Message to Aztlan: Selected Readings

by Rodolfo Gonzales, Rodolfo F. Acuna (Foreword by), Antonio Esquibel (Compiler)

Overview

Cultural Writing. Poetry. Fiction. Latino/Latina Stuides. One of the most famous leaders of the Chicano civil rights movement, Rodolfo Corky Gonzales was a multifaceted and charismatic, bigger-than-life hero who inspired his followers not only by taking direct political action but also by making eloquent speeches, writing incisive essays, and creating the kind of socially engaged poetry and drama that could be communicated easily through the barrios of Aztlán, populated by Chicanos in the United States. In MESSAGE TO AZTLAN, Dr. Antonio Esquibel, Professor Emeritus of Metropolitan State College of Denver, has compiled the first collection of Gonzales' diverse writings: the original I Am Joaquín (1967), along with a new Spanish translation, seven major speeches (1968-78); two plays, The Revolutionist and A Cross for Malcovio (1966-67); various poems written during the 1970s and a selection of letters. Foreword by Rodolfo F. Acuna.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781558853317
Publisher:	Arte Publico Press
Publication date:	01/28/2001
Series:	Hispanic Civil Rights Series
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	1,116,140
Product dimensions:	5.52(w) x 8.52(h) x 0.90(d)

Table of Contents

	Preface	ix
	Foreword	xi
	Editor's Note	xv
	Introduction	xvii
I.	Epic poem
	Yo soy Joaquin, un poema epico, 2000	2
	I Am Joaquin, an Epic Poem, 1967	16
II.	Seven Major Speeches
	El Plan del Barrio	32
	Arizona State University Speech	35
	Manteniendo una direccion positiva para el Movimiento Chicano	56
	Maintaining a Positive Direction for the Chicano Movement	62
	Speech Delivered at the La Raza Unida National Convention	67
	Message to Aztlan	76
	Colorado Springs Bicentennial Speech of July 4, 1976	82
	The Past-Present-Future of the Chicano Movement, 1978	90
III.	Two Plays
	The Revolutionist	96
	A Cross for Maclovio	135
IV.	Poetry
	La Escuela y Colegio Tlatelolco	172
	Tlatelolco	176
	El Ballet Chicano de Aztlan	178
	Adios, Miguel	180
	A Chicano's Trial	184
	The Revolution	187
	Mis hijos guerrilleros, 1973	190
	He Laughed While He Danced, Luis Junior Martinez	194
	A Boy, Juarez U.S.A.	205
	Raices ... Raices ...	209
	El Movimiento Chicano, 1973	214
	The Chicano Movement, 1973	215
	America ... America ... America	216
	America ... America ... America	220
	Cuidate, Mejico!!	224
V.	Correspondence
	First Masthead of El Gallo Editorial	228
	A Message to the Democratic Party	229
	Western Union Telegram Sent to: Thomas y Berta Rodriguez	231
	Letter to Reies Lopez Tijerina	232
	Discurso al Congreso de la Tierra	233
	Message to el Congreso on Land and Cultural Reform	238
	Letter to the Editor	243
	"We Will Endure"	245
VI.	Photos	250
VII.	Selected Bibliography	260

Editorial Reviews

This edition features selected writings of the Chicano civil rights leader, handpicked by Gonzales himself with the help of his longtime friend and political associate Esquibel (emeritus, Metropolitan State Coll. of Denver). The years represented in these writings, 1966-1980, were important ones for the Chicano movement, as mainstream America had just begun to wake up to the concerns of Mexican Americans and other Latin American citizens. As his speeches reveal, Gonzales was a key figure. His words expose and attack the cultural stereotypes plaguing his people for centuries under Euro-American domination and emphasize education for the Chicano people, both academic and political. Also included in this work is the famous "Yo Soy Joaquin," an epic poem covering the history of Aztec civilization and the fate of its descendants today. Gonzales's poetry and plays (also featured in this edition) may seem a bit dated and melodramatic today, but they are historically important and represent the struggles encountered by Chicanos up to the 1980s. Gonzales hoped that this work would "inspire and motivate a new generation of Chicanos," and for this reason it belongs in academic libraries and public libraries with many Chicano or Mexican American patrons. Nedra C. Evers, Sacramento P.L. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

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