Chicano by choice ESSAY:
According to a new textbook, “Mexican American Heritage,” Chicanos “opposed Western civilization and wanted to destroy this society” — a description so ludicrous that I wonder how the authors, Jamie Riddle and Valarie Angle, came upon it.
Although outspoken, I’ve never had a revolutionary bone in my body. On the contrary, I always wanted to enrich this society by adding — adding another language, another art, another literature.
Here’s my definition: A Chicano is a Mexican born in the United States who became politically engaged to defend the rights of the Mexican-American community.
Chicanos organized strikes (huelgas), protest theater that took to the fields (teatro campesino), demonstrations and sit-ins. El movimiento Chicano was a civil rights movement that attempted to combat police brutality, racism and economic inequality. The leaders of the movement included Cesar Chavez, Marta Huerta, Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzalez, Luis Valdez and José Angel Gutiérrez.
I have been a Chicano ever since I was a schoolboy. That’s when I became sharply aware of the inequities in our society, and that’s also when I felt that my cultural heritage was in danger of disappearing. I was not allowed to speak Spanish in elementary, and when I did the teacher promptly took out a wooden rule and slapped me on my hand. By denying my language, I was being denied my culture.
I wanted to maintain the culture I had inherited from my parents, so I became a Chicano to fight against oppression and discrimination. I raised my fist for Chicano power in hope for a better world.
Others may choose not to be called Chicano, but I love the word for the assertiveness it invokes. I am a Chicano because I believe in helping the Latino community move forward, and by doing this I am contributing to improving the health of this country. Yo soy Chicano.