A hello/introduction.

Hi everyone.  I am a junior business major with international business for a minor.  I transferred into LMU as a sophomore and spent last spring semester in Korea.  I am interested in learning about different cultures, ethnicities, religions and history so that I may apply it to any future kinds of business that I get into, especially since I’m mixed with a few things: Puerto Rican, Japanese, Chinese, Hawaiian, and Polynesian.  Given this I thought a Chicano Feminism class would be an interesting topic to learn about.  I grew up with a mixed culture of both Asian and Hispanic backgrounds.  I don’t know too many other people in the same situation so I not only hope to learn a lot out of this class but hopefully add something unique to it as well.

Reading: Maylei Blackwell, ¡Chicana Power! (2)

Reading Assignment: Your reply (under Comments) is due before class on Wednesday, January 25. Remember, you don’t need to answer all or even any of the questions, but your response should demonstrate you’ve done and thought about the readings.

Maylei Blackwell, “Spinning the Record: Historical Writing and Righting,” ¡Chicana Power! 14 – 42.

Maylei Blackwell writes about the histories of Chicana feminism as constructed by both Chicano histories and Anglo feminism.  Are either of these histories ones you had encountered before? Where and when did you hear (prior to this course) about Chicana feminism?  When did you think it emerged?

What are the Chicano histories of Chicana feminism? According to Blackwell, how has it been historicized within Chicano scholarship? Are these histories you had heard before?  What does Blackwell mean by “vendida logic”?

What is Blackwell referring to when she discusses “East Coast regionalism”? What effect does this have on Chicana feminist history?  What are some of the problems Blackwell identifies with the way women’s history has constructed / depicted feminism in the 1960s and 1970s?  Whose history gets written? How can we read an alternate history?

Blackwell compares her methods of historiography to the styles and techniques of a DJ — how does she see that working? Does the metaphor make sense to you or does compare things that aren’t comparable?  Discuss some of the “gender insurgencies” Blackwell highlights.

 

#CHST404 Chicana/o Tweets 2/23/12

Today we’re starting our discussion of Maylei Blackwell’s book, ¡Chicana Power!: Contested Histories of Feminism in the Chicano Movement.  Here are some class tweets based on readings of the introduction:

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Reading: Maylei Blackwell, ¡Chicana Power! (1)

Reading Assignment: Your reply (under Comments) is due before class on Monday, January 21.  Remember, you don’t need to answer all or even any of the questions, but your response should demonstrate you’ve done and thought about the readings.

Maylei Blackwell, “Introduction,” ¡Chicana Power! 1 – 13.

Based on the introduction, how will this book be different from the writings we’ve read up to this point?  What does Blackwell mean by “retrofitted memory”? Can you think of other applications for the concept?

Do you consider Chicanos and Chicanas to be a colonized people? Why or why not? How do the ideas of colonialism influence the development of feminism?

Blackwell mentions “hegemony” but doesn’t define it. What’s your understanding of the word and how it can be used to discuss the Chicano movement and the emergence of Chicana feminism?


#CHST404 2/20/12: Chicana/o Tweets

The Chicana Feminisms class tweets (#CHST404) have generated some good questions and points on the assigned readings.  In case you missed them, here’s a selection.

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Photo Credit:Ernestina Garcia

Reading Alma Garcia’s Chicana Feminist Thought (3)

Reading Assignment: Your reply (under Comments) is due before class on Friday, January 20.  Remember, you don’t need to answer all or even any of the questions, but your response should demonstrate you’ve done and thought about the readings.

    • Estelle B. Freedman, “Race and the Politics of Identity in U.S. Feminism” (from Unequal Sisters 1-14),

Readings from Alma García’s Chicana Feminist Thought

  • Elena Hernández, ”La Chicana y ‘El Movimiento,’” (83-86)
  • Anna NietoGomez, “La Femenista” (86-92)
  • Enriqueta Vasquez, “¡Soy Chicana Primero!” (197-199)

Optional: Here Comes Everybody – Chapter Two

If you were writing a message to Chicanas and Latinas now, what would you say? What do you feel the most significant issues are? (Note: this could be the basis of a blog post.)  Where do you see Chicanas as fitting in to the larger U.S. women’s movement, as discussed by Freeman?

Is there still any taboo against divorce? If so, do you think divorce effects women and men equally? If not, what do you think has changed?

Based on your readings so far, where was the resistance to feminism coming from for both Chicanas and Chicanos in the Movement? Do you agree with Hernández that Chicanas couldn’t afford to fight against their men? What about NietoGomez’s writing that Chicanas have specific issues that the Movement must address? Do these attitudes contradict or complement? From what you’ve read so far, do you agree with NietoGomez that the split between Chicanas was one between Loyalists and Feministas? What does she see as the differences between Anglo feminism and Chicana feminism? What stereotypes about Chicanas and Latinas do the writings address?

 

 

Viva la Chicana

                The reading that I thought was one I could relate to was probably “Viva la Chicana and All Brave Women of La Causa.” There was a particular line that stood out to me which says that the Chicana of today is the “Chicana who wants to be more than a wife, mother and housekeeper” because it relates to today’s era. Women now more than ever are pursuing higher education and trying to succeed in life to be more independent and be able to provide for them and support themselves. Even though in many different cultures a women is still supposed to be the perfect housewife and mother, women are also trying to be more independent now and I think that the woman that is trying to do more than that is depicted in every single young Chicana or “Chicanita” as they say in the reading that is a college student. A woman pursuing and education and a higher degree is one that wants to pursue a career and be successful on their own account. Older generations were expected to be stay-at-home mothers but I believe the new generation is highly encouraged not to do that anymore. From a personal experience this is actually something that I always hear my father say, he wants me to have a successful career with the purpose of that being not to ever have to become dependent of any man to have a good living standard.

