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J.M. Valle's avatar

For most of my life I felt like an asshole for not speaking Spanish. I was angry at my parents for not raising me to speak it. I was called a pocho and again, white washed…only to grow up all these years later and get called an asshole for not speaking an indigenous language! I’m now a sellout two times! Once for not knowing the colonizer’s tongue and twice for not knowing the native one…whichever that might be. 🤣🤣🤣🤣 This says it all. This is the new Ruben Salazar quote 2023!

To me, Chicano is the people, culture and experience of being Mexican in this country. Before it's political, it's an experience and although this experience may differ, it of course is still a unique experience especially in the barrios of the southwest.

Oh yeah and commenting on IG I think is better because the engagement is better. I have no idea if I'll see a notification if someone responds here or like or whatever. Great article as always!

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CJC's avatar

Oyes, Sarlos--Chicano is not metaphysical state of being, Chicanismo is un proceso con sus sesos or por que la cultura cura, as the artist and poet and song master Jose Montoya, El general of the Royal Chicano Air Force would say. There're very definite regional variations and have you honestly read "On Culture" by the Chicano intellectual Juan Gomez Quinones--check out his 2012 book Indigenous Quotient Stalking Words: American Indian Heritage as Future. (Aztlan Libre Press, San Antonio)

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