User:Jackycccx/Chicano Made Documentaries

Significance To Chicano Movement and Community
Emerging in the 1960s and garnering nationwide recognition by the 1970s, the Chicano Movement was a social and political movement lead by 2nd generation Mexican-American youth. During this time there was a push for change in all aspects on how the country viewed and treated Chicanos. By the 1970s, the movement had grown so much that songs, plays and movies about the movement were being made. There was short narrative films along with documentaries being made portraying the movement and this allowed Chicanos to recount their experiences first hand, making them the first films that had ever been directed by Chicanos.

Changing the Hollywood norm of Anglo American directors, Chicano’s decided to embrace their Mexican heritage and culture and were greatly inspired by their indigenous roots. Since the majority of Mexicans are of indigenous descent, there is a sense of comfort when identifying as mestizo for Chicanos. Since Chicanos are of Mexican descent and yet are born here in the United States, they feel more connected by relating their experience as Mexican Americans to that of their ancestry since historically the creation of the mestizo race was through the union of the Spanish colonizers and the indigenous people.

It’s essential that the struggle for Chicano rights is documented and highlighted in order to remind the Chicano community how far society has progressed and how much more work is still needed to be done in order to ensure that future generations won’t be discriminated against or exploited. The Hollywood mainstream has continually placed limitations on Chicano involvement due to industry-wide racism. Even though there were major stars of Mexican American heritage in the early 21st century, their roles were heavily restricted and filled with stereotypes.

Media like films, documentaries, songs and art have always been essential to cultural movements and when it comes to the Chicano movement, it’s no different. Communities of color look to inspire a rising change and by using something as mainstream narrative such as films or documentaries then it allows for more people to be educated and more likely to want to set up to the occasion and stand for their cultural brothers and sisters.

The emerging Chicano cinema found that it received a warmer welcome in the southwest when it was coming about. In the 1960s, places like Los Angeles, California were ready to air any program that had something to do with Mexican Americans given that the population for Chicanos in that area was growing, so there was a demand for it. This representation Chicanos were seeing on screen of the and their peers definitely inspired them to fight against the injustices that were going on in their communities that were directed towards them simply because they looked ethnic. Not only that but it allowed white Americans to get some insight into what was going on in Mexican American communities from their perspective which allowed many Americans to get acquainted with the culture for the first time by being presented to news and social commentary from the Chicanos perspective.

Notable Documentaries
Yo Soy Chicano (1972)

Also known as I am Chicano, the film is greatly hailed as the first Chicano documentary made by Chicanos. It was written and produced by Jesús Salvador Treviño.

Inspired by the start of the emerging Chicano movement in the 1960s and 1970s, Treviño began to document the struggles that Mexican-Americans were facing during that time, since he himself was one. He did this as a response of the lack of Mexican-American made media in the United States.

The documentary was mixed with interviews that had been conducted by Treviño himself and additionally with re-enactments that focused on the Chicano movement in Los Angeles. Made possible through KCET productions, it was aired in 1972 on PBS nationally. Treviño admitted that he intentionally wanted to make the film center on modern issues but ultimately decided to include both pre-colonial history and more current events happening in the movement. The documentary begins with the importance and connection Chicanos have with their indigenous roots and thus opens with the pre-contact history of Mexico and Tenochtitlán, homes of the Aztec people.

La Raza Unida (1972)

Also directed by Jesús Salvador Treviño, this film documents the very first meeting of the Raza Unida Political party. This was a nation-wide event that invited people from various places of the United States to meet though the group had originally came to be in San Antonio, Texas. The meeting was held to elect a chairman to represent the party nationally. The film is centered around two candidates Texas native, José Ángel Gutiérrez, and coming from Colorado, Rodolfo Gonzales who is also referred to as “Corky”. Gutierrez wants to focus on the small victories, like winning more local-level elections while Gonzales heavily believes in taking a thorough stance in being its own entity, keeping its independence from the leading democratic and republican parties. Various debates were recorded like whether or not include groups who are not of Latino descent by forming alliances. This film is also part of the U.S. library of Congress.

Chicana (1979)

Directed by Sylvia Morales, the short film talks about the significant roles Mexican and Mexican-American women have had over the years dating back to pre-contact Mexico to the Chicano Movement of the 70’s.

Within the film there is interviews with important activists such as Dolores Huerta who is Co-Creator of the United Farm Workers of America, Alicia Escalante who founded the East Los Angeles Chicana Welfare Organization and Francisca Flores, who was an activist who notably was in the Sleepy Lagoon Defense Committee and also helped create the Mexican American Political Association.

A Crushing Love: Chicanas, Motherhood, and Activism

Also Directed by Sylvia Morales, this film is considered the sequel to Chicana (1979). The film follows the lives of activist Chicanas and their experiences growing up. The film is made up of interviews where Chicana women tell their story on how they got on the road to becoming involved activism. The film opens up with director Sylvia Morales questioning how mothers before her made it through the struggle of being a single parent and how did they have the time to balance their work along with motherly duties. Dolores Huerta is one of the women interviewed by Morales.

Indigenous Always: La Malinche (1992)

This documentary was aired nationally across PBS and was Directed by Dan Banda. This film debunks the myth of the cultural icon that is La Malinche. The film follows the story of a young Aztec girl who is the daughter of the Aztec chief. Due to her high status she was very well educated and was sought out by Hernán Cortés since she not only knew Nahuatl, the Aztec language, but also knew Mayan. She eventually learned Spanish as well and worked as a translator for Cortés. In exchange for her help, Cortés promised her liberty. The two later became romantically entangled.

The film also provides critical commentary about the Mexican racial identity not being carried over in the United States. In Mexico, the racial majority is considered Mestizo, which is a mix between indigenous and Spanish ancestry. In the United States mestizo is not recognized as a race, instead the term Hispanic is used in place of it yet racially the United States believes them to be white.

Throughout the documentary there is many interviews with highly educated individuals along with street interviews of random individuals. These serve as an insight as to what the average Mexican thinks about Doña Marina, also known as La Malinche. While many of the people interviewed believed her to be a traitor, there were a few who were more empathetic towards her. After all, she played a big part in the creation of the mestizo race since she had a child with Cortés.

The film dives deep into how twisted the story of la Malinche has become. While she is infamously known as a traitor due to the Spanish conquest, she is also credited with being the mother to mestizaje.