True Liberation from Oppression: El Plan De Aztlan response

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.

2 thoughts on “True Liberation from Oppression: El Plan De Aztlan response

  1. I completely agree with your whole post, from the response and ideas you have on the articles and films we have watched and towards the end when you give your statement. I think the mentality that men are the head of the household and women are the submissive part of the family is sadly still part of what we see today but I believe that this new generation of women is making a change in it. Women are not tolerating as much anymore and are becoming more independent. Yes, we rely on our mothers, grandmothers, ninas, and tias but for guidance and help when we truly need it and while we have their support I think women believe in themselves 100% more and are striving towards that success. If everybody had this kind of support women wouldn’t stay in those abusive relationships, wouldn’t second guess their ability, etc. I completely agree with your post.

  2. I agree on your perspective on the liberation from oppression, I had given similar insight to a fellow classmate in applying the same goals in the plan through a feminist perspective. With an increasing number of single-mother households indicates a transition of the patriarchal pillar to a matriarch environment. Within these households, mothers are taking on the role of the provider who is strong-minded and opinionated about the oppression they endure from the work to the home. Creating an environment like CSUDH that has a high amount of student-mothers shows women as ambitions and obtaining goals to be an example for their children.

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