Introduction to Mexican American Studies: Story of Aztlan and La Raza

Edition: 3

Copyright: 2016

Pages: 278

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ISBN 9781524905125

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Introduction to Mexican American Studies: Story of Aztlan and La Raza provides the most basic and essential information that students need to acquire in an introductory course to the academic field. This text, written from a Chicano-Chicana perspective and analysis, is an introduction to the Mexican cultural roots from the pre-Columbian civilizations to the story of Mexican Americans in Aztlán.

Introduction to Mexican American Studies:

  • Exposes and engages students with basic essential information regarding Mexican American history, heritage and culture.
  • Includes discussion questions at the end of each chapter
  • Features an elaborate glossary including definitions: names, places, and events that are important in Chicano Studies

 

Chapter 1 Introduction
The Chicano-Latino Perspective
Definition of Terms: The Use of Ethnic and Racial Terms and Labels
What is the Mission and Purpose of Chicano Studies and the Role of Professors?
The Concept of Culture: Culture Is Dynamic
Learned Culture
Created Culture
Traditional Culture
American Popular Culture
American Culture
The Story of Mexican American History, Heritage, and Culture
Chapter Discussion Questions

Chapter 2 Ancient Indigenous People: La Gente Indígena
Mesoamérica
Olmeca
Maya
Teotihuacanos
The Story of the Azteca-Mexica
A Chicano-Latino Perspective on the Study of Indigenous History, Heritage, and Culture
Chapter Discussion Questions

Chapter 3 An Introduction to Indigenous Science, Thought, and Language by Matt Espinoza Watson
Native Science
Ancestors, Food and Decolonization
Indigenous Language and Thought
Indigenous Theology
Indigenous Philosophy
The “Aztec Calendar”
Return to Aztlan, Returning to El Maíz
Quetzalcóatl
The Tonalpohualli: The Sacred 260 Day Calendar
Quetzalcóatl: Extracting the Essential
Chapter Discussion Questions

Chapter 4 The Spanish Conquest, 1519 to 1521, and Spanish Colonization, 1521 to 1821
In 1492, Columbus Sailed the Ocean Blue
Spanish Conquest, La Conquista, 1519 to 1521: Spanish Genocide of the Indigenous Azteca, Mexica
Spanish Colonization of New Spain, Nueva España, 1521–1810
Cultural Clash and the Birth of Racism
Birth and Cultural Roots of La Raza
Africa’s Legacy
Catholicism and the Indigenous Population: The Story of La Virgen de Guadalupe
Aztlán During the Time of Spanish Colonization
The Fantasy Heritage
The Birth of México. Significance of Mexican
Independence Day
México, the Birth of a New Country: Beware of Your Neighbor Who Wants Something You’ve Got!
Chapter Discussion Questions

Chapter 5 The Mexican-American War, 1846–1848 Legacy of Conflict:  U.S. Conquest of México
Spain and Colonial México
México: The Birth of a Nation
Early 1800s: Mexicanos in Aztlán before the Mexican-American War, 1846–1848
The Great American Cowboy, an American Institution
The Indigenous Cultures in Aztlán
U.S. Westward Expansion and the Story of the Mexican-American War, 1846–1848
The Long Expedition, 1819
Initial American Colonists to México
Joel Poinsett, 1825, Minister to México
The Republic of Fredonia, 1826
Opposing Viewpoints
The Alamo, 1836, and the Texas Revolution
The Historic Battle of the Alamo and the Myth of the Alamo
March 1836: Battle of Coleto Creek and the Goliad Massacre
April 21, 1836: Battle of San Jacinto. Treaty of Velasco
The Slidell Mission
The Mexican-American War, 1846–1848: Invasion of México
All Is Fair in Love and War
Critical Perspectives, Discussion, and Debate: Legacy of Conflict, U.S. Conquest of México
Reading and Research
Late 1800s: Mexicanos in Aztlán after the Mexican-American War, 1846–1848
Joaquín Murrieta: An Investigation into the Historical Reality of the Legend
Being Mexican in California during the Gold Rush
A Family Affair
Challenging Joaquin’s existence
Chicano Perspectives on Joaquín
Questions for Discussion
Works Cited
The Mexican Contribution in Building the Southwest
Conclusion
Chapter Discussion Questions

Chapter 6 The Early 1900s: The Trials and Tribulations of Social and Cultural Change
The Mexican Revolution of 1910: ¡Viva La Revolución!
Back to Aztlán and Mexicanos in the Good Old U.S.A.
World War I, 1914 to 1918, and the Aftermath
The Stock Market Crash of 1929 and the Great Depression of the 1930s
The 1940s
World War II
Prejudice, Discrimination and Racism during the 1940s
The 1950s: The American Pop Culture Era of Happy Days!
Operation Wetback: 1954 to 1955
Conclusion
Chapter Discussion Questions

