Latinx Literature
Race
Gender
colorism
Racism
Blanket Weaver- Sandra Maria Esteves
"Weave us a song of many threads that will dance with the color of our people and covers us with the warmth of peace"
Violence
Nationalism
Puerto Rican Obituary -Pedro Pietri
The Puerto Rican people from New York City struggle to attain the "American Dream" a dream that is unreal. A cycle of Puerto Rican people overworked treated unfairly and lived with racial discrimination. "If only they had used the white supremacy bibles for toilet paper purpose and make their latino souls the only religion of their race"
Sexual Abuse
Women
Patriotism
Culture
Masculinity
Sexuality
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EL PLAN DE ASTLAN
Mentions how their culture unites and educates the family of La Raza towards freedom. Their cultural values of life serve as a powerful tool to defeat the gringo dollar value system. "We are a bronze people with a bronze culture" (pg1)
The Husband Stitch- Carmen Machado
This story shows how women are routinely abused. In Macado's story, the stitches that are permormed after childbirth often happens when women are sedated. This surgery is performed exclusively for the sexual pleasure of the men. Women oftten don't have a say on that.
How The Grcia Girls Lost Their Accents- Julia Alvarez
"In the dark, Fifi gave off a fresh, wholesome smell of clean flesh. It gave solace to the third daughter, who was always so tentaive and terrified and had such troubles with men. Her sister's breathing in the dark room was like having a powerful, tamed animal at the foot of her bed ready to protect her." Fifi has a very natural relationship with her own body & sexuality. She doesn't overthink things and that's what makes her "sexy".
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Down These Mean Streets- Piri Thomas
The maintenence of masculinity is a primary performance as Piri humilates women. Piri belittles women and leaves it for him to be in "control". Machismo carries over the value of male domination. When Piri catches Trina drinking and "talking with a guy who he knew was always on the make" (pg 112). Trina then runs in shame and fears Piri's reaction to her talking to another man and disobeying his orders not to drink. This shows how Piri devalues women as he forces her to comply with his rules.
My Favorite Thing Is Monsters- Emil Ferris
Sonja is killed by Anka's mother out of jealosy and Anka is sold into sexual slavery. Anka is raped by Herr Schutz who showed kindness to her. !
AmeRican- Tato Laviera In this poem, readers can observe the devotion in one's country as Laviera portrays such great things about her country "yes, for now, for I love this, my second land, and I dream to take the accent from the altercation, and be proud to call, myself american, in the u.s sense of the word, AmeRican, America!"
Yo soy Joaquin- Rodolfo "Corky" Gonzalez
The speaker in this poem is caught up and ultimately dismantled by racist structures of modern Anglo America "I must choose between the paradox of victory of the spirit, despite physical hunger, or to exist in the grasp of American social neurosis"
13 Point Program and Platform of the Young Lords Party "The people of Santo Domingo continue to fight aganist gringo domination and its puppet generals"
Cherrie Moraga Some of the most outspoken criticism of the Chicano Movement's sexism and some of the most impassioned activism in the area of Chicana liberation have been advanced by lesbians." (159)
Gloria Anzaldua The serpent symbolizes the soul. Together they smbolize the struggle between the spiritual/celestial/male and the underworld/earth/feminine. The symbolic sacrifice of the serpent to the "higher" masculine powers indicates that the patriarchal order had already vanquished the feminine and matriarchal order" (pg 27)