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This zine is the third in a series that I created for my Independent Study Project in the Spring semester of 2014. It is the result of wanting to merge my life as an artist with both my Chicana and Feminist identities. This zine serves as an platform for me to sort out the possibilities of working with these topics within my art. I hope that you enjoy this issue and that you are motivated to consider all of the complexities within your own identity.
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Table of Contents What is Chicana Feminism?...............................................................4-5 The Institutionalized Chicana: My Story.............................................6-7 San Antonio IWD March and Rally..................................................10-11 An Interview with Patricia Castillo..................................................14-15 Latina Representation within Art Museums.........................................16 An Interview with Victoria Ruiz......................................................18-19 Decolonize Your Diet!........................................................................21 Women of Color in Punk...............................................................22-23
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What is Chicana Feminism?
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Chi ca na or Xi ca na [chi-kah-nuh] Noun 1. one who identifies as a Chicana 2.
a self identifying term for an American girl or woman of Mexican descent
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a girl or woman whose “experiences are rooted in Mexican history, legacy of colonialism, violence, discrimination, and complex class and racial hierarchies against the backdrop of Catholicism and language repression…” (Castañeda 1993; González 1999).
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Fem i nist [fem-uh-nist]
Noun 1. one who identifies as a feminist
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one who advocates for social, political, legal, and economic rights of women as equal to those of men
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one who practices “a mode of analysis, a method of approaching life and politics, a way of asking questions and searching for answers, rather than a set of political conclusions about the oppression of women” (Nancy Hartsock 1979, 58-59).
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Chi ca na Fem i nism [chi-kah-nuh] [fem-uh-niz-uh m]
Noun 1. a lifestyle based on the “opposition to the symbolic representations of the Chicano movement that did not include” women, and an “opposition to a hegemonic feminist discourse that places gender as a variable separate from that of race and class,” in which Chicanas exist in a new “third space” (Córdova 1994, 194; Pérez 1999, Sandoval 2000). 2. a discourse and social space “that rejects colonial ideology and the by-products of colonialism and capitalist patriarchy—sexism, racism, homophobia” (Pérez 1991, 161).
Hurtado, Aida, Norma Klahn, Olga Najera-Ramirez, and Patricia Zavella. “Introduction: Chicana Feminisms at the Crossroads: Disruptions in Dialogue.” Introduction. Chicana Feminisms: A Critical Reader. By Gabriela F. Arredondo. Durham, NC: Duke UP, 2003. 1-18. Print. Kolmar, Wendy K., and Frances Bartkowski. “Feminism.” Feminist Theory: A Reader. 3rd ed. Boston: McGraw- Hill Higher Education, 2005. 7-11. Print. 5
The Institutionalized Chicana: My Story
For many students of color, it seems that Graduate school within the arts becomes about
a questioning of “Who am I?” making it difficult to focus on making work over theorizing over one’s identity and place. In higher educational institutions, complexities of identity become all too apparent. Looking at the lack of women of color within the faculty of many schools, it is sometimes hard to know if feedback is coming from a sincere place or a demeaning place, whether it be conscious or not. Within institutions, I am very aware of how few people like me I am surrounded by. This can make it hard to relate to others conceptually, and brings up fears of assimilation into conventional and unchallenging concepts.
I have received feedback from people who would consider my work more valuable if it was
less political or less straightforward. With all due respect, I believe that my position is one that is not afraid to be upfront about personal and political injustices that the majority tends to avoid. Those who do accept my work still do not seem to attempt to fully understand it. People get it but do not want to be involved in it.
Let’s talk about language. Within Chican@ discourses, language is important because
people’s whose first language is Spanish are often not fully appreciated in the states. You hear idiots saying things like, “We speak American here.” Conversely, for those whose first language is English, learning Spanish is seen as a helpful skill in getting jobs.
My relationship to the Spanish language is complicated. When I am asked if I speak
Spanish, I reply, “Un poquito” while shaking my hand in a mas o menos manner. I’ve taken plenty of Spanish classes from high school to college, but it never sticks as I am never fully surrounded by Spanish speaking people. For some people, being bilingual is a huge part of their cultural identity, but I am not fluent enough to be one of them. 6
Running into Spanish speakers within artist residencies or institutions reaffirms my place
as a person whose first language is English. I have no shame in this and I will not allow others to make me feel ashamed either. I know that some day I will obtain fluency and that keeps me content.
