Bridges, Borders, and Breaks: History, Narrative, and Nation in Twenty-First-Century Chicana/o Literary Criticism

Latinx and Latin American Profiles

by William Orchard (editor), Yolanda Padilla (Editor)

This volume reassesses the field of Chicana/o literary studies in light of the rise of Latina/o studies, the recovery of a large body of early literature by Mexican Americans, and the “transnational turn” in American studies. The chapters reveal how “Chicano” defines a literary critical sensibility as well as a political one and show how this view can yield new insights about the status of Mexican Americans, the legacies of colonialism, and the ongoing prospects for social justice. Chicana/o literary representations emerge as significant examples of the local that interrogate globalization’s attempts to erase difference. They also highlight how Chicana/o literary studies’ interests in racial justice and the minority experience have produced important intersections with new disciplines while also retaining a distinctive character. The recalibration of Chicana/o literary studies in light of these shifts raises important methodological and disciplinary questions, which these chapters address as they introduce the new tools required for the study of Chicana/o literature at this critical juncture.

216 pages, Paperback

Published June 17, 2016

Reviews

[Nic · Rating 4 out of 5]

A neat volume of essays that either respond directly to or are inspired by Ramón Saldívar’s classic work of Chicano literary criticism, Chicano Narrative: The Dialectics of Difference. Most of the essays are appreciative of Saldívar’s contributions while critiquing the work for its limitations largely on two fronts: its (somewhat unintended yet strategic) US-centrism and its over-emphasis on Anglo resistance (in contrast to other Mexican American and Latinx fiction, which could be quite ambivalent or even assimilatory). There’s a big emphasis among the essays to move Chicanx (literary) studies into more transnational or hemispheric directions while maintaining the importance of a regional focus. To me, the best essays were the introduction and the ones written by Alemán, Padilla, and Cutler with some credit to Moya and Rincón. The rest felt undeveloped (as though they’re part of a longer book project, which will give them the space to argue more convincingly for their contributions) or incidental to the book’s central concern. The interview at the end with Saldívar was a nice way to end the collection.