Shifra M. Goldman’s essay focuses on the social art perspective, and “Chicano culture manifestations.” In Chicano art, the theme has been a “quest for social identity…(and) a response to oppression by dominant culture.”
According to Goldman, there was a Chicano phase in Mexican American art that occurred during 1965 through the 1980’s. This phase was an important movement as affirmation of Chicano culture was appearing in order to celebrate identity.
There has been a long, deeply rooted history of xenophobia in the U.S., with european culture trying to preserve dominance through racism. Claims were made that Mexicans were inferior at a time when Indians were being eradicated with the excuse that they were savages. Having Spaniard blood added to the so-called inferiority because Spain was being looked at as the lesser of the European nations for having “Moorish” roots. A small fraction of historical events enforcing oppression include: the Zoot suit riots, the Japanese concentration camps, and the expulsion of all Mexicans and Mexican Americans (regardless of birthplace) by the U.S. government. Also, the scapegoating of Mexicans, (immigrants and non-immigrants lumped together) continues and thrives in order to establish power.
Example of cultural affirmation can be seen in the defiance of the Zoot Suiters holding their ground in their style, even when it was labeled and un-American by Hearst publishing (which at the time was a powerful media source). Affirmation has/is also been seen in Chicana art and resistance.
In this piece by Yolanda Lopez, a working class, older woman is shown as dignified, strong, confident, and fierce. Lopez is expressing self-identity as the theme in her art to show Mexican-American women in a way that defied restrictive stereotypes in art and culture. The woman is posed in a work-type outfit, resting on La Virgen's cape, she is the center-framed with gold, and she has slayed a snake. This is an image of a bad-ass.
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