Spanish perspectives on Chicano literature : literary and cultural essays /

Chicano writing became known as a body of literature during the Chicano movement of the late 1960s. However, it is part of a larger literary legacy that has roots in early documents written by españoles mexicanos. The Chican@ identity is driven by the fusion of two distinct cultures--Native Americans and the Spanish--and Chican@ literary tradition contains both Hispanic and native Mexican elements. The present volume considers the internationalization in Chican@ studies, how Spanish critics relate to Chican@ literature, film, and visual art in order to better understand the US in general. The essays in the collection address several concepts critical to Chican@ literature. The first is the idea of mimesis, or the relationship between the text and reality. The literature narrates Chican@ reality through a lens that is respectful of its protagonists. Specifically, Chicana writers such as Ana Castillo, Sandra Cisneros, Cherríe Moraga, and Gloria Anzaldúa represent "mestiza consciousness," writing as a form of liberation and as a call to action. Other concepts of Chican@ literature are highlighted, including Chican@ linguistics, the use of magic realism to drive the plot, and "place-based" writing employing an ecofeminist perspective. This collection emphasizes the need for contemporary Chican@s to find new ways to connect to nature and land, and thus to their heritage. Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate students, researchers, faculty. --Shelli Lynn Rottschafer, Aquinas College