ABSTRACT
THE DIVERSITY AMONG CHICANAS can initially be seen by the terms of ethnic identification we have claimed for ourselves. When referring to ourselves within a white context, we often prefer more generic terms, like Las Mujeres or the combination Chicana/Latina, in opposition to Hispanic, which is often seen as inappropriate because of its conservative political connotations. When speaking among ourselves, we highlight and celebrate all the nuances of identity—we are Chicanas, Mexicanas, Mexican Americans, Spanish Americans, Tejanas, Hispanas, Mestizas, Indias, or Latinas, and the terms of identification vary according to the context. This complexity of identification reflects the conundrum many Chicanas experience: on the one hand, together we are seen by others as a single social category, often Hispanic women. Yet the term Hispanic, imposed by the Census Bureau, is seen as inappropriate by many women who prefer to identify themselves in oppositional political terms. As Chicanas, we have common issues and experiences with other women of color in the United States, and we therefore often feel a strong sense of affinity with their struggles. On the other hand, we are a very diverse group of women, with diverse histories, regional settlement patterns, particular cultural practices, sexual preferences, and occasionally radically dissimilar political outlooks, and our solidarity as Chicanas can be undermined by these differences among us.
