliographies. (NQ) ******************************************14*************************** Documents acquired by ERIC include many informal unpublished * materials not available from other sources. ERIC makes every effort * * to obtain the best copy available.
  • By Patrick James Barry a Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of The

    By Patrick James Barry a Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of The

    CONFIRMATION BIAS: STAGED STORYTELLING IN SUPREME COURT CONFIRMATION HEARINGS by Patrick James Barry A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (English Language and Literature) in the University of Michigan 2015 Doctoral Committee: Professor Enoch Brater, Chair Associate Professor Martha Jones Professor Sidonie Smith Emeritus Professor James Boyd White TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 SITES OF THEATRICALITY 1 CHAPTER 2 SITES OF STORYTELLING 32 CHAPTER 3 THE TAUNTING OF AMERICA: THE SUPREME COURT CONFIRMATION HEARING OF ROBERT BORK 55 CHAPTER 4 POISON IN THE EAR: THE SUPREME COURT CONFIRMATION HEARING OF CLARENCE THOMAS 82 CHAPTER 5 THE WISE LATINA: THE SUPREME COURT CONFIRMATION HEARING OF SONIA SOTOMAYOR 112 CHAPTER 6 CONCLUSION: CONFIRMATION CRITIQUE 141 WORK CITED 166 ii CHAPTER 1 SITES OF THEATRICALITY The theater is a place where a nation thinks in public in front of itself. --Martin Esslin, An Anatomy of Drama (1977)1 The Supreme Court confirmation process—once a largely behind-the-scenes affair—has lately moved front-and-center onto the public stage. --Laurence Tribe, Advice and Consent (1992)2 I. In 1975 Milner Ball, then a law professor at the University of Georgia, published an article in the Stanford Law Review called “The Play’s the Thing: An Unscientific Reflection on Trials Under the Rubric of Theater.” In it, Ball argued that by looking at the actions that take place in a courtroom as a “type of theater,” we might better understand the nature of these actions and “thereby make a small contribution to an understanding of the role of law in our society.”3 At the time, Ball’s view that courtroom action had an important “theatrical quality”4 was a minority position, even a 1 Esslin, Martin.
  • Transculturalism in Chicano Literature, Visual Art, and Film Master's

    Transculturalism in Chicano Literature, Visual Art, and Film Master's

    Transculturalism in Chicano Literature, Visual Art, and Film Master’s Thesis Presented to The Faculty of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Brandeis University Department of Global Studies Jerónimo Arellano, Advisor In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts in Global Studies by Sarah Mabry August 2018 Transculturalism in Chicano Literature, Visual Art, and Film Copyright by Sarah Mabry © 2018 Dedication Here I acknowledge those individuals by name and those remaining anonymous that have encouraged and inspired me on this journey. First, I would like to dedicate this to my great grandfather, Jerome Head, a surgeon, published author, and painter. Although we never had the opportunity to meet on this earth, you passed along your works of literature and art. Gleaned from your manuscript entitled A Search for Solomon, ¨As is so often the way with quests, whether they be for fish or buried cities or mountain peaks or even for money or any other goal that one sets himself in life, the rewards are usually incidental to the journeying rather than in the end itself…I have come to enjoy the journeying.” I consider this project as a quest of discovery, rediscovery, and delightful unexpected turns. I would like mention one of Jerome’s six sons, my grandfather, Charles Rollin Head, a farmer by trade and an intellectual at heart. I remember your Chevy pickup truck filled with farm supplies rattling under the backseat and a tape cassette playing Mozart’s piano sonata No. 16. This old vehicle metaphorically carried a hard work ethic together with an artistic sensibility.
  • News Nepantla

    News Nepantla

    UCSB Chican@ Studies Newsletter, Fall 2010, No. 3 News Nepantlfrom a LITERARY GREATS VISIT UCSB The 8th annual Luis Cisneros’s Leal Award for forthcoming book, Distinction in Writing in Your Chicano/Latino Pajamas. She Literature was introduced selected awarded on October readings from the 28, 2010 to Jimmy work‐in‐progress Santiago Baca. with comments on Named after her community Professor Luis Leal service work, who died in early encouraging 2010 at the age of everyone to pick up a 102 and who was pen and paper and one of the pioneers engage the art of in the study of literature. ‘Write the Chicano literature, first draft as if you the award honors a Jimmy Santiago Baca and Sandra Cisneros give talks co‐sponsored by the are talking to your writer on Chicano/ Department of Chican@ Studies. best friend. Latino subjects who Completely honest. literacy and of writing and has Her slippers shuffling across has achieved national and Like you were comfortable become one of the major the stage, Sandra Cisneros international acclaim through talking to them even wearing poets and writers in the approached the podium in a substantial body of work. pajamas.’ United States. bright blue pajamas sporting Jimmy Santiago Baca, a The audience was Baca has written more than multi‐colored polka dots. native of New Mexico, is a enthralled as Cisneros read a eleven volumes of poetry. In Hundreds of students powerful and courageous short story following the 2001 he published his accompanied by community voice as a poet, short story narrator through her gripping and powerful members (one stating in the writer, memoir writer, community in search of both a autobiography A Place to Q&A session that he traveled essayist, and novelist.
  • Mexicans and World War II 45

