Chicano literature first emerged in the mid-1960s and is notable for its early embrace of Spanglish in published literature as well as its use of hybrid forms and styles.[2][5] Chicana/o writers often include earlier published literature as residing within or as being a precursor to the tradition.[6][7] In addition to prose, Chicano poetry and playwriting are included as forms of Chicano literature.[3][5]
History
Chicano literature in the Chicano Movement
Octavio Romano helped establish Quinto Sol in 1967. It was the first publisher focused on Chicano literature.
Chicano prose was established as a distinct literary tradition in the mid-1960s.[1]José Antonio Villarreal’s Pocho (1959) is commonly cited as the first widespread Chicano novel.[3] Poets and writers in the 1960s defined themselves in their own terms, different from the white Anglo-Saxon protestant gaze that, as written by Alurista, sought to "keep Mexicans in their place."[8]
The first publishing house dedicated to Chicana/o writers was Quinto Sol, which was established in 1967 by Andres Ybarra, Nick Vaca, and Octavio Romano.[1] Early works which became benchmark's in the field of Chicano literature were Tomás Rivera’s ...y no se lo trago la tierra (1971) and Rudolfo Anaya's Bless Me, Ultima (1972).[1]Bless Me, Ultima used colloquial Spanglish in its linguistic form and inspired others to develop their own approach to Chicana/o themes.[2] Anaya is sometimes cited as the 'father' of Chicano literature.[9]
In a 1979 essay on Chicano literature, Arnulfo D. Trejo wrote that this literature was important in establishing a unique self-image for the Chicano: "the Chicano self-portrait is long overdue."[3] Trejo outline six qualities of the Chicano novel or narrative fiction:[3]
Chicana literature is a form of literature that has emerged from the Chicana Feminist movement. It aims to redefine Chicanaarchetypes in an effort to provide positive models for Chicanas. Chicana writers redefine their relationships with what Gloria Anzaldúa has called "Las Tres Madres" of Mexican culture (i.e. Our Lady of Guadalupe, La Malinche and La Llorona) by depicting them as feminist sources of strength and compassion.[11]
According to the Encyclopedia of Race, Ethnicity and Society, "Chicana feminist writings helped to develop a discourse in opposition to the Eurocentric frameworks." Chicana writing grew out of Chicana feminism, through the feminist journals founded since the 1960s – one of which led to Norma Alarcón's Third Woman Press; the assertions of Chicana feminism in essays; and the portrayal of the gender crisis in the Chicano Movement in the poetry and fiction of Chicana authors.[12]
Indigenous thematic developments
In the 1960s and 1970s, Chicano literature tended to primarily focus on a connection with Aztec history and culture, particularly through the homeland of Aztlán.[4] One exception was Pensamiento Serpentino (1973) by Luis Valdez, which drew on the Mayan concept of In Lak'ech ("you are the other me").[13]
Chicano prose is unique as a literary tradition for its strong embrace of hybridity in both its form and style. This often meant the inclusion or embrace of Spanish or Spanglish, the use of themes related to magical realism, and a integration of different literary genres into one work, such as fiction and autobiography.[2][3]
Chicano playwriting emerged in the 1960s firstly through the work of Luis Valdez with Teatro Campesino.[3] Chicano playwriting emerged with a dedication to the farmworker's political struggle for rights.[3] Valdez himself stated: "We don’t think in terms of art," but in terms of message to the audience.[3] By 1973, there were about thirty Chicano theater groups, including Teatro de la Esperanza under Jorge A. Huerta.[3]
References
^ abcdeCastillo, Rafael C. (2019). "Chicano Literature". Oxford Bibliographies. Retrieved 2023-01-25. Chicano literature is therefore written by a group of people who identify with the political, cultural, and social Chicano movement... to document the history of Chicano consciousness in the United States... Chicano literature then becomes a response and counter-narrative to the hegemony of American literature that excluded ethnic voices not germane to the Anglo-American literary heritage.
^ abcd"Introduction to Chicano Literature". anaya.unm.edu. Retrieved 2023-01-25. Although "Chicano" and "Mexican-American" are often used interchangeably, the former indicates an added political sensibility; an asserted self-awareness of a cultural identity that cannot be separated from social and material struggles for equality and inclusion.
^Pérez-Torres, Rafael (1995). Movements in Chicano poetry : against myths, against margins. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN0521470196. OCLC30783346.
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