Goldman Essay and López Image

 

   Shifa Goldman's essay entitled, "The Iconography of Chicano Self-Determination: Race, Ethnicity, and Class", provides a lens into the Chicano Movement through the art pathway. Artists were able to bring attention to the injustices and discrimination of the Mexican, Mexican-American, and Chican@s in the United States through three factors that led them to be treated in an inferior manner in the mid-twentieth century. These factors were race, ethnicity, and class respectively.
    Racism unfortunately was brought to the North American continent by individuals who looked nothing like those native to the land. And despite being different, these Anglo-Saxons had the audacity to instill a physical appearance standard  that was considered beautiful. I enjoyed Goldman's inclusion of the Plan Espiritual de Aztlán, drafted in 1969, for it connotes a very significant moment for the history of Chican@s and the movement. For the first time Chican@s were not afraid of their Indigenous background and on the other hand embraced it. They did not allow their race to determine how they were going to be treated.
    The author categorized ethnicity as being a socially constructed term to group people that come from and/or reside in a certain place. For example, people living in and/or originating from Mexico would be considered Mexican. Ethnicity is a "residue" as Goldman describes, something that rubs off on a person that make them who they are. Moreover, since ethnicity ties in with a characterizing people based on who they are and how they look, ethnicity is also linked with identity, oppression and  discrimination. A country does not determine one's ethnicity; culture, customs and community does, because people make up a country, land does not. And not one body is superior than the other.
    Lastly, Goldman emphasizes the factor of class, and how this can also determine if discrimination is faced by people. Class was also important part of the Chicano Movement, since it was mostly the working class Mexicans/Mexican-Americans/Chican@s who faced inequality; but again this can be result of the whites taking away the land of these individuals.  Nevertheless, despite the strong presence of the low working class, Goldman goes on to show that indeed that is nothing to be ashamed of. Chican@s are not ashamed whatsoever, for as the Plan Espiritual states, "Aztlan belongs to those who plant the seeds, water the fields, and gather the crops..." in essence laborers. In all, race, ethnicity, and class are three things that helped with accepting and acquiring an expression among Chican@s, and opened their eyes that unity among them is the answer to fight against those who want to keep them oppressed.  

    Chicana artist, Yolanda M. López, definitely emphasizes the factors of race, ethnicity and class in her work. The one that speaks out to me in terms of including the aforementioned characteristics is the work titled "Runner: Third College Parking Lot", from "A Donde Vas Chicana?" Getting through College series. College is a very strategic place to include in her painting. Chicanos, much less Chicanas, were expected to attend college, already addressing the factors of race and ethnicity. Because she is of Mexican descent she is not smart enough, and because she does not look white or Anglo she should not even be allowed to go to college. This mentality is challenged, and her basic outfit of a shirt, shorts, and shoes on the girl in the painting, in addition to a basic background of average cars and building, challenges the class factor. She is running through a college parking lot, possibly alluding that she can also (and will speed on past) college and be successful. And the fact that the background is black and white and she is colored, challenges race, ethnicity, and class all together. It communicates to people that there is not only a black and white race problem in the United States, but Chican@s are also present in the conflict. They will also fight for what is rightfully theirs.