Chapter 7 The Chicano Movement: The 1960s and 1970s
1964: Last Year of the Bracero Program
The Chicano Movement of the 1960s and 1970s
American Civil Rights Movement
Viva Kennedy!
The Black Power Movement
Chicano and Chicana Leaders and Organizations
César Chávez
Chicano and Chicana Cultural Renaissance
Conclusion
Chapter Discussion Questions

Chapter 8 The Late Twentieth Century and the New Millennium .
Mexican Americans in the Late 1900s: A Social Issues Perspective
1986: Proposition 63—English-Only Initiative
1994: Proposition 187—Save Our State Initiative (SOS)
1996: Proposition 209—California Civil Rights Initiative
1998: Proposition 227—Bilingual Education
Political Participation: Fallout from Not Voting. What are the Results of Being Politically Disenfranchised?
Revisiting the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1998
Mexican Americans in the New Millennium: The Here and Now
Mexican American Family and Culture
A perspective on MEXICAN TRADITIONAL MEDICINE in the 21st Century, by Matt Espinoza Watson
Books on Curanderismo that actually know what they’re talking about
Re-membering, Re-discovering
A Baby Born
Extra Discussion Question for the Chapter:
Mexican American Family Structure
The Schools and the Educational System
The Question of Immigration from México and Latino América
Conclusion
Chapter Discussion Questions

Chapter 9 Mexican Americans: Existence, Aspirations and Education in the Twenty-first Century
1986: Proposition 63 – English Only Initiative
1994: Proposition 187 – Save Our State Initiative (SOS)
1996: Proposition 209 – California Civil Rights Initiative
1998: Proposition 227 – Bilingual Education
Latest Development Against English Language Learners
California public schools, Latino/a students now comprise the majority minority
English Language Learners
The Schools and the Educational System
Current Movements
Conclusion
Chapter Questions

Chapter 10 Chicana-Latina Literature: Life and Experiences
Chapter Discussion Questions

Chapter 11 Conclusion: The Story of Aztlán and La Raza
Semester Discussion Questions

Appendices

Appendix I. 2010 U.S. Population Census
Appendix II. 2015 U.S. Population Census
Appendix III. Mexican Population Census

Notes

References

Glossary

Index

About the Authors

Arturo Amaro-Aguilar

Arturo Amaro-Aguilar is professor of Chicano-Latino Studies at Fresno City College and a part-time lecturer in Chicano-Latin American Studies at California State University, Fresno. He is a graduate of Modesto High School, Modesto Junior College, and California State University, Stanislaus. Earning his M.A. from San José State University in Mexican American Graduate Studies, Professor Amaro-Aguilar has also done graduate coursework at the doctoral level. His research interests focus on Chicano-Chicana-Mexican history, heritage and culture. He considers his highest honor and privilege as faculty advisor of student organizations such as MEChA.

Matt Espinoza Watson

Matt (/Matthew/Mateo) Espinoza Watson was born and raised in Fresno, California, where he attended Slater Elementary, Edison-Computech Middle School, Bullard High School, Fresno City College, and CSU Fresno. He then moved to Oakland to study law at UC Berkeley School of Law, where he earned his Juris Doctorate in 2003. After getting the opportunity to teach in Chicano-Latino Studies at CSUF and Fresno City College, Matt decided to re-enroll in school, and studied in the Mexican American Studies Graduate program at San Jose State University, the oldest graduate program in Chicano/Mexican-American studies in the nation, where he was particularly influenced by Profa Julia Curry-Rodriguez, Ph.D., and Profe Marcos Pizarro, Ph.D., two scholar-activist-maestr@s with very different approaches but with a whole lot to share with up and coming Chicana and Chicano scholar-activists.

Matt is happy to call Fresno his home once again, and he is currently the Program Coordinator and sole full-time instructor in Chicano-Latino Studies at Fresno City College, where he also helps to coordinate the Law School Pathway Program, a new statewide program connecting traditionally underrepresented students with guidance, mentoring, and resources to help make the study of law a more attainable goal for students in our community. (The State of California currently has a population that is approximately 60% Latino, yet Latinos make up only 6% of all attorneys in the state. Latino communities don’t need exclusively Latino lawyers to represent them, but being so drastically underrepresented demonstrates the current consequences of historic inequities and lack of access to institutions of higher education.) Matt is committed to breaking down barriers of all sorts in the arena of higher education, and in society generally. He is the proud adviser for MEChA de Fresno City College for the past 7 years, and proud to be a mentor and faculty participant in the PUENTE program at FCC as well.

