Chicano cinema

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Please, Don't Bury Me Alive! (1976) film poster

Chicano cinema, or Chicano film, is classified as films made by, with, and/or for Chicanos/Chicanas. It is defined by the films' subject matter such as Chicanismo ideology, the Chicano experience in America, and Chicano culture. Another focus was the Chicano Movement which fought for Chicano/a rights in America in the 1950s and 1960s. Chicano cinema is frequently set in the American Southwest, specifically the border states and in the southern region of California.^[1] A predominant focus of many Chicano movies is addressing Hispanic stereotypes, as well as political and economic struggles of Chicanos in America. Chicano movies gained popularity with the growing Chicano Movement that brought their issues and struggles to the forefront of American politics. As Latino and Chicano presence in America grew, the audience for Chicano cinema increased, leading to more films being produced by and for Chicanos, expanding the representation and understanding of Chicano people and culture.

History[]

Chicano film has its roots in Mexican-American cinema. The film The Ring (1952) was one of the first movies to address Mexican-American life in the United States and helped future Chicano films become successful and popular.^[2] As the label "Chicano/a" rose in popularity, so did the community's cinematic representation. Rooted in the Chicano Movement, the word Chicano reflects a resistance to cultural subjugation of Mexican-Americans, and the cinema demonstrated this resistance.^[3] Cinema and film gave the movement a platform to broadcast its activism as the films were both entertainment and social commentaries.^[4] Chicano cinema at this time included documentaries as well as films with fictional storylines like Yo Soy Juaquín (1969). In the 1970s, Chicano films such as Please, Don't Bury Me Alive! (1976), Alambrista! (1977), Raíces de Sangre (1978), and Walk Proud (1979) were made. Please, Don't Bury Me Alive! is widely considered the first Chicano feature film.^[5][6][7] By the 1980s, Chicano cinema had begun to move into the mainstream of American popular culture. Integration of schools and culture was a major focus of many of these films.^[4] As these films became popular, they began to make more money, leading to larger studios creating more Chicano movies.^[4] Actors such as Edward James Olmos and Rosanna DeSoto began playing prominent roles in major movies, allowing for others to follow with successful film careers. As the Chicano community developed with more social activism and awareness, so did its cinema, leading to more diverse themes about oppression, integration, and ethnicity. Chicano cinema continues to thrive with the growth of representation and success of Chicanos and Chicanas in the movie industry.

Chicano Movement[]

Chicano Rights March in San Jose, California

The fight to raise awareness of Chicano and Mexican discrimination in social and political areas became known as The Chicano Movement. The movement was expressed through Chicano art as well as through boycotts, strikes, and protests. The film and cinematic industry was used as a way to advocate for Chicanos. Up until the 1960s, many Chicanos and Mexican-Americans thought of themselves as racially white, but many Mexican-Americans with darker complexions did not know where to draw the line.^[8] The United States Census Bureau had come out with a new Mexican Race, polarizing the already growing divide between Mexican-Americans and white Americans.^[8] The Chicano Movement was reflected in film, highlighting the highs and lows of the movement.^[1] Many Chicanos and activists began to critique what was inaccurately seen as normal portrayal and interpretation of Chicanos. The fight against stereotyping and manipulative imagery of people as primarily violent, simpleminded, unskilled, and lazy was brought out to make people aware of these inaccurate portrayals. These stereotypes were negatively affecting Chicanos' chances at acceptance into a growing economic, social, political, and American society.

Representation[]

Chicano Representation[]

In 1930s cinema, Chicano representation was often a single Mexican-American being cast in a movie production. Myrtle Gonzalez, Beatriz Michelena, Frank Padilla and Eustacio Montoya battled for representation in silent film, as many actors and actresses were overlooked because of their race and the restrictive discriminative barriers that pervaded the film industry at this time.^[9][10] These actors and actresses made it possible for future actors to make strides for greater representation in film. Throughout the era of silent films, many Chicanos and Latinos did not portray characters reflective of their heritage. The ideology of colorism was prominent, as can be found in the case of Cuban actor Rene Cardona. He was blonde and played the role of the Prince of Wales. There were other situations similar to Cardona's that led Chicanos and Latinos to choose to portray an interpretation of their ethnicity rather than portraying a character actually of their own ethnicity. They either chose to play white characters or stereotypical "greasers" or "Indians" in order to achieve success in the movie industry.^[10] This had both positive and negative effects as they made names for themselves in Hollywood while simultaneously making it harder for later generations to pioneer for greater representation.

