9781558853317
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Message to Aztlan: Selected Readings share button
Rodolfo Gonzales
Genre Fiction Books & Literature
Format Paperback
Dimensions 5.52 (w) x 8.52 (h) x 0.90 (d)
Pages 256
Publisher Arte Publico Press
Publication Date January 2001
ISBN 9781558853317
Book ISBN 10 1558853316
About Book

Cultural Writing. Poetry. Fiction. Latino/Latina Stuides. One of the most famous leaders of the Chicano civil rights movement, Rodolfo Corky Gonzales was a multifaceted and charismatic, bigger-than-life hero who inspired his followers not only by taking direct political action but also by making eloquent speeches, writing incisive essays, and creating the kind of socially engaged poetry and drama that could be communicated easily through the barrios of Aztlán, populated by Chicanos in the United States. In MESSAGE TO AZTLAN, Dr. Antonio Esquibel, Professor Emeritus of Metropolitan State College of Denver, has compiled the first collection of Gonzales' diverse writings: the original I Am Joaquín (1967), along with a new Spanish translation, seven major speeches (1968-78); two plays, The Revolutionist and A Cross for Malcovio (1966-67); various poems written during the 1970s and a selection of letters. Foreword by Rodolfo F. Acuna.

Reviews

Library Journal

This edition features selected writings of the Chicano civil rights leader, handpicked by Gonzales himself with the help of his longtime friend and political associate Esquibel (emeritus, Metropolitan State Coll. of Denver). The years represented in these writings, 1966-1980, were important ones for the Chicano movement, as mainstream America had just begun to wake up to the concerns of Mexican Americans and other Latin American citizens. As his speeches reveal, Gonzales was a key figure. His words expose and attack the cultural stereotypes plaguing his people for centuries under Euro-American domination and emphasize education for the Chicano people, both academic and political. Also included in this work is the famous "Yo Soy Joaquin," an epic poem covering the history of Aztec civilization and the fate of its descendants today. Gonzales's poetry and plays (also featured in this edition) may seem a bit dated and melodramatic today, but they are historically important and represent the struggles encountered by Chicanos up to the 1980s. Gonzales hoped that this work would "inspire and motivate a new generation of Chicanos," and for this reason it belongs in academic libraries and public libraries with many Chicano or Mexican American patrons. Nedra C. Evers, Sacramento P.L. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.