Introduction to Mexican American Studies: Story of Aztlan and La Raza provides the most basic and essential information that students need to acquire in an introductory course to the academic field. This text, written from a Chicano-Chicana perspective and analysis, is an introduction to the Mexican cultural roots from the pre-Columbian civilizations to the story of Mexican Americans in Aztlán.

Introduction to Mexican American Studies:

  • Exposes and engages students with basic essential information regarding Mexican American history, heritage and culture.
  • Includes discussion questions at the end of each chapter
  • Features an elaborate glossary including definitions: names, places, and events that are important in Chicano Studies

 

Chapter 1 Introduction
The Chicano-Latino Perspective
Definition of Terms: The Use of Ethnic and Racial Terms and Labels
What is the Mission and Purpose of Chicano Studies and the Role of Professors?
The Concept of Culture: Culture Is Dynamic
Learned Culture
Created Culture
Traditional Culture
American Popular Culture
American Culture
The Story of Mexican American History, Heritage, and Culture
Chapter Discussion Questions

Chapter 2 Ancient Indigenous People: La Gente Indígena
Mesoamérica
Olmeca
Maya
Teotihuacanos
The Story of the Azteca-Mexica
A Chicano-Latino Perspective on the Study of Indigenous History, Heritage, and Culture
Chapter Discussion Questions

Chapter 3 An Introduction to Indigenous Science, Thought, and Language by Matt Espinoza Watson
Native Science
Ancestors, Food and Decolonization
Indigenous Language and Thought
Indigenous Theology
Indigenous Philosophy
The “Aztec Calendar”
Return to Aztlan, Returning to El Maíz
Quetzalcóatl
The Tonalpohualli: The Sacred 260 Day Calendar
Quetzalcóatl: Extracting the Essential
Chapter Discussion Questions

Chapter 4 The Spanish Conquest, 1519 to 1521, and Spanish Colonization, 1521 to 1821
In 1492, Columbus Sailed the Ocean Blue
Spanish Conquest, La Conquista, 1519 to 1521: Spanish Genocide of the Indigenous Azteca, Mexica
Spanish Colonization of New Spain, Nueva España, 1521–1810
Cultural Clash and the Birth of Racism
Birth and Cultural Roots of La Raza
Africa’s Legacy
Catholicism and the Indigenous Population: The Story of La Virgen de Guadalupe
Aztlán During the Time of Spanish Colonization
The Fantasy Heritage
The Birth of México. Significance of Mexican
Independence Day
México, the Birth of a New Country: Beware of Your Neighbor Who Wants Something You’ve Got!
Chapter Discussion Questions

Chapter 5 The Mexican-American War, 1846–1848 Legacy of Conflict:  U.S. Conquest of México
Spain and Colonial México
México: The Birth of a Nation
Early 1800s: Mexicanos in Aztlán before the Mexican-American War, 1846–1848
The Great American Cowboy, an American Institution
The Indigenous Cultures in Aztlán
U.S. Westward Expansion and the Story of the Mexican-American War, 1846–1848
The Long Expedition, 1819
Initial American Colonists to México
Joel Poinsett, 1825, Minister to México
The Republic of Fredonia, 1826
Opposing Viewpoints
The Alamo, 1836, and the Texas Revolution
The Historic Battle of the Alamo and the Myth of the Alamo
March 1836: Battle of Coleto Creek and the Goliad Massacre
April 21, 1836: Battle of San Jacinto. Treaty of Velasco
The Slidell Mission
The Mexican-American War, 1846–1848: Invasion of México
All Is Fair in Love and War
Critical Perspectives, Discussion, and Debate: Legacy of Conflict, U.S. Conquest of México
Reading and Research
Late 1800s: Mexicanos in Aztlán after the Mexican-American War, 1846–1848
Joaquín Murrieta: An Investigation into the Historical Reality of the Legend
Being Mexican in California during the Gold Rush
A Family Affair
Challenging Joaquin’s existence
Chicano Perspectives on Joaquín
Questions for Discussion
Works Cited
The Mexican Contribution in Building the Southwest
Conclusion
Chapter Discussion Questions

Chapter 6 The Early 1900s: The Trials and Tribulations of Social and Cultural Change
The Mexican Revolution of 1910: ¡Viva La Revolución!
Back to Aztlán and Mexicanos in the Good Old U.S.A.
World War I, 1914 to 1918, and the Aftermath
The Stock Market Crash of 1929 and the Great Depression of the 1930s
The 1940s
World War II
Prejudice, Discrimination and Racism during the 1940s
The 1950s: The American Pop Culture Era of Happy Days!
Operation Wetback: 1954 to 1955
Conclusion
Chapter Discussion Questions

