Questions for Professor Alicia Gaspar de Alba

Article: Out of the House, the Halo, and the Whore's Mask: The Mirror of Malinchismo

Question: Chicana artists, and Chicanas in general, have made many strides in being heard and noticed. As an individual who considers herself a feminist, how can other woman and I continue to strive for equality?

As I have stated, I consider myself a feminist. I have grown up in a predominately male household and have challenged the "womanly duties" my father gives me. I mean well when I challenge him, for I am learning about the traditional ways of my father and mother. I respect their traditional ways, but I do not agree on all aspects. I have noticed that women have moved away from domestic duties and have gotten a career. Every day, women are moving away from traditional ideas. As a woman growing up in this progressing society, I want to continue to see these strives. However, it doesn't only start with women, men must stand up for their mothers, daughters, and wives in progressing towards a gender equal society. 

Article: There's No Place Like Aztlan: Embodied Aesthetics in Chicana Art

Question: At the end of page 116 it states, "Generation by generation, Chicanos lose their connection to the Mexican past and become ever more melted into the American present." How can one avoid being further "melted into the American present?"

As a second generation Latina, I have become more American than Latina. I do not speak Spanish nor do I celebrate any of my culture's holidays. I feel as though I have been falling further from my cultural identity; which I want to avoid. I may not identify as Chicana but being mindful of one's cultural history is important to identity.