    Mexicans and World War II 45

    Mexicans and World War II 45 Mexicans and World War II: Change and Continuity Matthew Lesh Third Year Undergraduate, University of Melbourne ‘They served us beer but not food [at the drive-in movie theatre]. They told us, ‘No, we don’t serve Mexicans’, World War II veteran Natividad Campos recalled, ‘I felt pretty bad because I felt I was just as American as anybody else’.1 Campos’ experience reflected that of thousands of Mexican Americans trying to belong in a world in which they were considered non-white and consequently plagued by discrimination.2 This challenge of belonging encapsulated the Mexican American wartime experience. On the home front Mexicans stood out as patriotic supporters of the war effort. They took up various jobs in war industry, migrated to America to work in agriculture, and raised money to buy war bonds. In the military, Mexican Americans excelled in various capacities, served in combat roles out of proportion to their numbers, and received more decorations for bravery than any other ethnic group.3 During the war, Mexican Americans experienced changes in treatment and an increase in opportunity. Nevertheless, discrimination continued in education, the workplace, restaurants, in public facilities, and in housing. World War II was a turning point in which Mexican Americans were invigorated to fight against this injustice following the clash of an increased sense of self-worth, created by the contribution to the war effort, and the ongoing experience of racism.4 This article investigates this turning point by exploring the experiences of Mexican Americans before, during, and after World War II.
  • Justice and Injustice in Three Mexican-American Playwrights

    Justice and Injustice in Three Mexican-American Playwrights

    MAN'S INHUMANITY TO MAN: JUSTICE AND INJUSTICE IN THREE MEXICAN-AMERICAN PLAYWRIGHTS by JOSHUA AL MORA, B.A., M.A. A DISSERTATION IN • SPANISH Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Texas Tech University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Approved Accepted Dean of the Graduate School December, 1994 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to take this time to thank the members of my dissertation committee: Dr. Janet Perez, Dr. Harley Oberhelman, Dr. Wendell Aycock and Dr. Roberto Bravo. A special thanks goes out to Dr. P6rez who worked very closely with me and spent many hours reading and editing my dissertation. A special note of thanks goes out to all of my committee members for their belief in me and their inspiration during what have been the most difficult times of my life. Thank you for offering your help and for all you did. A special thank you also to the Department of Classical and Modern Languages at Texas Tech University and the faculty and staff for all of your support and encouragement. Esta obra va dedicada a mi padre, que en paz descanse, y a mi madre quienes con mucha paciencia esperaron que yo terminara. Gracias a su fe y sus oraciones se cumplib esta obra. 11 TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii ABSTRACT iv I. INTRODUCTION 1 II. THE ROOTS OF CHICANO AND OTHER TERMS 40 III. THE WAR IN THE FIELDS 72 IV. THE STRUGGLE TO ENTER THE UNITED STATES 113 V. IN SEARCH OF RESPECT IN THE SCHOOLS 148 VI.
  • Los Veteranos—Latinos in WWII

    Los Veteranos—Latinos in WWII

    Los Veteranos—Latinos in WWII Over 500,000 Latinos (including 350,000 Mexican Americans and 53,000 Puerto Ricans) served in WWII. Exact numbers are difficult because, with the exception of the 65th Infantry Regiment from Puerto Rico, Latinos were not segregated into separate units, as African Americans were. When war was declared on December 8, 1941, thousands of Latinos were among those that rushed to enlist. Latinos served with distinction throughout Europe, in the Pacific Theater, North Africa, the Aleutians and the Mediterranean. Among other honors earned, thirteen Medals of Honor were awarded to Latinos for service during WWII. In the Pacific Theater, the 158th Regimental Combat Team, of which a large percentage was Latino and Native American, fought in New Guinea and the Philippines. They so impressed General MacArthur that he called them “the greatest fighting combat team ever deployed in battle.” Latino soldiers were of particular aid in the defense of the Philippines. Their fluency in Spanish was invaluable when serving with Spanish speaking Filipinos. These same soldiers were part of the infamous “Bataan Death March.” On Saipan, Marine PFC Guy Gabaldon, a Mexican-American from East Los Angeles who had learned Japanese in his ethnically diverse neighborhood, captured 1,500 Japanese soldiers, earning him the nickname, the “Pied Piper of Saipan.” In the European Theater, Latino soldiers from the 36th Infantry Division from Texas were among the first soldiers to land on Italian soil and suffered heavy casualties crossing the Rapido River at Cassino. The 88th Infantry Division (with draftees from Southwestern states) was ranked in the top 10 for combat effectiveness.
  • Brown Youth, Black Fashion and a White Riot by Margarita Aragon

