I Am Joaquin

Chicanos and Mexican Americans
Part of a series on
Chicano · La Raza · Latino Mexican American · Hispanic
Pre-Chicano Movement
Mexican–American History Mexican–American War Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo Mutualista · San Elizario Salt War Sleepy Lagoon trial · Zoot Suit Riots
Chicano Movement
Chicanismo · Aztlán Chicano nationalism Chicana feminism Plan Espiritual de Aztlán Plan de Santa Bárbara Land grant struggle Chicano Blowouts Chicano Moratorium Farm worker rights campaign Católicos por La Raza
Supreme Court cases
Hernandez v. Texas Plyler v. Doe Mendez v. Westminster
Organizations
MEChA · United Farm Workers Brown Berets Comisión Femenil Mexicana Nacional League of United Latin American Citizens American GI Forum Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund Mexican American Political Association National Council of La Raza
Language
Chicano Spanish Chicano Spanish words / phrases Chicano English New Mexican Spanish Spanish language in the United States
Music
Chicano rap · Chicano rock Tejano music
Culture
Chicano literature Estrada Courts murals Cholo · Pachuco Lowrider · Zoot suit Teatro Campesino · Chicano Park Tex-Mex cuisine Dia de los muertos Cinco de Mayo
Lists
U.S. communities with Hispanic majority Notable Chicanos / Hispanics

I Am Joaquin (also known as Yo Soy Joaquin), by Rodolfo "Corky" Gonzales, is a famous epic poem associated with the Chicano movement of the 1960s in the United States. In I am Joaquin, Joaquin (the narrative voice of the poem) speaks of the struggles that the Chicano people have faced in trying to achieve economic justice and equal rights in the U.S, as well as to find an identity of being part of a hybrid mestizo society. He promises that his culture will survive if all Chicano people stand proud and demand acceptance.^[1]^[2]

The Chicano movement inspired much new poetry. I Am Joaquin is one of the earliest and most widely read works associated with the movement. In its entirety, the poem describes the then modern dilemma of Chicanos in the 1960s trying to assimilate with American culture while trying to keep some semblance of their culture intact for future generations, then proceeds to outline 2000 years of Mexican and Mexican-American history, highlighting the different, often opposing strains that make up the Chicano heritage.

In 1969, it was adapted into a short film by director Luis Valdez, a leading figure in Chicano theater.

References

↑ "Luis H. Moreno". Raza Press Association. Retrieved January 31, 2012.
↑ "Yo Soy Joaquín". The Unapologetic Mexican. May 5, 2006. Retrieved January 31, 2012.

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Wednesday, February 24, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.