Acceptance into institutions may seem like an acceptance into dominant culture, but
the experiences within can really point out identity differences. I was brought up by my Mexican-American family in white suburbia, so my life is representative of multiple experiences informed by the cultural infusions within it. This keeps me on my toes and allows me to be aware of my surroundings and of prejudiced situations. I’m the first in the family to go to Graduate school, and I am constantly analyzing where I want to exist in the complex art world once I get out.
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San Antonio International Woman’s Day March and Rally The SA IWD March and Rally is an annual event that brings together communities who are looking for justice locally, nationally, and globally. The committee that puts it together is made up of some amazing women and they put a lot of hard work into organizing the event, contacting speakers and performers, making signs, screenprinting t-shirts, etc. Recurring themes of interest include reproductive rights, LGBTQ rights, Indigenous people’s rights, and pleas to end racism, war, and abuse of workers.
Nos tienen miedo porque no tenemos miedo! They fear us because we have no fear! 2014
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www.sawomenwillmarch.org
Somos poder de luz, fuerza y lucha. We are power of light and strength in the struggle. 2013
Mujeres al frente del Renacimiento! Women leading the Rebirth! 2012
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Raj, Anita, and Jay Silverman. “Violence Against Immigrant Women: The Roles of Culture, Context, and Legal Immigrant Status on Intimate Partner Violence.� Violence Against Women. N.p., Mar. 2002. 13 Web. 24 May 2014.
An Interview with Patricia Castillo Patricia Castillo is the Executive Director of the Putting an End to Abuse through Community Efforts (P.E.A.C.E.) Initiative in San Antonio, TX, and advocates for ending abuses towards women and children. She is a dedicated community organizer who holds a strong presence in the city of San Antonio. I first met you at the San Antonio International Woman’s Day March in 2012. Can you describe this annual event, the committee, and its impact on the community? This year was the 24th annual SA International Women’s Day March & Rally! This year’s theme is: Nos Tienen Miedo Porque NO Tenemos Miedo. They Fear Us Because We Have NO Fear. The SAIWD march committee has been working on this event for this long, 24 years, and it remains a deeply rooted, much needed, assembly of grass roots organization and leadership development. The event is based on International Women’s Day foundation and history, grounding and honoring of women’s work/labor for the betterment of us all. Calling for needed changes anywhere where women are and the betterment of, and for, those around us. It is here where we design, create, build, launch, implement our movements, aspirations, struggles, for all to see. If we are not seen and heard, felt and feared then we risk sending off a message of complacency or defeat and for us, that will never happen. Life is the struggle and to struggle is life. Our daily living and work demands that we speak up, defy the status quo, and demand change, justice, peacemaking, community building, egalitarianism, solidarity, equality, for all peoples. The coming together of all our efforts, work, projects, collaborations and collectives and to honor our personal and political power for all to see. We do this in the face of the structures that historically have oppressed us, abused us, erased us, and held us down to prevent our power from surging. Our presence in the march in the heart of the city, demonstrates that all they’ve done is make us stronger. Every year the march is evidence of that. We also do this on behalf of the generations coming up after us, modeling for them the behaviors of activism, advocacy, involvement, cultural work, risk taking, leadership, creativity, forging of identity, projection of our ideals, calling forth of our demands, etc., and ensuring that everyone knows it and sees it. People of all walks of life participate yet it is mostly young women who carry out the charge of making it happen year after year.
What is the mission of the P.E.A.C.E. initiative, how has it evolved over the years, and how did you become involved? I co-founded P.E.A.C.E. back in 1990. P.E.A.C.E. Is an acronym for Putting an End to Abuse through Community Efforts. Our mission is to educate the community about the deadly consequences of family violence and to create responses that effectively address it and involve as many aspects of the community to do so through collaborative partnerships. So we are a coaltion of 48 organizations that work to respond to the challenges that family violence brings with it and come up with ideas, suggestions, changes to respond and achieve the P.E.A.C.E. and safety families need. We also do the advocacy work that is often needed to get the changes done, protected, and/or grown, 14
I remember how great your speech was before Wendy Davis took the stage last year in San Anto. Can you talk about how your work relates to the current politics in Texas? What I fear most about the current political climate of our state is the apathy of our citizenry with regard to what happens to people here. Many believe that their vote doesn’t matter so why bother. For me family violence is the root of all harm that befalls humanity. Family is the root source of formation of personhood, identity, culture, humanity, character, emotion, intellect, etc., etc., the whole of who we are and whom we become. Enter violence into that picture and all sorts of distortion begins to occur. For when our children are raised in safe, loving, healthy, respectful, nurturing, safe, warm, intellectually stimulating, embracing, affectionate, did I mention safe? Families..... we have a much greater chance of becoming the good, productive, contributing, involved, active, creative, loving, respectful, smart, welcoming, human beings our democracy needs to serve and actively be a part of this country, city, state, nation, community, planet.
