There are several theories concerning the origin of the term Chicano.
The four major themes of Chicanismo are generally considered to be: (1) the power of the creative earth and labor upon it (2) political transformation through collective efforts (3) strong familial ties extending back into Mesoamerican pre-history and (4) spiritually-influenced creative artistic imagination as reflected in the visual ARTS. 1.2 Mexican American cultural resistanceĬhicanismo is a cultural movement begun in the 1930s in the Southwestern United States by Mexican Americans to recapture their Mexican, Native American culture.Core values of the Chicano community includes culture and is often highlighted in Chicano poetry. There is a similar terrain in the work, but each may offer different elements to the work like sexuality. Chicano poetry becomes its own genre according to Pérez-Torres when a similar structure is represented throughout the poems.
Chicano poetry is diverse, but roots back to the same element of culture. This voice is the Chicano culture that is being highlighted throughout the poem. Despite their having cultivated all types of written and oral literature, many of their literary traditions persisted in order to preserve their cultural identity within an expanding and overwhelmingly aggressive "national" culture that did not recognize Spanish speakers as part of an ever-evolving "America." Ĭhicano poetry is different from other types of poetry in that there is a certain Chicano voice being told. In the same way that American poetry comprises the writing of the offspring of English and other European colonists to North America, so Chicano poetry and literature comprises the writing of the offspring of Latinos who either emigrated to the United States or were involuntarily included in the country due to the Mexican–American War of 1848.Ĭhicanos have been writing poetry in these lands that became the United States since the late-sixteenth century. The term " Chicano" is a political and cultural term of identity specifically identifying people of Mexican descent who are born in the United States. Chicano poetry is a branch of American literature written by and primarily about Mexican Americans and the Mexican-American way of life in society.