Information

THE East Coast Chicana/o Student Forum

The Chicano Challenge: Evaluating our dualities

Fall Conference 2007

STRUGGLE WITHIN A STRUGGLE:
The Chicana in a Patriarchal Society
This workshop will focus on the patriarchies that operated within the Chicano movement and how Chicanas were able to maneuver within this system. While the phenomenon of patriarchy is pervasive in many societies, it is pertinent to analyze the feminist movement within the Chicana community due to its two-tiered struggle for equality: the struggle towards acceptance in American society, and the struggle to join the fight at an equal level with their male counterparts. This also spawned ideological works complicating the issue of identity even further, no longer just satisfied with seeing the Chicano identity recognized, but that of
the Chicana as well.

WHAT LANGUAGE DOES THE MOVIMIENTO SPEAK?
One of the first dualities that some Chicanos and other Latino groups are faced with is the complexity of learning two languages. Spanish is often spoken around the home, while english is predominantly spoken in education and on television. further complicating the issue is the fact that many chiicanos speak only english. we will explore how the spanish/english dichotomy is influenced through educaiton and popular culture and how the chicano communities interact with the languages and influence their composition. thinking in terms of the future, we must ask where the spanish language stands today.

MY NAME IS RICKY RICARDO:
Latinos in the Media
This panel seeks to explore the impact that the U.S. media has had on the creation of a Chicano/Latino identity. it will also examine contradictions that arise from having a constructed identity imposed on us by an outside entity. Chicanos/Latinos often compromise their identities in order to advance their careers. The discussion will address the steps that need to be taken in order to be in charge of the portrayal of our identity as we move forward.