Onda Latina

The KUT Longhorn Radio Network Presents: Mexican American Experience Collection

Audio recordings including interviews, music, and informational programs related to the Mexican American community and their concerns in the series "The Mexican American Experience" and "A esta hora conversamos" from the Longhorn Radio Network, 1976-1982.

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PROGRAM INFO

Title:
Chicano Poetry, Chicano Organizing
Program #
1980-22
Theme:
Culture

Series:
Literature
Host:
Linda Fregoso
Guests:
Alurista, Isidro Ortíz
Date:
May 2, 1980

Chicano poetry, Chicano organizing

Linda Fregoso first interviews Chicano poet, Alurista, about the evolution of Chicano poetry. Alurista explains that while Chicanos poetry dates to the 19th century, their work was largely confined to local audiences. In contrast, 20th century Chicano poets have been able to reach national audiences. Alurista then traces the thematic development of Chicano poetry. In the 1960s, Chicano poetry largely dealt with contemporary political protests. In the 1970s, it became more retrospective and looked at the decline of the protest movement. Alurista believes that while some poets will continue to focus on art for art’s sake, other will seek to tie their poetry to their class and to third world struggles. He argues that this third world orientation has long marked Chicano consciousness and reads Americo Paredes’ poem to Augusto Sandino.

Fregoso then interviews Professor Isidro Ortiz about Chicano community organizing. Ortiz explains that the early 1960s saw intense nationalist organizing, but the political repression of the 1970s weakened the movement. Activists turned to electoral politics and began to neglect community organizing. Other groups, like the Catholic Church, stepped in and effectively mobilized some sectors of the Chicano population, who fought for increased amenities in their communities. However, these groups have largely ignored the economic issues that Chicanos are still confronting. Moreover, Ortiz explains that the 1970s witnessed a backlash against the civil rights movement. Consequently, Chicanos have struggled to preserve the limited gains of the sixties.

KEYWORDS

A Cesar Augusto Sandino
Alberto Baltazar Urista Heredia
Alurista
Americo Paredes
Art
Art and class
Barrio
California
Casa de la Raza
Catholic Church
Centro Cultural de la Raza
Chicano Literature
Chicano Poetry
Chicano Studies
Chicanos in Higher Education
Civil Rights Backlash
Class
COINTELPRO
Community Organizers
Education
FBI
Fear in the Chicano community
Festival de Flor y Canto
La Raza Unida
Literature
Los Angeles
Mass Mobilization
MEChA
Nationalist Movements
Nationchild Plumaroja
Neighborhood Improvement
New Mexico
Nicaragua
Nixon Administration
Police Provocateurs
Political Parties
Property Task
Proposition 13
Protest
Public Schools
Rural migration to Urban areas
San Antonio
San Diego State University
Sandinistas
Santa Barbara
Socially conscious art
South Texas
Spik in Glyph?
Texas
Third World Consciousness
Third World Orientation
Undocumented Workers
University of California Santa Barbara
Urban
Who’s who
Working-Class
Ysidro Ortiz
 

Center for Mexican American Studies | Department of History | The Benson Latin American Collection

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