I really liked the descriptions in Lorna Dee Cervantes’ poetry and think that the mixture of English and Spanish in her and Anna NietoGomez’ poems make them more meaningful and definitely more powerful. The combination of the languages cannot only be seen as a representation of what is advocated for in the poem which is the unity of men and women, but it can also serve as a means to have the audience relate to it. The Spanish language is an important component of the Latino culture and to intermix this into the poem shows more credibility from the authors and also creates a more of an inviting audience for Latinos reading this because they know exactly what these words mean. Another way to think about this is that as “La Raza” moves forward, it brings a new mentality and creates new ideas, but it does not forget the old ones. Spanish being the first Native language of Chicanos, represents the beginning of the movement, therefore bringing the two languages together also captures that idea.

Invitation to Screening: “The Purepecha: Poorest of the Poor”

Professor KarenMary Davalos wants me to invite all of you to attend this event — I’m going to be there — it should be very good.

o0o

You and a guest are cordially invited to attend:

“The Purepecha: Poorest of the Poor”

SCREENING & PANEL PRESENTATION
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 – 7-8:30 pm
@ William H. Hannon Library

In Celebration of Hispanic Heritage

Moderated by:
Invited Guest Panelists: Former U.S.District Court Judge, Stephen Larson, LMU Chair/Assoc. Professor, Chicana/o Studies, Dr. Karen Mary Davalos, UFW President, Arturo Rodriguez, and two time CINE Golden Eagle Award-winning filmmaker, Cheryl Quintana Leader (Indivision 2000 Productions)

A young Latina ventures out one summer day to discover a place called Duroville in the Eastern Coachella Valley – a mere two and a half hours from her own home in a disadvantaged neighborhood. She always thought she was poor until she discovers firsthand the conditions under which these migrant families live and work.

Cited by both First Lady, Michelle Obama & Oprah Winfrey, “The Purepecha: Poorest of the Poor” documents the historical ruling by then U.S. District Court Judge Stephen Larson, who realized that those providing our fruits and vegetables are being caught in the crossroads of our Nation’s incongruous immigration and agricultural policies.

His ruling provided for a community of 2-6,000 poor families, (several whom are uneducated, disenfranchised and in many respects exploited), adequate and safe housing. Stating,

“On the one hand, the U.S. portends that the undocumented workers lack legal status while at the same time predicating the economic efficiency of an agricultural industry on their hard work.  It appears that the U.S. has once again, established a rather ‘peculiar institution’ to service our agrarian needs.”

R.S.V.P. ~ Let me know if you want to come. It sounds interesting and would be a good topic to blog about.  You can also email your R.S.V.P. to Professor KarenMary Davalos.

Hello my name is…

Hello! My name is Erika Meza and I am a junior Applied Math/Spanish double major. I am from Wilmington, CA, not too far from LMU. This is my first Chicano Studies/Women Studies course at LMU. I became interested in the content of the class becuase I think there is a lot to learn from the progress that Chicana women have made over the past years. My mother was born and raised in Mexico and while she always tells me stories, I am very interested in knowing more about the history of the “Mexican woman” and how the struggles and advances that they have been through have changed up until today for other fellow Chicanas. I am not entirely sure of what will come after LMU, but I would like to take the opportunity to learn more about my culture starting with this class. The content sounds great and I am very excited to learn more about it!

Reading: Alma Garcia’s Chicana Feminist Thought (2)

Reading Assignment: Your reply (under Comments) due before class on Wednesday, January 18.  Remember, you don’t need to answer all or even any of the questions, but your response should demonstrate you’ve done and thought about the readings.

o0o

Tessie Liu “Teaching the Differences Among Women from a Historical Perspective: Rethinking Race and Gender as Social Categories” (from Unequal Sisters 29-40),

Readings for Alma Garcia, Chicana Feminist Thought

  •  ”A Chicana Message” (35)
  • “Empieza La Revolution Verdadera” (73)
  • “Para Un Revolucionario” (74-75)
  • “Viva La Chicana and All Brave Women of La Causa” (80-81)
  • “El Movimiento and the Chicana” (81-82)

Are the “Anonymous” articles different from the signed ones?  What power does it invest or take away from someone to sign an article “A Chicana” or “Anonymous” rather than with their name?  Why do you think these articles were unsigned? Do you agree with the authors ideas about gender, sex and competition?

In reading Tessie Liu’s section of Unequal Sisters, “Teaching the Differences Among Women from a Historical Perspective,” she opens by stating “we must recognize that race is a gendered category.”  Are you convinced? Do you see race gendered as gendered, and if so, how? In what ways do you think the term “Latina/o” or “Chicana/o” are racial? In what ways are they not?  How does race complicate ethnicity?

Using all the readings, what do you see as problems circa 1960s and 1970s (and now too) with the idea of universal sisterhood between all women?  In what ways is it similar (and / or in conflict) with ideas of nationalism?  Especially for those of you that see yourselves as teachers (or future teachers at least), do you think Liu is right in saying that white is the universal normal, is the default?  How do Latinas fit into that paradigm?  When do you feel like an insider in terms of race and / or gender? When like an outsider?

Reading the poems by Lorna Dee Cervantes and Anne NietoGomez, how and why do the authors deploy English and Spanish? Is the discussion of union between men and women in NietoGomez sexualized? If so, how?  How about in Cervantes?

Which of readings seems most relevant to you now and why?  Which seem dated or outside your experience?

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The video I mentioned in class Black & Latino.  Please watch it when you get a chance. It’s about 10 minutes long.