What is your relationship to the term “Chicana Feminism?” It’s a love relationship. I’ve been calling myself a chicana since undergraduate school in the 70s. The radical chicano/as I went to school with at OLLUSA brought me into that circle of identity associated with history, political power, questioning, activism, risk taking, and pride. I always acted like a feminist but didn’t know it til the 80s, when I started working in the battered women’s movement.
What are the social justice issues that Chican@s should currently be most concerned with and how might they intertwine with other marginalized groups? By involving young people in this work of peacemaking, non-violence, activism, mentoring, rejecting complacency, lifting our voices, organizing, learning, teaching and getting off of the sidelines. We have got to be calling each other out about all that hurts us, denies us, silences us, demeans us, negates us, shames us, shackles us, imprisons us, and make democracy work FOR US. I really loved this blog post : http://blogs.sacurrent.com/thedaily/without-a-permit-marching-on-international-womens-day/
Patricia giving her inspiring speech before Wendy Davis. “We procreate faster than you legislate!”
The 2014 San Antonio International Woman’s Day March Courtesy of Patricia Castillo
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Latina Representation Within Art Museums I’m sick of going to art exhibitions and seeing no Latina artist presence. Unless I am at a specialized institution for people of color, they are a rare find. They are especially uncommon within elite art institutions that are said to be culturally important. At the RISD Museum, there are zero Latinas on display. The lack of their presence within the permanent display is connected to the lack of appreciation for Latina presence in the art world in general. They hang work that is seen as historically relevant so that students will be able to study the “greats.” The problem is that women of color are not considered to be on the same level as those culturally valued “greats.” I will say that within the collection that is not on view, I believe there is a bit of a Latina presence. I hope to explore this further within this institution as well as others. The same power dynamics can be seen at the annual Whitney Biennial. Out of the 103 artists this year, there were 38 women and 5 Latinos. The overlap is the presence of the 1 Latina artist, Pauline Oliveros. RISD has been said to be the world’s best design school and the Whitney Museum of American Art is supposed to represent the best living contemporary American artists. The lack of equal representation is evidence of a blatant marginalization of people of color within higher art institutions. More specifically, while the presence of Mexican-Americans in this country is quickly growing, institutional respect for them and the work they do is not. It’s frustrating to not see the work of people like me within art museums. Artistic expression as a cultural value should take multiple forms through the work of all of the different kinds of people who are making art. The American art world is still largely dominated by white aesthetic, leaving out much of the work that comes from the experiences of racial minorities. 16
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An Interview with Victoria Ruiz
Victoria Ruiz is a musician, lyricist, artist, activist, community organizer, and social worker. She sings for the Downtown Boys who are based in Rhode Island.
