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Chicano cinema is an aspect of Mexican American cinema that refers to thefilmmaking practices that emerged out of thecultural consciousness developed through theChicano Movement.[3]Luis Valdez is generally regarded as the firstChicano filmmaker andEl Teatro Campesino as the first theater company.[2][4]
Chicano cinema is frequently set in theAmerican Southwest, specifically the border states and in the southern region ofCalifornia.[5] A predominant focus of many Chicano movies is addressingstereotypes, as well as political and economic struggles of Chicanos in America.[4]
Prior to the rise ofChicano consciousness, when representation was given in the industry, it was generally limited to a singleLatin American being cast in a movie production.[6][7] Early actorsMyrtle Gonzalez,Beatriz Michelena, Frank Padilla, and Eustacio Montoya battled for roles insilent films. Qualified actors were overlooked because of their race or ethnicity and the restrictive discriminative barriers that pervaded theAmerican film industry.[6][7]
Mexican American and otherLatin American actors of darker skin color were more stringentlytypecast or excluded from acting careers.Colorism was prominent.[7] For example, Cuban actorRene Cardona who was blonde was given the role of thePrince of Wales.[7] Those of darker skin were often cast asstereotypical "banditos," "greasers" or "Indians" to navigate a career in the industry.[7] These film stereotypes further perpetuated negative stereotypes of Mexican Americans.[7]
By the early 1950s, a few films that focused on demonstrating more realistic or 'underdog' depictions of the Latin andMexican American experience emerged, such asThe Ring (1952)[8] andSalt of the Earth (1954).[9]
Rooted in theChicano Movement, someMexican American youthreclaimedChicana/o identity to assert cultural pride and resistance to cultural subjugation.[10] The cinema that emerged alongside this movement demonstrated this resistance.[10]
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Chicano cinema emerged out of the playwriting and acting practices ofLuis Valdez andEl Teatro Campesino.[2] The theater company was founded in 1965 out of a collaboration between Valdez and Agustin Lira, who had thought of using theater to advance thefarmworker's political struggle for rights.[2] Early productions were focused on spreading awareness about various political issues, such as theDelano grape strike (1965-67).[11]
By the late 1960s, the theater group had aligned with the growingChicano Movement, producing the short filmI Am Joaquin (1969), directed byLuis Valdez and based onRodolfo Gonzales' influential poem "Yo Soy Joaquin."[12] Other short films produced in this period includedLos Vendidos (1972)[13] andEl Corrido (1976).[12] The work ofEl Teatro Campesino also inspired the formation of about thirty other Chicano theater groups by 1973, includingTeatro Los Actores byLouie Olivos Jr. andTeatro de la Esperanza byJorge A. Huerta.[2] Huerta also later established the still operatingTeatro Máscara Mágica inSan Diego, California with William Virchis.[14]
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TheChicano Movement was reflected in film, highlighting the highs and lows of the movement.[5] Chicano filmmakers engaged in a fight against theAnglo-Americanstereotypes and manipulative imagery that showed them as primarily violent, simpleminded, unskilled, and lazy. These stereotypes were negatively affecting Chicanos' chances at acceptance into a growing economic, social, political, and American society.[7][13]
This was portrayed in the first Chicano feature filmsPlease, Don't Bury Me Alive! (1976),Alambrista! (1977), andRaíces de Sangre (1978).[15][16][17] Short documentary films also expanded the scope of Chicano cinema, withAgueda Martinez: Our People, Our Country (1977) directed by Esperanza Vasquez,[18] and nominated for anAcademy Award forBest Documentary Short in 1978,[19] as well asChicana (1979) directed bySylvia Morales.[20]
By the 1980s, Chicano cinema had begun to move into the mainstream of American popular culture. Integration of schools and culture was a major focus of many of these films.[21] As these films became popular, they began to make more money, leading to larger studios creating more Chicano movies.[21] Actors such asEdward James Olmos andRosanna DeSoto began playing prominent roles in major movies, allowing for others to follow with successful film careers. As the Chicano community developed with more social activism and awareness, so did its cinema, leading to more diverse themes about oppression, integration, and ethnicity. Chicano cinema continues to thrive with the growth of representation and success of Chicanos and Chicanas in the movie industry.
