Conclusion
In this chapter, you have learned about some of the foundational concepts and debates in Chicanx and Latinx Studies. There are many more topics that are covered in this field and opportunities for additional exploration and learning. This overview provides some of the key information and perspectives that can guide this process. By examining the roots of Chicanx and Latinx Studies within the movements for Ethnic Studies, we can recognize important theories and knowledge produced by Chicanx and Latinx communities to recognize a more truthful and accurate understanding of history, culture, politics, and society.
Furthermore, we have seen that Chicanx and Latinx Studies is similar to other Ethnic Studies fields because it is rooted in struggle and resistance for racial justice and in solidarity with movements for decolonization. These struggles inform the significance of scholarship and inquiry in these areas, including with respect to identity formation, language access, healthcare, politics, and more. While Chicanx and Latinx communities have experienced substantial barriers related to systemic racism, settler-colonialism, and other interlocking forms of exploitation, this has only served to motivate communities to rally for justice, equity, self-determination, and liberation.
Key Terms
- LULAC: League of United Latin American Citizens, a nationwide group committed to advancing the economic condition, educational attainment, political influence, housing, health and civil rights of Latinxs through community-based programs. LULAC created the little school of 400.
- East L.A. Blowouts: Also known as the East L.A. Walkouts, are widely regarded as catapulting the Chicano Movement forward in the late 60’s and through the 70’s. The Blowouts were a series of walkouts carried out in 1968 by Mexican American students in protest against the educational inequality they faced in their schools and classrooms.
- M.E.Ch.A.: Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán (Chicano Student Movement of Aztlan) was created in order to have a Mexican American united front (Muñoz, Jr., 2007, p.96). M.E.Ch.A was created because of the need to unify Chicanx and Mexican American student organizations at various campuses (Rosales, 1997, p. 183).
- Chicanx: Commonly accepted as “connoting political awareness or consciousness and refers to U.S. born persons of Mexican descent” (Vargas, 2017, p. xxi). Additionally, it has been used to reclaim a word that was originally pejorative, inverting it by rooting it in the positive of their existence within Aztlan. (Gonzalez, 2022, p. 117).
- Latinx: The term Latinx is developed as a method to drop the traditional patriarchal dichotomy of identifying simply as a male or female through ethnic identifiers such as Latinx.
- Indigenismo: An “Aztec-centric celebration of the Indigenous past of the nation, which often serves to erase the present and future of the sixty-three Indigenous pueblos of Mexico” and the millions of Indigenous peoples living around the world (Blackwell et al., 2017, p. 131).
- Chicanx Indigenous: It is a self-identity category used by people, unlike Hispanic or Latinx which emerged from western institutions. Chicanx is an identity term that originates from Xicano which stems from Mexicano that has roots in Mexica -- one of the central Indigenous groups in Mesoamerica (Anahuac).
- Anahuac: A nahua word, signifies someone from Mesoamerica.
- Mestizas/os/xs: A diverse population that has a combination of mixed heritage, often including Indigenous lineage, along with a combination of African and/or European backgrounds. Across these diverse groups, some have experienced contemporary forced acculturation, and others have been taught to believe they can assimilate and be invested in the dominant Spanish or Anglo American cultural ways. The investment in whiteness is sometimes experienced through colorism when children are born as they may be referred to as being a güerita/o or morenita/o, if they have light or dark skin, respectively. Children’s light skin may be celebrated guided by the belief that they may eventually pass as white, which leads to identity conflict and pressure throughout development.
- Mestizaje: Mixed-race identity, emphasizing the multiple lineages that not only shape individual identity, but also the communities, cultures, languages, and traditions that we practice.
- Afro-Latinx: People from Latin America of African descent. The histories and identities of Afro-descendant people and Indigenous peoples in the Americas have been interacting and intertwined for centuries.
- Immigrant and Immigration Policy: Immigration policy is about the laws and policies that determine the process and number of people who can immigrate in various ways, whereas immigrant policy refers to the laws and regulations that impact immigrants currently residing in the country.
- Institutional health care is healthcare provided by hospitals, doctors, physicians, prescribed medications, surgical procedures, and psychiatric appointments, which typically involve insurance.
- Traditional Health: Indigenous ways of health and healing of cuerpo y alma (body and soul) mediated through curanderas/os (healers) or other specialists, like parteras (midwifes) and involves remedios (medicinal herbs), ceremonies, limpias (spiritual cleansings), sobaras/os (message), huezera/o (bone setter), informal counseling for bilis (rage), susto (fright), or envido (envy), ancestral foodways.
- Assimilation: The cultural (diet, language, dress, etc.), economic, and psychological pressures, especially for immigrants, to conform and reconfigure themselves to fit the culture of the dominant group.
