ABSTRACT
I want to address myself to the common questions that come up in regard to Chicana feminism. What is Chicana feminism? I am a Chicana feminist. I make that statement very proudly, although there is a lot of intimidation in our community and in the society in general, against people who define themselves as Chicana feminists. It sounds like a contradictory statement, a “Malinche” statement—if you’re a Chicana you’re on one side, if you’re a feminist, you must be on the other side. They say you can’t stand on both sides—which is a bunch of bull. Why? Because when you say you’re Chicana, you mean you come from a particular community, one that is subject to racism and the exploitation of centuries. When you say you are a feminist you mean you’re a woman who opposes the oppression of not only the group in general, but of women in particular. In fact, the statement is not contradictory at all, it is a very unified statement: I support my community and I do not ignore the women in my community (who have been long forgotten). The feminist movement is a unified front made up of both men and women—a feminist can be a man as well as a woman—it is a group of people that advocates the end of women’s oppression.
