El Plan De Santa Barbara's Manifesto Summary

Chicanx is an idea that emphasizes self-determination, it is essentially a new way of thinking; it reveals a higher sense of “ pride” and “confidence”. In Menchaca’s reading “Recovering History, Constructing Race”, describes how race has created form a hierarchy among groups based upon skin color and culture. Which relates to Du Bois ‘contradiction of double aims’ in result to this “fictional border” due to race, African Americans and Mexican Americans have been labeled as underrepresented groups that are faced with an impossible decision to choose between sticking to their culture or be accepted by American society. However in the reading, “El Plan de Santa Barbara’s Manifesto” concentrates on a movement in which Chicanx utilize praxis to
were some of the many races that’s history was either denied or neglected. A perfect example of this would be in Mann’s reading “A View from Above” he exposes ‘Holmberg’s mistake’ which provided incorrect evidence that Native Americans had no history, culture or civilization. He claimed, “Sirionos were living exemplars of primitive humankind” (Mann 8). Holmberg dehumanized the Native Americans and stripped them of their history as he didn’t mention that Native Americans were here in America long before Columbus arrived, this relates to the way Anglo-Americans treated Mexican Americans working in the fields for cheap wages and cruel working conditions. This neglected history, is why Mexican Americans are seen as a lower class, when they were actually a hard-working class of individuals. It’s why the re-signifying of “Chicanx” as a new identity is such an important role in mending the contradiction of double aim. Chicanx are in pursuit to erase their falsified identity created by Anglo-Americans and start fresh with a new identity were they are seen as equals among all others, have equal opportunity to grow as a community all while staying true to themselves and