- Latino Health Paradox: Immigrant Mexican and Latinx people will report better health and longer life expectancy compared to their acculturated Mexican origin and Latinx counterparts and European Americans of higher class statuses. Despite experiencing discrimination and institutional exclusion, which are typically risk factors that exacerbate bad health, recent migrants can carry forward strong traditions of resilience and well-being.
Discussion Questions
- Indigenous perspectives and western knowledge have conflicted over the beginning of human life on this planet, reflecting distinct standpoints. Recent evidence has shown that the hypothesis that humans in the western hemisphere migrated from Asia over a land bridge is not supported. Indigenous perspectives center on a relationship with the land since time immemorial. How do stories about where we come from shape our sense of self? How do these perspectives show a different understanding of the relationship between people and the land?
- Researchers, including Indigenous archeologists and anthropologists, continue to investigate these issues and identify new evidence about the historical conditions where human life developed. You can supplement your discussion with contemporary sources, such as the websites linked here:
- Students have been a major part of Chicanx and Latinx social movements. This includes advocacy around education and schools specifically, as well as broader movements for justice and liberation. Why are students uniquely situated to advocate for their communities?
- You can help guide this discussion by providing some examples of student advocacy as a jumping-off point. The websites linked in this list include just a few examples of student activism in Chicanx and Latinx social movements.
- Individuals who break through barriers are often celebrated for being the first of their kind, such as Sonia Sotomayor being appointed to be the first Latinx person on the U.S. Supreme Court. These figures become role models, or what some call “possibility models.” Why does it matter that people see others like them represented? How does this representation affect communities as a whole?
- You can inform this discussion by examining specific figures who have broken barriers in representation. The websites in this list contain some biographical descriptions that can be used as a starting place. It can be even more powerful to tailor these to your local context or a specific field of interest.
Journal Prompts
- Is there power in a name or in naming? Please write about one new organization or concept that you learned from this chapter. Please provide examples in your analysis.
- What is Chicanx and Latinx? What are the differences and similarities between these terms?
- Stories are vital because they are how we shape our own narratives and create self-assigned identities. The terms that we use to identify ourselves are part of the stories and narratives that we tell. What are the stories and narratives that you utilize to identify yourself?
Class Activities
Power Mapping
All advocacy is tailored toward a specific audience. The technique of “power mapping” can be used to identify potential viable targets for a social movement. As illustrated in Figure 7.99, the basic structure of power mapping is to create a chart. In this chart, the vertical axis is based on influence. At the top of the chart, you will place individuals and organizations that are the most influential with respect to your defined outcome. As you go down the chart, you will place individuals who are less influential. At the same time, the horizontal axis represents support or opposition, with the leftmost part of the chart being the most opposition, and the rightmost part of the chart being the most support
To complete the activity, create your own power map.
- Start by clearly defining an objective, which should be specifically defined. This might be a policy, or working to eliminate a concrete disparity, like improving high school graduation rates among Chicanxs and Latinxs, or addressing a specific health disparity within your city, county, or state.
- Then, begin filling out the chart relative to that issue by identifying individuals and organizations and estimating their amount of influence and support to place them on the chart.
- You can start with the folx you are most familiar with. You may want to also look up elected officials or policymakers, such as legislators, mayors, or appointed representatives. Some of these people and organizations will be listed in news articles on your topic.
- To complete the chart, identify the four groups that you have mapped:
- Champions: Individuals who are high in influence and support your objective.
- Supporters: Individuals who are low in influence and support your objective.
- Targets: Individuals who are high in influence but oppose your objective.
- Opponents: Individuals who are low in influence and oppose your objective.
- Finally, reflect on what you have learned from this process in a short written response (250-500 words), focusing on the question: how can the identified champions and supporters of your issue work to influence the targets and opponents?
- Note that successful social movements do not always win over all of their targets and opponents to become in favor of the objective. Sometimes the most effective way to meet an outcome is to move Targets from opposition to neutrality. And Opponents may continue to work against your objective, but this is not always impactful if they do not have influence.
Group Blog Assignment
- Demonstrate your interpretation of and engagement with a topic of your choice related to Chicanx and Latinx Studies.
- Address the following general prompts:
- How does the topic you chose to research relate to Chicanx and Latinx communities?
- What is the relationship between your topic and Chicanx and Latinx identities, along with intersectional factors?(for example, gender, sexuality, immigration status, or ability status)
- You should use multiple sources to inform your contribution, such as written text, images, music, videos, and more.
- Format Options
- For an individual assignment, you can complete this independently. It can also be completed as a group, either by having each student complete an individual assignment and sharing it in a group format (e.g., Canvas discussion, free blog site, online Jamboard), or by having people work in groups to formulate and execute their blog contributions.
- You can specify the format or a range of options for the format to make the blog post assignment more engaging. For example, instead of a traditional blog post, students can make Instagram stories or short videos.