    Brown Youth, Black Fashion and a White Riot by Margarita Aragon

    Brown Youth, Black Fashion and a White Riot By Margarita Aragon Table of Contents Preface: The Zoot Suit Riots………………………………………………………...2 I. Introduction: Made in America…………………………………………………..3 II. Sources……………….……………………………………………………………4 III. Background………………………………………………………………………7 IV. “Terrific as the Pacific, Frantic as the Atlantic”: From hipsters to pachucos, the zoot-suit from coast to coast…………………………………….....12 V. Zoot Suits and Service Stripes…………………………………………………21 VI. The Riots…………………………………………………………….…………27 VIII. Conclusion: Dismantling the Machine………………………….………….34 References………………………………………………………………...………..37 Brown Youth, Black Fashion, and a White Riot Preface: The Zoot Suit Riots In the 1940’s a large generation of Mexican American1 youth were coming of age in Los Angeles. Born and raised in the segregated, working class outskirts of urban America, they were captivated by black jazz culture and a number of them, who became known as pachucos, adopted the extravagant zoot-suit style. Importantly, unlike their parents, this generation was not content to adhere to the city’s strict racial barriers. To dominant white Los Angeles, unaccustomed to seeing Mexicans –much less Mexicans deliberately dressed to stand-out - in downtown shopping and entertainment districts, pachuco came to mean a Mexican delinquent. The pair of words rapidly became correlated to redundancy. In a self-generating spiral of escalation, the repressive policing of Mexican Americans provided the media fodder for stories about zoot suit crime, which they printed in an exaggerated and salacious manner. The crime wave stories ironically convinced that the public that the police were not in control, thus generating pressure for even heavier handed policing tactics. The hysteria peaked when a young Mexican national was found dead in August at a reservoir the press labelled the Sleepy Lagoon.
  • Sample Pages

    Sample Pages

    Table of Contents Preface . .vii How to Use This Book . .xi Research Topics for Defining Moments: The Zoot Suit Riots . .xiii NARRATIVE OVERVIEW Prologue . .3 Chapter One:Caught in the Currents of Empire and Conquest . .7 Chapter Two: Rising Tensions in California . .25 Chapter Three: A City on Edge . .43 Chapter Four: The Trial of the 38th Street Boys . .59 Chapter Five: The Zoot Suit Riots . .75 Chapter Six: Release from Prison . .91 Chapter Seven: Legacy of the Zoot Suit Riots . .107 BIOGRAPHIES Fletcher Bowron (1887-1968) . .125 Mayor of Los Angeles during the Sleepy Lagoon Trial and Zoot Suit Riots José Díaz (1919-1942) . .128 Mexican Farm Worker Whose Murder Resulted in the Sleepy Lagoon Trial Charles William Fricke (1882-1958) . .131 Judge Who Presided over the 1943 Sleepy Lagoon Murder Trial Alice Greenfield (1917-2009) . .134 Civil Rights Activist and Member of the Sleepy Lagoon Defense Committee v Defining Moments: The Zoot Suit Riots Henry “Hank” Leyvas (1923-1971) . .137 Mexican-American Defendant in the Sleepy Lagoon Murder Trial Carey McWilliams (1905-1980) . .141 American Journalist and Attorney Who Headed the Sleepy Lagoon Defense Committee Edward Roybal (1916-2005) . .145 First Hispanic-American Member of the Los Angeles City Council and Longtime U.S. Representative George Shibley (1910-1989) . .148 Defense Attorney in the Sleepy Lagoon Murder Trial PRIMARY SOURCES Anglo Squatters Swarm Mexican-Owned Haciendas in California . .153 Examples of Anti-Mexican Discrimination in 1930s America . .156 Depression-Era Los Angeles Targets Mexicans for Repatriation . .161 A Los Angeles Police Officer Issues a Racist Report on the Mexican “Element” .
  • George I. Sanchez and the Civil Rights Movement: 1940-1960

