Aztlan and Viet Nam: Chicano and Chicana Experiences of the War

by George Mariscal

Showcasing over sixty short stories, poems, speeches, and articles, Aztlán and Viet Nam is the first anthology of Mexican American writings about the U.S. war in Southeast Asia. The words are startlingly frank, moving, and immensely powerful, as they call to our attention an important and neglected part of U.S. history. Gathered from many little-known sources, the works reflect both the soldiers' experience and the antiwar movement at home. Taken together, they illustrate the contradictions faced by the traditionally patriotic Mexican American community, and show us the war and the grassroots opposition to it from a new perspective―one that goes beyond the familiar dichotomy of black and white America.

George Mariscal offers critical introductions and provides historical background by identifying specific issues which have not been widely discussed in relation to the war, noting, for example, the potential for Chicano soldiers to recognize their own ethnic and class identities in those of the Vietnamese people. Drawing upon interviews with key participants in the National Chicano Moratorium Committee, Mariscal analyzes the antiwar movement, the Catholic Church, traditional Mexican American groups, and an emerging feminist consciousness among Chicanas.

Also included are personal Norma Elia Cantú's remembrance of her brother who died in combat, Bárbara Renaud González's evocative poem about Chicanas on the homefront, Alberto Ríos's and Naomi Helena Quiñonez's moving poetry about the Wall, and the recollections of Abelardo Delgado and others on the August 29, 1970 Moratorium.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

338 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1999

Reviews

[Mushroom · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book took me nearly ten years to read. Not because it wasn't good. it brought back too many painful memories of my time in Viet Nam.
I wrote chapter 27 in the compilation.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

The two most common surnames on the Vietnam Wall are Johnson and Rodriguez. That is not just a reflection of that war, but of decades of tradition of military service and government support by Chicano families.

I had not known that, and it was not well known when this book came out in 1999, but it must have still not been well-known in 2007 when Ken Burns drew criticism for ignoring the Hispanic population in documenting WWII, even at a time when he was paying more attention to issues of race.

The context Mariscal provides is valuable, but also within that context there are many voices captured, both for and against the war, participating in combat and participating in protest.

[somehispanicindividual · Rating 5 out of 5]

Discussing the experiences of Chicanos as soldiers in the Vietnam War and its implications. The cover depicting Vietnamese standing in solidarity with Chicanos is due to how similar their struggles for freedom are and yet, they are being pinned against each other. One, defending their country from an imperialist nation and the other, fighting a war for "freedom" when they don't have it back home. I'd highly recommend this as a read to understand the Vietnam War and its intricacies with how it affected both sides.

[Jeanette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I completed this book as part of my research on the Chicano/Mexican-American experiences for a class covering protest narrative during the Vietnam war. It's an excellent book that captures stories, poetry, and letters of Mexican-Americans that fill in the blanks of American history education.

[Jessica Lara]

This book was stolen from an idiot... so I started it and then didn't finish... we'll see if it ever turns up again.