Nationalism was defined as “the key to organization transcends all religious, political, class, and economic factions or boundaries” and this definition could be identified in the quote “por la raza toda, fuera de la raza nada”, this meant that anything that had to do with the people would fought for, but anything that did not belong with the people would be ignored. I believe that this is what nationalism is all about. Fighting for what with our own hands has been built and fight against those who wish to destroy that.
Another very important message sent through the El Plan de Aztlan was the organizational goals which included social, economic, cultural, political independence, independence from all of these meant true liberation. El Plan de Aztan identifies Unity, Economy, Education, Institutions, Self-defense, Cultural and Political as organizational goals that help accomplish liberation from oppression. These seven organizational goals serve the people as guidance for independence.
Can this plan be used as guidance for machismo liberation? Can this plan be applied to other issues around the world besides liberation from invasion of territory? In this essay, Awareness was very important. Do you believe that awareness is the key to true liberation? If everyone knows there is a problem, can the issues be solved completely?
El Plan De Aztlan http://classes.sscnet.ucla.edu/00W/chicano101-1/aztlan.htm
In the piece titled “El Plan Espiritual de Aztlan” there was an emphasis on “Organizational Goals” that are needed in order to achieve Chicana/o independence. There were seven goals in total but I will be linking the first set of goals and to Chicana feminism and the piece by Segura and Pierce “Chicana/o Family Structure and Gender Personality”. The conceptualization of the Chicana/o family is the strong male figure as the head and the submissive woman on the side. As we saw in the film “Chicana” the Chicana/o movement of the 60s and 70s was resistant to accept Chicana feminist thought, women were expected to play the role of the submissive and self sacrificing mother. Men were considered the head of the house and therefore part of the public sphere whereas women were part of the private sphere and focused on the undervalued domestic work. Authors Segura and Pierce note that much like the public sphere controls the private sphere, men control women. However, the goals of “El Plan Espiritual de Aztlan” set forth to gain independence through unity, economic control and education. Although these goals are important to both men and women, these goals are able to make the most difference in the lives of Chicana mothers. One key aspect of the Chicana/o culture is the big extended families. Mothers, like those in the film “Chicana”, rely on the support of their families in order to accomplish the goals they set for themselves. Even more so mothers rely on family to help fulfill their roles as mothers, CSUDH has a record number of student mothers. Although we, for I myself am a mother of two, are no strangers to the demands of the second shift, we rely on grandmas, ninas, tias, and other strong men and women in our lives to provide our children with the care and mothering they need while we work and go to school. Education, is also an a goal for Chicana/o independence which resonates with Chicana mothers. Once again CSUDH has a large Chicana mother student population. Higher education is important not just for better earning potential, but also for growing a strong base of awareness of, and resistance to oppression. Lastly, I want to cover the importance of economic oppression in the lives of Chicana mothers, once again we need to be reminded that oppression of any kind can have devastating effects but it is the combined effects of patriarchy and racism that leave Chicana mothers most vulnerable. We see the construction of submissive and self sacrificing mother seems to justify the economic oppression of the Chicana mothers. Whether we are unemployed, underemployed, over worked and/or underpaid mothers are a highly exploited work force. Without economic stability Chicana mothers often stay in abusive relationships, struggle to get an education, and are left at the mercy of broken social safety nets. This is yet another reason why Chicana mothers rely heavily on the extended family in order to survive.
I believe that the plan can be used as a guide to liberation from machismo if it is used the correct way. In order for it to be used the correct way, there would need to be a focus on the cause of machismo . El Plan de Aztlan focuses on liberating the Chicano nation as a whole but does not have a set focus on liberating women and men from machismo. When it comes to awareness, I believe that it is needed in order for someone to be able to achieve liberation. Awareness is needed in order to be liberated because without it there can not be a full appreciation of the problems that are faced. Also without awareness there is no understanding that problems are even present. I also think that if a problem is acknowledged by everyone it does not necessarily mean that it will be resolved. In order for a problem to be resolved all those who know about need to agree that it needs to come to an end. For example, machismo is an issue that both men and women know about but it still hasn’t been resolved. This is because not all men want it too end. I think that in order for a problem to end everyone who knows about it needs to want it to be resolved.
This plan can be used as guidance for machismo liberation, applying the organization goals into a macro-level, through a feminist perspective. The goals such as unity, economy, education, institutions, self-defense, cultural, and political liberation could illustrate how it could apply to women and their self-identity beyond the stereotypical norms. Each goal of El Plan de Aztlan discusses the important roles in which La Raza would be able capable of maintaining a structure within the organization and the community. Yes, this plan can be applied to other issues in the world because its the roots of a communal atmosphere and when the people at whole are given the same information that would help personal growth and awareness. We hear the current term “woke” in independent and underground journalism about the current generation regarding the political and economic oppression of people of color (i.e. African Americans, Latinos, and Asians). If La Raza format was applied and the people were given education and institutions that would enrich their mentality in contributing to society. Awareness could lead to true liberation because once the problem is clear and with our common understanding of good and bad will allow us to make a conscious decision. Discussions about topics that make people uncomfortable, confused, or xenophobic feelings- need to be happening in order for change to occur.