Chicana – CHST 404 – Chicana Feminisms

On Chicana Artists: Isis Rodriguez

Picking up on the subject of Chicana Symbols, I wanted to present one that came to mind when discussing the idea in class.

Chicana Art: Isis Rodriguez – a second-generation Latina, known in the Chicana art community for her cartoon-styled pieces. Specifically her series – Little Miss Attitude (1998), depicted Chicanas and Latinas in different ways. Although she was part of the art movement that was more about personal representation as opposed to covering the broader subject of Latina women, her works navigate through adolescence in a way many girls (especially Latina girls) can relate to. But unlike Coyolxauqui, neither her or her pieces stand as major symbols for the Chicana community, instead, Isis expresses herself through the symbols. Her pieces include images of the Virgin Mary, a native girl, and a “roughneck” chola girl, among others. All images of what a (Latina) girl has been, or could be seen as.

Thus the female symbols, like those for the Chicano movement, are varied and dynamic. Chicana feminists have taken advantage of their understanding of these women and their struggles as a way to display their current struggle.

#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 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?