    George I. Sanchez and the Civil Rights Movement: 1940-1960

    George I. Sanchez and the Civil Rights Movement: 1940-1960 Ricardo Romo* This article is a tribute to Dr. George I. Sanchez and examines the important contributions he made in establishing the American Council of Spanish-Speaking People (ACSSP) in 1951. The ACSSP funded dozens of civil rights cases in the Southwest during the early 1950's and repre- sented the first large-scale effort by Mexican Americans to establish a national civil rights organization. As such, ACSSP was a precursor of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) and other organizations concerned with protecting the legal rights of Mexican Americans in the Southwest. The period covered here extends from 1940 to 1960, two crucial decades when Mexican Ameri- cans made a concerted effort to challenge segregation in public schools, discrimination in housing and employment, and the denial of equal ac- cess to public places such as theaters, restaurants, and barber shops. Although Mexican Americans are still confronted today by de facto seg- regation and job discrimination, it is of historical and legal interest that Mexican American legal victories, in areas such as school desegregation, predated by many years the 1954 Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education and the civil rights movement of the 1960's. Sanchez' pioneering leadership and the activities of ACSSP merit exami- nation if we are to fully comprehend the historical struggle of the Mexi- can American civil rights movement. In a recent article, Karen O'Conner and Lee Epstein traced the ori- gins of MALDEF to the 1960's civil rights era.' The authors argued that "Chicanos early on recongized their inability to seek rights through traditional political avenues and thus sporadically resorted to litigation ..
  • VINCENT VALDEZ the Strangest Fruit

    VINCENT VALDEZ the Strangest Fruit

    VINCENT VALDEZ The Strangest Fruit Staniar Gallery Washington and Lee University April 27–May 29, 2015 The Strangest Fruit Vincent Valdez Staniar Gallery Department of Art and Art History Washington and Lee University 204 West Washington Street Lexington, VA 24450 USA http://www.wlu.edu/staniar-gallery The Staniar Gallery endeavors to respect copyright in a manner consistent with its nonprofit educational mission. If you believe any material has been included in this publication improperly, please contact the Staniar Gallery. Copyright © 2015 by Staniar Gallery, Washington and Lee University, Lexington, Virginia All essays copyright © 2015 by the authors All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Layout by Billy Chase Editing in English by Kara Pickman Editing of Spanish translations by María Eugenia Hidalgo Preliminary Spanish translations by Mariana Aguirre, Mauricio Bustamante, Sally Curtiss, Franco Forgiarini, Ellen Mayock, Alicia Martínez, Luna Rodríguez, and Daniel Rodríguez Segura Printed and bound in Waynesboro, Virginia, by McClung Companies English and Spanish covers: Vincent Valdez, Untitled, from The Strangest Fruit (2013). Oil on canvas, 92 x 55 inches. © 2015 Vincent Valdez. Photo: Mark Menjivar MUDD CENTER EFGFoundation for ETHICS This catalogue has been funded in part by the Elizabeth Firestone Graham Foundation, the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities and Washington and Lee’s Roger Mudd Center for Ethics. The Strangest Fruit Vincent Valdez April 27–May 29, 2015 Staniar Gallery Washington and Lee University Lexington, Virginia Catalogue Contributors: Clover Archer Lyle William D.
  • Crime, Liminality, and the Uncanny in Early Chicano Literature

    Crime, Liminality, and the Uncanny in Early Chicano Literature

    Latin American Literary Review Goldwin Smith Hall, Cornell University • Ithaca, NY 14853 • 607-255-4155 Volume 44 / Number 88 2017 E-mail: [email protected] • Website: www.lalrp.net Are Pachucos Subalterns?: Crime, Liminality, and the Uncanny in Early Chicano Literature Paco Martín del Campo ABSTRACT: This article studies the novels of Daniel Venegas, Jovita González, and Américo Paredes that they wrote between 1928- 1938. Indigeneity, marriage, liminality, and volition are major themes in the works of each author, all of which analyze the state of Chicanos in the Southwest during the first decades after the Mexican Revolution. While their plots and characters differ, they are all rooted in the conflict between First Nations and colonial settlers and had to grapple with the existence of pachucos. Because it was necessary for pachucos and pachucas to mediate between their Mexican-born relatives and Euro-Americans, they best represented the state of Mexican America during that era. KEYWORDS: Indigeneity, la chicanada, crime and punishment, liminality, settler-colonialism From 1925 until 1938, three writers named Daniel Venegas, Jovita it is now much easier to access both of González’s works, which González, and Américo Paredes wrote novels that analyze the state she titled Caballero and The Dew on the Thorn, and Paredes’ George of Mexican emigrants and their children living in the U.S. Southwest Washington Gómez. The recovery project allowed Latina and Latino in the decades after the revolution. The characters of their novels intellectuals to analyze these novels in relation to those of contem- exhibited lingering effects from the U.S.-Mexico War, discrimination poraneous authors such as Venegas’ Las Aventuras de Don Chipote.