Thanks to Walter for posting the book review.
Other authors, including Andres Guerrero in his _A Chicano Theology_, also
build upon the importance of Guadalupe (a name which I
understand was originally Nahuatl). What assimilated Chicanas/os don't seem
to realize or care about is that they are descendents of a people who became
US citizens by Treaty (1848 Guadalupe Hidalgo). In order to bridge the gap
you mention, I believe the following factors should also be considered: (a) the
Treaty promises/violations; (b) the indigenous blood line of US Mestizos;
(c) Manifest Destiny and all it implies, including the view of Mexicans
(like Indians) as sub-human trash who deserved to be conquered by a superior
race.
Mexicans (the new Chicanos) living on their own lands eventually became a
dispossessed people and their culture has been under constant threat of
genocide. For example, the term "hispanic" (a misnomer similar to the term
"Indian" which lumps independent sovereign nations together) is genocidal and
used only in the US. Thus, in this respect, Chicanos/as and North American
American Indian nations have historically shared a similar American experience.
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Phil Duran duranp@wsuvm1.csc.wsu.edu
Information Technology
Washington State University Voice: (509)335-0445
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