As found in lists of actors ofChicano Films, many Latinos of different backgrounds have been cast to portray Mexican-Americans in these films. More often than not, Chicanos were pleased to see a Latino face on the big screens, but on occasion, controversy would arise. An example of this was the casting of Puerto Rican-American actress,Jennifer Lopez, as the famous Mexican-American singer,Selena Quintanilla in the movieSelena (1997).[22] Several advocacy groups protested the casting because the Tejano popstar was not being played by someone that was actually Mexican or Mexican-American. Still many Chicanos, including the late popstar's father,Abraham Quintanilla, believed the representation of any or all Latino cast should be celebrated. Cases of controversial casting like this one are still found in today's American Film Industry.
The standard Chicano image in film was set by white American men which often portrayed Chicanos as lazy, promiscuous, and troubled.[23] These stereotypes had been embedded into years of film, and because of this racial bias against Chicanos, the portrayal of Chicano characters in film generally reflected poorly on Chicanos as a people. The roles were usually antagonistic and crudely stereotypical. In the filmsLet Katie Do It (1916) andMartyrs of the Alamo (1915), Mexicans were portrayed as villains to justify the theft of Mexican land by Americans.[24] The image of the Chicano continues to evolve, and this can be seen in films centered around the empowerment of Chicanos and the Chicano Movement.
The style,aesthetics, and subject matter of Chicano cinema sets it apart as a film genre. Chicano movies use multicultural aesthetics to capture Chicano life and culture on film.[21] Though various directors and producers have different cinematic styles, they use specific styles of cultural blending, characterizations, themes, and subject matters which have created a new Chicano cinematic aesthetic.[21]
A number of Chicano films revolve around or include the theme of Chicanostreet gangs, especially those in large cities such asLos Angeles. Movies likeBoulevard Nights (1979) andWalk Proud (1979) were early examples of Chicano gang culture representation in film which highlighted Chicano masculinity and loyalty.[25] In the 1980s, the moviesZoot Suit (1981),Stand and Deliver (1988), andColors (1988) each had gang related thematic elements, addressing the "troubled Chicano teenager" stereotype and gang involvement. Other significant Chicano gang movies includeAmerican Me (1992),Blood In, Blood Out (1993),Mi Vida Loca (1993), andMy Family (1995). Films such as these often portrayed stereotypical Chicano gang members which perpetuated the stereotypical representation of male masculinity among the Chicano community.[26] The term used to refer to this masculine pride ismachismo.[21] Chicano gang activity in film and music, specificallyrap andhip hop, address violence, Chicano attitudes towards police, and Chicano incarceration.[23][21] These films and the gang-related subject matter show this aspect of the Chicano experience and culture, including family ties and Chicano oppression.[21]
Due to its proximity toMexico, many Chicanos live in the American Southwest. Films of the 20th century reflected this. Movies likeTijerina (1969),Llanito (1972),Agueda Martinez (1978),The Lemon Grove Incident (1986),The Milagro Bean Field War (1988),La Llorona (1991), andLos Mineros (1991) are all examples of Chicano movies that were set in the American Southwest.[27] These movies revolved around the Chicano experience in this region. Controversial Chicano films that focus on theMexican border includeBorderline (1980) andThe Border (1982).[28] These films often depicted Chicanos as inferior and asfoils to the white characters.[5] This grossly stereotypical representation was actively fought by Chicano directors and writers. Efforts to change the representation of the Southwest began after the Chicano Movement of the fifties and sixties as Chicano directors began creating films with the intent of accurately depicting the lives of Chicanos, Latinos, and Mexican-Americans in the American Southwest.[5] While Southwest films are not as popular today, negative representation has been combatted in the last 30 years.
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