The National Chicano Cultural Movement of the 1960s and 1970s

Title

The National Chicano Cultural Movement of the 1960s and 1970s

Description

During the 1960s and 1970s, artists and activists who identified as Chicanos developed a new cultural identity apart from Mexican nationals and the previous generation of Mexican Americans. The mix of cultural influences that were considered inferior to White Americans was a central concept for the Chicano Movement. These beliefs reflected the forging of a unique identity, one that crossed borders and cultures.

The 1960s were marked by cultural nationalist struggles in the Third World and an international student movement. The US also reflected this generational change with the emergence of multiple social and political movements, including domestic Black Power, hippie counterculture, and massive mobilization against the war in Vietnam. The national flowering of the Chicano Arts Movement in the US found expression in a variety of mediums, including Theater, Painting/Murals, Music, and Literature. Artists composed slogans of solidarity and envisioned art and culture as crucial aspects of social transformation. Chicano arts would reinforce a positive identity and fortify the community. The Chicano Civil Rights Movement reaffirmed a centuries-long struggle for human and cultural rights

Additional Online Information

“The History of Mexican Americans in California” (include Chicano Cultural Movement)

Five Views: An Ethnic Historic Site Survey for California (Mexican Americans)

Identifier

B4SV Exhibit Topic Six: Slide 017