Latina Filmmakers and Writers: The Notion of Chicanisma Through Films and Novellas

During the Chicano Movement in the 1960s and 1970s, Chicanas helped Chicanos achieve equal rights, while at the same time suffered oppression as women wihin their own race. In the 1970s, the Chicana Feminist Movement was founded to address the specific needs of Chicanas as women of color in the United States. Chicana artits began to write and produce works in which Chicanas were given a proper name, voice, and image. Soon, Chicanisma, a sense of sisterhood and feminist discourse, emerged to confront the triple oppression of race, class, and gender. Latina Filmmakers and Writers: The Notion of Chicanisma Through Films and Novellas examines the works of seven celebrated Latinas who collectively represent a 20-year history of Chicanisma: Chicana (a film by Sylvia Morales), Puppet: A Chicano Novella (a book by Margarita Cota-Crdenas), La Ofrenda: The Days of the Dead (a film by Lourdes Portillo and Susana Muoz), Paletitas de Guayaba (a book by Erlinda Gonzles-Berry), El Espejo/The Mirror (a film by Frances Salom Espaa) and Loving Pedro Infante (a book by Denise Chvez). These works demystify masculine power and offer realistic portrayals of Chicanas and give them a rightful name, image, and voice in American culture. Dean provides a thoughtful and honest account of ... the concept of Chicanisma. Latina Filmmakers and Writers cleverly situates Chicana literature and film at the perilous yet unique intersection of class, gender and race ...and weaves a Chicana feminist theory and original oral history research Guisela Latorre, University of California. Santa Barbara. This book deals with the voices and works of Latinas whose voices]... must be heard since they elaborate on the concept ofChicanisma.This is an important new book in the development of Chicana Studies and Latina thought. Kudos Dr. Luzma Umpierre, Human Rights Advocate. .,.This book... is a must read text for contemporary society. ... it] will be most helpful in Chicana and Chicano Studies, Women and Feminist Studies, Ethnic Studies, and Cultural Studies in understanding the experiences and issues concerning diversity in a postmodern situation. Dr. T. Osa Hidalgo de la Riva