Chicanismo as a Worldview
Chicanismo should become a formal area of study in various disciplines including philosophy, history, psychology, sociology among others toward the goal of being officially designated as a distinct culture within the USA. Scholars already working in these fields should devote research and writing to enhance our knowledge and appreciation for Chicanismo, this integral but largely ignored worldview within the broader American society.
Providing a philosophical framework for the culture and values which make up the world view of Mexican Americans can serve as a means to reinforce the identity of our community and unify the various facets of mexicanidad in the U.S. Writers, scholars and researchers need to examine the underlying ideals and values of our community, factors that draw us together because the impact of U.S. racism and discrimination have led to divisions psychologically and politically among Mexican Americans.
We are not a monolith in thinking or acting, but neither are there clear notions about our common history, the unifying nature of our indigeneity, and numerous other factors that can establish a stronger identity moving forward into the next 50 years. Within the Mexican American population are persons who do not speak or read Spanish, who have not grown up in traditional familias mexicanadas, who are politically diverse, educationally and economically challenged, and unaware of or even deny their indigenous roots.
The premise for my speaking of Chicanismo, a term which itself is not clear as to its origin, is that with the onset of the Chicano Movement, the term, Chicano, indicated a break with the past, specifically with the previous generation which wore various labels, Mexican-American, Latin-American, Latin, Spanish-speaking or worse, Spanish. Chicano entailed a political awareness and rejection of treatment which cast Mexican Americans in second-class status despite being citizens and significant contributors to the development of the U.S. as a nation.
The study of Chicanismo will provide the intellectual basis for curricula in Chicanan studies as well as direction for researchers, economists, social scientists and philosophers, and perhaps add nuances to our creativity as writers, artists, musicians and performers. It is a wide open field of study.
Providing a philosophical framework for the culture and values which make up the world view of Mexican Americans can serve as a means to reinforce the identity of our community and unify the various facets of mexicanidad in the U.S. Writers, scholars and researchers need to examine the underlying ideals and values of our community, factors that draw us together because the impact of U.S. racism and discrimination have led to divisions psychologically and politically among Mexican Americans.
We are not a monolith in thinking or acting, but neither are there clear notions about our common history, the unifying nature of our indigeneity, and numerous other factors that can establish a stronger identity moving forward into the next 50 years. Within the Mexican American population are persons who do not speak or read Spanish, who have not grown up in traditional familias mexicanadas, who are politically diverse, educationally and economically challenged, and unaware of or even deny their indigenous roots.
The premise for my speaking of Chicanismo, a term which itself is not clear as to its origin, is that with the onset of the Chicano Movement, the term, Chicano, indicated a break with the past, specifically with the previous generation which wore various labels, Mexican-American, Latin-American, Latin, Spanish-speaking or worse, Spanish. Chicano entailed a political awareness and rejection of treatment which cast Mexican Americans in second-class status despite being citizens and significant contributors to the development of the U.S. as a nation.
The study of Chicanismo will provide the intellectual basis for curricula in Chicanan studies as well as direction for researchers, economists, social scientists and philosophers, and perhaps add nuances to our creativity as writers, artists, musicians and performers. It is a wide open field of study.