Building with Our Hands: New Directions in Chicana Studies

Bys: Adela de la Torre and Beatriz M. Pesquera

Book Overview

This is the first interdisciplinary collection of articles addressing the unique history of Chicana women. From a diverse range of perspectives, a new generation of Chicana scholars here chronicles the previously undocumented rich tapestry of Chicanas' lives over the last three centuries. Focusing on how women have grappled with political subordination and sexual exploitation, the contributors confront the complex intersection of class, race, ethnicity, and gender that defines the Chicana experience in America. The book analyzes the ways that oppressive power relations and resistance to domination have shaped Chicana history, exploring subjects as diverse as sexual violence against Amerindian women during the Spanish conquest of California to contemporary Chicanas' efforts to construct feminist cultural discourses. The volume ends with a provocative dialogue among the contributors about the challenges, frustrations, and obstacles that face Chicana scholars, and the voices heard here testify to the vibrant state of Chicano scholarship. Trenchant and wide-ranging, this collection is essential reading for understanding the dynamics of feminism and multiculturalism.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0520070909
• ISBN13: 9780520070905
• Release Date: June 1993
• Publisher: University of California Press
• Length: 246 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.5" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Quite well written with thorough support

This is an interesting book describing the unique history of Chicana women. Although it contains many opinions, the diversity of the range of perspectives really enhances the support for the conclusions drawn. Moreover, it has sufficient studiy periods, ranging over three centuries. The book gives a historical analysis of how the power relations and resistance dominated.