¡Yo soy Chicana!
Although Chicanas were a part of the Chicano movement from the very beginning, they were often relegated to “domestic duties," while men occupied most of the leadership roles and acted as spokespersons for various initiatives. Chicana feminism, a social movement that began to take hold during this time, challenges stereotypes and traditional gender roles, and examines the ways in which different aspects of Chicana cultural identity (gender, ethnicity, race, class, and sexuality) intersect. In this lesson, explore the experiences of several Chicanas who have become important symbols of female empowerment. You will also have a chance to experience bolero through the eyes of Chelo Silva, a singer who became very successful in an overwhelmingly male-dominated business.
Lesson Paths & Learning Objectives
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Dolores Huerta: Planting the Seed
- Perform “This Little Light of Mine” and explain this song’s connection to Dolores Huerta.
- 30+ minutes
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- Describe several ways in which Chicana feminists have disrupted the machismo narrative and encouraged/empowered women to abandon their conditioned passivity and take their rightful place alongside men in the Mexican American community’s ongoing struggle for liberation.
- 30+ minutes
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Chelo Silva: The Tejana Queen of Bolero
- Explain the stylistic characteristics of bolero and why Chelo Silva serves as an early example of Chicana feminism.
- Approx. 30 minutes
Bibliography
Text
Blackwell, M. (2011). ¡Chicana power!: Contested histories of feminism in the Chicano movement. University of Texas Press.
Del Toro, L. (1995). Chelo Silva: La reina tejana del bolero [Liner notes]. Arhoolie Records.
Espinoza, D., Cotera, M., & Blackwell, M. [Eds.] (2018). Chicana movitas: New narratives of activism and feminism in the movement. University of Texas Press.
Martinez, B. (1973). Brotando del Silencio: Breaking out of the silence, by Suni Paz [Liner notes]. Paredon Records.
Montoya, M. (2016). The Chicano movement for beginners. For Beginner Books.
Puryear, M. (2015). Songs my mother taught me [Liner notes]. Smithsonian Folkways Recordings.
Rosales, F. A. (1996). Chicano! The history of the Mexican American civil rights movement. Arte Publico Press.
Vargas, D. R. (2012). Dissonant divas: The limits of la onda in Chicana music. University of Minnesota Press.
Audio*
Hamer, F. L. (2015). This little light of mine [Audio recording]. On Songs my mother taught me [Album]. Smithsonian Folkways Recordings.
Paz, S. (1973). Quiero decirte [Audio recording]. On Brotando del silencio: Breaking out of the silence[Album]. Paredon Records.
Paz, S. (1973). La Bamba chicana [Audio recording]. On Brotando del silencio: Breaking out of the silence[Album]. Paredon Records.
Silva, C. (1991). Si acaso vuelves [Audio recording]. On Tejano roots: the women[Album]. Arhoolie Records.
Video*
National Portrait Gallery (2015). Portrait in a minute: Dolores Huerta [Video]. YouTube.
Images*
Carrasco, B. (1999). Dolores Huerta [Screenprint on paper]. National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC. Acquisition made possible through the Smithsonian Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center, NPG.2015.23.
Lopez, Y. (1978). Portrait of the artist as Guadalupe [Screenprint]. In Tomás Ybarra-Frausto research material, 1965-2004 [Archival collection]. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC. Letter on back of screenprint from Yolanda M López to Tomás Ybarra-Frausto, March 14, 1979, (DSI-AAA)1739.
Richards, H. (1965). Dolores Huerta, Delano, California [Photograph]. Harvey Richards Media Archive, Estuary Press, Oakland, CA. Courtesy of Paul Richards.
Rodriguez, R. (1974, printed in 2014). Dolores Huerta speaking at a rally [Gelatin silver print]. National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC. Gift of George Rodriguez in memory of his brother, NPG.2015.116.
Richards, H. (1966). Cesar Chavez During the March to Sacramento, 1966[Photograph]. Harvey Richards Media Archive, Estuary Press, Oakland, CA. Courtesy of Paulo Richards.
