CHS 335 Chicana Feminisms: Midterm Study Guide

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts from the lecture notes on Chicana Feminisms, essential for midterm exam preparation.

Feminism

Theoretical and activist movement seeking to dismantle patriarchal systems of power and gender inequality.

Chicana Feminisms/Xicanisma

Integrates activism, political ideology, and indigenismo into feminist thought, grounding feminist struggle in cultural identity.

Intersectionality

Examines overlapping oppression of race, class, gender, sexuality, and ethnicity, highlighting hybrid identity and resistance.

Double militancia

Dual struggle of Chicana activists in both feminist movements and the Chicano civil rights movement.

First Wave Feminism

1800s-early 1900s focused on suffrage and legal equality, often excluding women of color.

Second Wave Feminism

1960s-1970s addressed sexual and workplace equality, centered on white middle-class women.

Third Wave Feminism

1990s-2000s emphasized intersectionality and included women of color and LGBTQ voices.

Patriarchy

A system in which men hold power and women are excluded, linked by Chicana feminists to colonialism.

Triple Oppression

Simultaneous oppression of Chicanas through race, class, and gender.

Feminists & Loyalists

'_______' are seen as traitors, while '_______' prioritize the nationalist agenda; Chicana feminists reject this binary.

Hijas de Cuauhtemoc

Women revolutionaries in Mexico during the 1910s who fought for women’s rights and social justice.

Queer Aztlan

Reimagines the mythic homeland of the Chicano movement as an inclusive space for queer Chicanxs.

Autohistoria

A Chicana feminist writing method that combines autobiography, history, and theory.

Testimonio

A form of personal narrative documenting survival, oppression, and resistance.

Xicanisma

Grounds feminism in Chicana Indigena identity and integrates decolonial struggle and cultural healing.

Gloria Anzaldua

An important Chicana feminist theorist known for her concepts of borderlands and autohistoria.

Salt of the Earth

A film depicting Mexican American labor struggles, highlighting women's labor and leadership.

Chicano nationalism

A nationalist movement idealizing cultural symbols but reinforced patriarchal gender roles.

La Virgen de Guadalupe

A symbol of purity and motherhood; reclaimed by Chicana feminists as a symbol of strength.

La Malinche

Symbol of betrayal and sexuality, reframed by Chicanas as a survivor and bridge between cultures.

La Llorona

The crying mother symbol, reinterpreted as a voice of loss and resistance.

Limitations of Waves of Feminism

The 'wave' model focuses on white, middle-class women, excluding activism of women of color.

Un-gendering of language

A tool to challenge patriarchal norms and promote inclusivity in language.

Borderlands Theory

Concept that understands identity as hybrid and shaped by cultural and geographical crossings.

Relational feminism

Challenges patriarchy within cultural identity while emphasizing healing and coalition.

Political Art

Art used as a tool for activism and to voice marginalized perspectives in society.

Cultural pride

Valuing and honoring one's cultural heritage as part of feminist liberation.

Sexism in Chicano Movement

Patriarchal attitudes limiting women's roles to supporters and caretakers.

Reproductive rights

Access to birth control and protection against forced sterilization as human rights issues.

Labor and economic justice

Chicanas organizing for fair treatment among farmworkers and laborers.

Educational access

Movement demanding representation and inclusion of women's voices in curricula.

Domestic violence

Issues of abuse and gendered power within the home challenged by Chicanas.

Intersectional Chicana Feminisms

Critique of machismo within Chicano culture and addressing sexism within their communities.

Colonial construct

Machismo seen as something reinforced by colonial and patriarchal values.

Judy Baca

Artist known for 'The Great Wall of Los Angeles,' documenting marginalized histories.

Anzaldúa's Poetry

Works that blend language and myth to articulate resistance to colonial erasure.

Feminist resistance

The reclaiming of the body as a site of political expression and activism.

Cultural liberation

Fighting for freedom and justice while honoring cultural identities.

Decolonial movement

A movement that seeks to center Indigenous principles and identities.