Chapter 7 The Chicano Movement: The 1960s and 1970s
1964: Last Year of the Bracero Program
The Chicano Movement of the 1960s and 1970s
American Civil Rights Movement
Viva Kennedy!
The Black Power Movement
Chicano and Chicana Leaders and Organizations
César Chávez
Chicano and Chicana Cultural Renaissance
Conclusion
Chapter Discussion Questions

Chapter 8 The Late Twentieth Century and the New Millennium .
Mexican Americans in the Late 1900s: A Social Issues Perspective
1986: Proposition 63—English-Only Initiative
1994: Proposition 187—Save Our State Initiative (SOS)
1996: Proposition 209—California Civil Rights Initiative
1998: Proposition 227—Bilingual Education
Political Participation: Fallout from Not Voting. What are the Results of Being Politically Disenfranchised?
Revisiting the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1998
Mexican Americans in the New Millennium: The Here and Now
Mexican American Family and Culture
A perspective on MEXICAN TRADITIONAL MEDICINE in the 21st Century, by Matt Espinoza Watson
Books on Curanderismo that actually know what they’re talking about
Re-membering, Re-discovering
A Baby Born
Extra Discussion Question for the Chapter:
Mexican American Family Structure
The Schools and the Educational System
The Question of Immigration from México and Latino América
Conclusion
Chapter Discussion Questions

Chapter 9 Mexican Americans: Existence, Aspirations and Education in the Twenty-first Century
1986: Proposition 63 – English Only Initiative
1994: Proposition 187 – Save Our State Initiative (SOS)
1996: Proposition 209 – California Civil Rights Initiative
1998: Proposition 227 – Bilingual Education
Latest Development Against English Language Learners
California public schools, Latino/a students now comprise the majority minority
English Language Learners
The Schools and the Educational System
Current Movements
Conclusion
Chapter Questions

Chapter 10 Chicana-Latina Literature: Life and Experiences
Chapter Discussion Questions

Chapter 11 Conclusion: The Story of Aztlán and La Raza
Semester Discussion Questions

Appendices

Appendix I. 2010 U.S. Population Census
Appendix II. 2015 U.S. Population Census
Appendix III. Mexican Population Census

Notes

References

Glossary

Index

About the Authors

Arturo Amaro-Aguilar

Arturo Amaro-Aguilar is professor of Chicano-Latino Studies at Fresno City College and a part-time lecturer in Chicano-Latin American Studies at California State University, Fresno. He is a graduate of Modesto High School, Modesto Junior College, and California State University, Stanislaus. Earning his M.A. from San José State University in Mexican American Graduate Studies, Professor Amaro-Aguilar has also done graduate coursework at the doctoral level. His research interests focus on Chicano-Chicana-Mexican history, heritage and culture. He considers his highest honor and privilege as faculty advisor of student organizations such as MEChA.

Matt Espinoza Watson

Matt (/Matthew/Mateo) Espinoza Watson was born and raised in Fresno, California, where he attended Slater Elementary, Edison-Computech Middle School, Bullard High School, Fresno City College, and CSU Fresno. He then moved to Oakland to study law at UC Berkeley School of Law, where he earned his Juris Doctorate in 2003. After getting the opportunity to teach in Chicano-Latino Studies at CSUF and Fresno City College, Matt decided to re-enroll in school, and studied in the Mexican American Studies Graduate program at San Jose State University, the oldest graduate program in Chicano/Mexican-American studies in the nation, where he was particularly influenced by Profa Julia Curry-Rodriguez, Ph.D., and Profe Marcos Pizarro, Ph.D., two scholar-activist-maestr@s with very different approaches but with a whole lot to share with up and coming Chicana and Chicano scholar-activists.

Matt is happy to call Fresno his home once again, and he is currently the Program Coordinator and sole full-time instructor in Chicano-Latino Studies at Fresno City College, where he also helps to coordinate the Law School Pathway Program, a new statewide program connecting traditionally underrepresented students with guidance, mentoring, and resources to help make the study of law a more attainable goal for students in our community. (The State of California currently has a population that is approximately 60% Latino, yet Latinos make up only 6% of all attorneys in the state. Latino communities don’t need exclusively Latino lawyers to represent them, but being so drastically underrepresented demonstrates the current consequences of historic inequities and lack of access to institutions of higher education.) Matt is committed to breaking down barriers of all sorts in the arena of higher education, and in society generally. He is the proud adviser for MEChA de Fresno City College for the past 7 years, and proud to be a mentor and faculty participant in the PUENTE program at FCC as well.