Viva la Raza: A History of Chicano Identity and Resistance

Literary Nonfiction. Political Science. Latino/Latina Studies. LGBT Studies. A lively and accessible investigation of Mexican American militancy from the U.S. occupation of Northern Mexico in the 19th century to civil rights struggles in the present era. The authors describe monumental labor battles, survey the Raza youth movement, focus attention on the role of women, and examine issues such as police brutality, the emergence of Chicana/o lesbians and gays, and the role of radical organizations, while also exploring hotly debated theories about the source of discrimination against Chicanos. VIVA LA RAZA reveals the workings of race and nationality in the United States in relation to people of Mexican ancestry, a group that is too little understood though its members comprise this country's second largest population of people of color.