What are the prominent issues of interest for you and how are you working on them? How do these relate to your own identity or personal history? Prominent issues of interest to me aren’t necessarily by choice. They are the things that surround my own daily interactions and experiences and those of the people close to me. In the art that I am involved in, I take issue with racism, queerphobia, classism, capitalism, and I really wanna work for liberation, femme power, and how to use my anger and hope. They relate to my race, class, gender, and sexuality background. The term propaganda has a tendency to hold negative connotations, but you use it quite freely to describe aspects of your work. Where do you see political propaganda as a positive and progressive tool? I think that the reason propaganda has a negative connotation is related to the end of WWII and the Cold War when the United States decided to call anything that was not in line with its imperialistic efforts, “propaganda.” This lead art, visuals, speeches, and media that were in contradiction and dissonance with each other both being called “propaganda.” While I disagree with soviet Stalinism, I am a fan of messages and images against Nazism, U.S. capitalism and for the people, working class, and social justice movements. The work of visual artist Dignidad Rebelde is propaganda against U.S. imperialistic borders and against discrimination of Latin@ people. The messages are big, grand, clear, they pick a very clear side. They are not muddled by White language and politicking. I call this propaganda. I also call, mass new networks and media in the United States, propaganda. “Anti-bullying” campaigns that build one more barrier in young people that keep us from calling out queer phobia and racism directly and masking it in this idea of “bullying.” This is propagandistic to me because the message is crude, big, and clear. So, I think that propaganda can really go either way. Social justice direct propaganda whether, visual, sonic, literal, written, or otherwise helps us build clear messages and ideas that do not allow for any confusion in my opinion. They might seem fiery or heavy handed, but only because they might spark fear in the White imperialist’s shoes. How does your social work relate to your music? What themes do you work with? How does performing music (as opposed to only making recorded music) relate to your creative practice and/or activism? Our music is directly related to experiences of oppression and the fight for social change and justice. Joey and I met working in a hotel that is still in a current worker struggle for rights and respect on the work place. We also make music that looks at the creation borders by governments and military, Chican@ identity, the prison industrial complex, policing of bodies, language, artistic spaces, and how we choose to live our gender and sexuality. I’m working on a zine about Chicana Feminism. How do you self identify? Could you talk about your relationship to Feminism? To Chicanisma? To these two notions together? This is a really interesting question, and one that requires a dialogue, probably. I have a very strong critique of Feminism in the United States of America. I think that many models of it do not have a good race, class, or sexuality 18 analysis. My experience as a woman of color from a poor family is completely different that a wealthy,
White, Woman. Yes, we are in solidarity in that US American models of masculinity do not believe that we are equal to men, but we are so different in so many ways, and we would have to talk about those way and how to work through them. I grew up in a family filled with Chicanas. I am Mexican and Puerto Rican American and grew up with my Chicana mom, aunts, cousin, and grandma. I was raised in a matriarchy. Would I say that we are feminist? I don’t know. Things didn’t work out between my mom and my dad, we still have a lot of family members who strongly believe that a woman needs a man, and my mom and I did struggle without another parent in retrospect, though she made sure I had more than enough love and hope than most people will ever know. Also, when we talk of the Chicano movement, it is really hard not think of Cesar Chavez and his predominantly male homies, so are we being reductionist by trying to force feminism and any movement of people of color together without really pushing eachother and asking what we are talking about when we say “feminism.” I think that I would identify as a Chicana who fights against imperialistic models of masculinity before I would say that I am a Chicana feminist. My friend Laura Brown Lavoie, a poet, recently shared an essay called, “The Uses of Anger,” by Audre Lorde. Over 30 years ago, she gave an analysis of feminism and the movement of people of color that is completely appropriate to my experience and feelings today. The line “What woman here is so enamoured of her own oppression that she cannot see her heelprint upon another woman’s face?” really will stick with me my entire life. Both the visual arts and punk music are still largely dominated by white cis-gendered men. How do you understand your place within these worlds? It is not so much about me understanding my place as much as recognizing that I might have to go into these spaces and not let the idea of me having “a place,” take power from me. I go into these spaces with the full intent to point out just how violent and difficult they are and the need for us to think about privilege and really taking the bro out of our head. I take my anger into these spaces with the hope for change. If you had to make some concrete suggestions (for artists? for everyone?) how would you suggest that we work to decolonize areas of our current social structure through the arts? We cannot decolonize until we understand the colonization of our mind, hearts, bodies, pasts, and present. We cannot decolonize without holding eachother accountable. There are some pretty big differences between California and Rhode Island. How did it feel to move to the East Coast? What informs your views/approaches to your work as someone from the west coast? I think that my family’s history and its connection to the creation of the imperial United States of America and our connection to the transatlantic slave trade’s hegemony and dialectic guide a lot of my views and approaches. Meeting Latin@s from other countries has been eye opening and understanding how much racism exists amongst us people of color has been illuminating and influential. Borders cross us, they exist not only in every physical part of this country from the creation of ghettos to the Mexico/U.S. border, they also exist in our minds and our interactions and that is everywhere. I think neoliberalism works differently on the West and East Coast, which is interesting. On the West Coast you are still Mexican even if you’re fourth or fifth generation. On the East Coast, educated White people have been to Mexico more times and speak more formal Spanish that I do! This makes me feel small at times, but then I realize they will never ever have my people’s history nor our future. I have really come to embrace and work on what the Pocha identity means on the East Coast. 19
