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Crossroads: Chicano Identity and Border Culture

by Bret Eynon and Donna Thompson, American Social History Project

The concept of identity is closely linked to questions of history, culture, and representation, as well as such issues as ethnicity, gender, class, and region. Some Chicano scholars have found the themes of “boundaries,” “resistance,” and “affirmation” to be vital in understanding and representing Chicano history and culture. In this activity you will identify and explore the complex ways that the theme of “borders” affect Chicano identity in the United States.

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Goal: To identify and explore the complex ways that the theme of “frontiers” or socio-political borders affect Chicano identity in the United States.  To examine the notion of “resistance” and “affirmation” as a fundamental ideology in Chicano life, history, and culture.  To help students advance critical thinking and writing skills.

Resource(s):

Borders/Fronteras
http://www.si.edu/organiza/offices/folklife/vfest/frontera/start.htm

Making Face/Making Soul: Chicana Feminism HomePage
http://chicanas.com

Chicano! History of the Mexican-American Civil Rights Movement
http://www.pbs.org/chicano/index.html

Overview:  The concept of identity is closely linked to questions of history, culture, and representation, as well as such issues as ethnicity, gender, class and region.  Think about how you identify yourself.  How does race or ethnicity play a role?  What other factors shape your identity? What themes shape the culture of those you identify with?   Some Chicano scholars and artists have found the themes of “boundaries,” "resistance“ and ”affirmation" to be vital in understanding and representing Chicano history and culture.  This activity asks students to use Web resources to explore the concept of identity in relationship to these themes in Chicano culture.

Exercise:

Step One (15 min.)     With your partner, examine the resources found on the Borders/Fronteras  web site.  What do the resources tell us about the experience of Chicano/Latino people in relationship to subjects such as land, citizenship, customs, work, and language? What are some of the recurring themes of the Chicano/Latino experience that interest you on this site? Keep in mind one particular theme or concept that interests you most.

Step Two  (15 min.)      Next, pick one of these two sites to explore:

Making Face/Making Soul: Chicana Feminism HomePage
Chicano!: History of the Mexican-American Civil Rights Movement
 
Review two to three of the biographies or writings featured on the site.  Pick one biography or writing which represents the theme or concept you chose from the previous web site.

Step Three  (20 min.)    Working individually, sketch the outline of a 2-page essay based on the biography or writing you have chosen from the Chicana Feminisms or Chicano!  web site, which considers the following questions:
 

What did you find particular interesting about his/her story?  How does his/her experience compare with your own?
 
How does the person you selected choose to identify his/herself? How does the idea of borders, or frontiers play-out in the life of the individual you selected to write about?
 
What are the factors which propelled this individual into public consciousness? How does their experience reflect common themes such as “resistance” and “affirmation” in the Chicano/Latino community in the United States?
 
 
Group reflection with the other teams doing this activity: (40 min.):

Take turns sharing the outline you sketched for your essay.  What did you learn about Chicano/Latino life, history, and culture in the United States? Are there patterns that emerge across the different “essays”? What else would you like to know?

What does the activity reveal about the value and limitations of on-line resources to teach multicultural studies?  What other kinds of resources would you need to do this assignment well?

What do you see as the strengths and weaknesses of the activity?  Think about the use of biography as a tool to examine the historical experience of an ethnic or cultural group.  What are the strengths and weaknesses?  Is this activity  a good vehicle for using hypermedia to develop student skills in inquiry, exploring various primary resources, and reading & writing literacy?

Would this experience be of value to your students?  Why or why not?  How would this activity, or one like it, fit into your own teaching context?

How would you describe the pedagogy behind this assignment?  What aspect(s) of this assignment were particularly effective?  What skills and modes of thinking does this activity support?  Do the electronic materials engaged suit the assignment’s pedagogy and methodological goals?  What does this suggest about the kinds of inquiry assignments that would work best when using new media resources?

Source: By Bret Eynon and Donna Thompson, American Social History Project