Mexican American's Literature
Chicano literature is the literature written by Chicanos or Mexican Americans in the United States. Though its origins can be traced back to the sixteenth century, the bulk of Chicano literature dates from after 1848, when the USA annexed large parts of what had been Mexico, in the wake of the Mexican-American War. Today it is a vibrant and diverse set of narratives, prompting (in the words of critics) "a new awareness of the historical and cultural independence of both northern and southern American hemispheres.". Chicano literature tends to focus on themes of identity, discrimination, culture, and history, with an emphasis on validating the Mexican Americans experience or Chicano culture in the United States. It is often associated with the social and cultural claims of the Chicano movement. It is a vehicle through which Chicanos express and represent themselves, and also often a voice of social critique and protest. Other important themes include the experience of migration, and the situation of living between two languages. Sandra Cisneros's novel The House on Mango Street, her short story collection Woman Hollering Creek and other short stories and My Wicked Wicked Ways emphasize these themes.
Firstly, The House on Mango Street reflects themes of identity and the important of language. For example, Esperanza, who is the main character in the novel, struggles to define herself both as a woman and as an artist. In the beginning of the novel Esperanza wants to change her name so that she can define herself on her own terms, instead of accepting a name that expresses her family heritage. She wants to separate herself from her parents and her younger sister in order to create her own life. Yet, at the end Esperanza decides that she does not need to set herself apart from her family heritage and decides that the most important way she can define herself is as a writer. In addition, The House on Mango Street emphasizes the...