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Decolonize Your Diet! In 2013, Dr. Catriona Rueda Esquibel and Dr. Luz Calvo wrote the essay, Decolonize Your Diet: A Manifesto. They propose a return to the mostly plant-based diet of our ancestors before coming to the U.S. The “Standard American Diet…relies heavily on processed (fake) foods and factory farming,” which both have ties to disease (2). There are numerous studies within public health literature that verify that “Mexican immigrants not only have longer life expectancies than U.S. born Xican@s, but also live longer than middle class white Americans” (2). Mexicans who migrate to the U.S. and their future children are likely to be on a budget when it comes to purchasing food. Much of the more affordable food in today’s grocery stores contains unhealthy additions like preservatives, pesticides, high fructose corn syrup, GMOs and factory farmed meats. While those born here are accustomed to eating the poor food that is sold to us, such as fast food and processed foods, those born in Mexico tend to stick with the traditional and healthful Mexican diet. Now, if you read my zine, Feminist-Vegan Perspectives, you know that I am an advocate for a plant-based diet. Decolonizing my diet is just one more reason that sensibly reaffirms my decision to go vegan. Our ancestors from Mexico and Central America had diets rich in “beans and tortillas, supplemented with many fruits and vegetables: avocado, corn, tomatoes, chiles, wild greens like quelitas and verdolagas, pumpkins, squash, chocolate, vanilla, wild herbs, berries, pineapples, mango and more (2). Ingredients were chosen based on rich flavors as well as for nutritional and medicinal purposes. It is important to research the nutritional elements of the foods you eat, and to spread that knowledge to future generations. It is up to you alone to decolonize your own diet. I encourage you to look to your ancestral roots and try to avoid eating sketchy foods with ingredients that you can’t identify. Purchase organic fruits and vegetables and try to cook for yourself and others as often as possible. Esquibel and Calvo see cooking a pot of beans as a revolutionary act “because it means taking control of your own eating. Cooking a pot of beans allows you to love and nurture your friends and family with life sustaining ancestral food while rejecting fast food and processed non-food-products” (3). So now, every time I cook a pot of beans, I will know I am proclaiming a food revolution, one pot at a time. Let us not give in to the unhealthy foods that are pushed upon us in which the corporations greed is the cause for our disease. Let us strive towards a future of good health and great food. Esquibel, Catriona R., and Luz Calvo. “Decolonize Your Diet.” Nineteen Sixty Nine: An Ethnic Studies Journal (2013): n. pag. EScholarship: University of California. Web. 24 May 2014. <http://escholarship.org/uc/item/7wb1d2t6>.
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While this zine focuses on experiences of Chicanas, popularly used to describe Mexican-American individuals, it is also important to take influence from all women of color. Even as our multiple cultural experiences lend themselves to our unique struggles, we are all striving towards equality. Also, if you havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t noticed, women of color are some of the most punk rock people in the world.
was the lead singer of seminal 70s punk Los Angeles band, The Bags. She was also a member of the Castration Squad, Cholita! (with Vaginal Cream Davis), Las Tres, and Stay at Home Bomb. Her autobiography, Violence Girl, was published in 2011, and traces her life from childhood to the Hollywood stage. She continues to tour, combining music with her book readings. Alicebag.com
is an all-woman DIY hardcore punk band from Chicago, IL. They all identify as feminist and their lyrics are both in English and Spanish. notnormaltapes.bandcamp.co /album/nnt-012-condenadadiscografia
was once a member of the Moldy Peaches and went on to make numerous solo albums and has recently been collaborating with Aesop Rock under the name The Uncluded. While her sound can be acoustic or lend itself to rap, her punk identity can be seen within her values and lifestyle. One of my favorites by her is Same Shit/Complicated on her album Thunder Thighs. kimyadawson.com
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is a female hardcore band from Tokyo, Japan that formed in 2002. http://www.sputnikmusic.com/bands/ Mind-of-Asian/41738/
was the front-woman for the English punk band, X-Ray Specs and she created a number of solo albums as well, her final one being Generation Indigo in 2011. x-rayspex.com
was a pop punk band from Chiba, Japan. They disbanded in 2003, but Moe went on to form Akiakane, another all-female punk band, signed on Asian Man Records. Asianmanrecords.com
is a California native who does vocals for the bilingual political punk band, The Downtown Boys, based in Providence, RI. downtownboys.bandcamp.com
23 Photos and info. courtesy of Last.fm, Bandcamp, and Facebook.
Thanks for reading Chicana Feminism. All work is of my making unless noted otherwise. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m so glad I could share these ideas with you and I invite you to take part in this dialogue by emailing me at suzy@suzygonzalez.com. suzygonzalez.com 24