Radical books - Feminist writings - Socialist theory - Race liberation - Queer activism
Radicals of color
Red Letter Press
Viva la Raza: A History of Chicano Identity and Resistance
U.S. history is often treated as if conquest and dispossession ended in the distant past. But to Chicanas and Chicanos
the memory of U.S. seizure of the Southwest is still raw. Generations of people of Mexican ancestry have fought a
second-class status perpetuated by racial and cultural domination.
This book provides a history of Chicana/o militancy, from the occupation of Northern Mexico to the 1990s. It explores
hotly debated theoretical issues and proposes a strategy for liberation. The authors describe heroic 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 feminism and Chicana/o lesbians and gays, and the role of radical organizations.
Viva la Raza reveals the workings of race and nationality in the United States, and is a vital contribution to
developing a socialist perspective that meets the needs of our times.
$20.00, 368 pages, photos, index, notes
Social Science Journal
Journal of American Ethnic History
The Sentinal (Portland, OR)
Real Change (Seattle)
Left Turn
Freedom Socialist
About the authors:
Yolanda Alaniz grew up working in the fields of Eastern Washington. After moving to Seattle to attend college, she was active in the Chicano movement, union mobilizations, and early feminist organizing. She graduated with a degree in Editorial Journalism and, after moving to Los Angeles, received a Master's Degree in Library Information Studies. She is co-editor, with Nellie Wong, of the anthology Voices of Color.
Video interview of Yolanda Alaniz.
Megan Cornish is a longtime activist for women's rights and racial justice, and an avid student and teacher of Marxist theory. She was one of the first women in the country to become a journey-level worker in the utility electrical trades. She and Heidi Durham co-wrote Women Workers: Sparkplugs of Labor, a study of the political impact of the changing demographics of the U.S. labor force.
Video interview of Megan Cornish.
Contents - Foreword by Rodolfo Acuña Sample Section - Index
Reader Comments:
Recommended to all who thirst to know Chicano history. Takes on sacred cows and icons as it probes into the forces that both unite and divide our struggle. A needed addition to the arsenal of revolutionary literature.
Gil Veyna, labor activist and independent radical
Change cannot come about without passionate feelings. Viva la Raza critiques the past and does not go along with the road map. It is an honest book that pulls no punches. Its passion is a breath of fresh air.
Professor Rodolfo Acuña, groundbreaking Chicana/o Studies historian
The story of the Chicano liberation movement by two radical women committed to our lucha, who know that the struggle continues until our final victory with the peoples of the world. ¡Venceremos!
Jose Cervantes, veteran of el movimiento