As found in lists of actors of Chicano Films, many Latinos of different backgrounds have been cast to portray Mexican-Americans in these films. More often than not, Chicanos were pleased to see a Latino face on the big screens, but on occasion, controversy would arise. An example of this was the casting of Puerto Rican-American actress, Jennifer Lopez, as the famous Mexican-American singer, Selena Quintanilla in the movie Selena (1997).^[11] Several advocacy groups protested the casting because the Tejano popstar was not being played by someone that was actually Mexican or Mexican-American. Still many Chicanos, including the late popstar's father, Abraham Quintanilla, believed the representation of any or all Latino cast should be celebrated. Cases of controversial casting like this one are still found in today's American Film Industry.

Chicano Image[]

The standard Chicano image in film was set by white American men which often portrayed Chicanos as lazy, promiscuous, and troubled.^[12] These stereotypes had been embedded into years of film, and because of this racial bias against Chicanos, the portrayal of Chicano characters in film generally reflected poorly on Chicanos as a people. The roles were usually antagonistic and crudely stereotypical. In the films Let Katie Do It (1916) and Martyrs of the Alamo (1915), Mexicans were portrayed as villains to justify the theft of Mexican land by Americans.^[13] The image of the Chicano continues to evolve, and this can be seen in films centered around the empowerment of Chicanos and the Chicano Movement.

Film Style, Aesthetics, and Subject Matter[]

The style, aesthetics, and subject matter of Chicano cinema sets it apart as a film genre. Chicano movies use multicultural aesthetics to capture Chicano life and culture on film.^[4] Though various directors and producers have different cinematic styles, they use specific styles of cultural blending, characterizations, themes, and subject matters which have created a new Chicano cinematic aesthetic.^[4]

Chicano Gangs in Film[]

A number of Chicano films revolve around or include the theme of Chicano street gangs, especially those in large cities such as Los Angeles. Movies like Boulevard Nights (1979) and Walk Proud (1979) were early examples of Chicano gang culture representation in film which highlighted Chicano masculinity and loyalty.^[14] In the 1980s, the movies Zoot Suit (1981), Stand and Deliver (1988), and Colors (1988) each had gang related thematic elements, addressing the "troubled Chicano teenager" stereotype and gang involvement. Other significant Chicano gang movies include American Me (1992), Blood In, Blood Out (1993), Mi Vida Loca (1993), and My Family (1995). Films such as these often portrayed stereotypical Chicano gang members which perpetuated the stereotypical representation of male masculinity among the Chicano community.^[15] The term used to refer to this masculine pride is machismo.^[4] Chicano gang activity in film and music, specifically rap and hip hop, address violence, Chicano attitudes towards police, and Chicano incarceration.^[12][4] These films and the gang-related subject matter show this aspect of the Chicano experience and culture, including family ties and Chicano oppression.^[4]

The American Southwest

Films Set in the American Southwest[]

Due to its proximity to Mexico, many Chicanos live in the American Southwest. Films of the 20th century reflected this. Movies like Tijerina (1969), Llanito (1972), Agueda Martinez (1978), The Lemon Grove Incident (1986), The Milagro Bean Field War (1988), La Llorona (1991), and Los Mineros (1991) are all examples of Chicano movies that were set in the American Southwest.^[16] These movies revolved around the Chicano experience in this region. Controversial Chicano films that focus on the Mexican border include Borderline (1980) and The Border (1982).^[17] These films often depicted Chicanos as inferior and as foils to the white characters.^[1] This grossly stereotypical representation was actively fought by Chicano directors and writers. Efforts to change the representation of the Southwest began after the Chicano Movement of the fifties and sixties as Chicano directors began creating films with the intent of accurately depicting the lives of Chicanos, Latinos, and Mexican-Americans in the American Southwest.^[1] While Southwest films are not as popular today, negative representation has been combatted in the last 30 years.

Actors/Directors/Producers[]

See also[]

• Chicano films
• Chicano Movement

References[]