Davies, D. J. (ca. 1970s). Women of the United Farm Workers singing at a rally, early 1970s [Photograph]. Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC. Provided by the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution, FP-DAVI-BWNE-BWPR-0089.
Unknown artist (ca. 1970s). Dolores Huerta speaks at UFW rally [Photograph]. Courtesy of the Walter P. Reuther Library, Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan.
Murphy, C. E. (1975). Fred Ross and Dolores Huerta [Digital print from scan of negative]. National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC., NPG.2016.137.
Godwin, J. (2019). Dolores Huerta [Photograph]. In Wikimedia Commons.
Davies, D. J. (1965). Fannie Lou Hamer at 1965 Newport Folk Festival [Photograph]. In Songs my mother taught me, by Fannie Lou Hamer [Liner notes], 2015, p. 19. Smithsonian Folkways RecordingsWashington, DC. Provided by the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution, SFW40216.
Nawa Photography (2015). Walking in the park the morning and ray light [Photograph]. In Wikimedia Commons.
Collective Graphics Workshop, Inc. (1973). Brotando del silencio: Breaking out of the silence, by Suni Paz [Cover art]. Paredon Records, Brooklyn, NY, PAR01016.
Unknown artist (n.d.). La raza Chicano power [Poster]. The University of Kansas Libraries, Kenneth Spencer Research Library, Lawrence, KS.
Lee, R. (1939). Woman rolling tortillas [Photograph]. Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Washington, DC.
Baughman, J.R. (1973). Machismo [Photograph]. National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC. Gift of J. Ross Baughman, 2010.0231.16.
Powers, M. J. (1968). Black panthers [Photograph]. National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC. Gift of Gilberto Cárdenas and Dolores García, 2013.0222.21.
Borjon-Lopez, P. (1970). Women of the Brown Beret [Photograph]. In Wikimedia Commons.
Cohen Cramer, S. (2006). Bandera mía: Songs of Argentina, by Suni Paz [Cover art]. Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, Washington, DC. Photograph by Daniel Sheehy, SFW40532.
Unknown artist (1989). Canciones Para el Recreo: Children's Songs for the Playground, by Suni Paz [Cover art]. Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, Washington, DC, SFW45013.
Valadez, R. (n.d.). Rosita [Acrylic on canvas]. Robert Valadez Fine Arts.
Young Women’s Christian Association (1971). La conferencia de mujeres por la raza poster [Poster]. In Wikimedia Commons.
Unknown artist (n.d.) Newspaper icon [Clipart]. In Public Domain Vectors.
Unknown artist (ca. 1910-1917) Las adelitas [Painting]. In Wikimedia commons. Uploaded by Wikimedia user Scalif~commonswiki.
Hernández, E. (1988). La ofrenda, from the National Chicano Screenprint Taller, 1988–1989 [Screenprint on paper]. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC. Printed by Self-Help Graphics; from the National Chicano Screenprint Taller, 1988-1989; gift of the Wight Art Gallery.
Hernández, E. (2010). Wanted [Screenprint on paper]. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC. Gift of the artist, 2020.12.1.
Hernández, E. (1975). La Virgen de Guadalupe defendiendo los derechos de los Xicanos [Etching and aquatint on paper]. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC. Museum purchase through the Frank K. Ribelin Endowment, 2013.56.
Unknown artist (n.d.). Chelo Silva [Photograph]. In Tejano roots: The women [Liner notes], 1991, p. 27. Arhoolie Records, El Cerrito, CA., ARH00343.
Weil, E. (1995). Chelo Silva: La reina tejana del bolero [Cover art]. Arhoolie Records, El Cerrito, CA. Photograph by Manuel Peña, ca. early 1950s, ARH00423.
Unknown artist (1958). Caravana poster advertising performance at Cine Tropical, in Villa Hermosa, state of Tabasco, Mexico, on July 3, 1958 [Cropped poster]. In La reina Tejana del bolero, by Chelo Silva [liner notes], 1995, p. 6–7. Arhoolie Records, El Cerrito, CA., ARH00423.
*Audio, video, and images listed in order of appearance in slideshow