By David Magallanes / Guest contributor
This article is the first in a series on the concept of “Aztlán.” It is such a deep concept, and despite the Hispanicization of the original native Mexican word from which it sprang, its essence applies to all of us, regardless of our ancestry.
I first heard of Aztlán during my college years at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. There was a fairly active Chicano contingent on campus. Having attended a conservative high school with no Chicano activism, and then spending four years in the military with even less, this Chicano experience was new and exciting for me, though at times I also found it intriguing and at other times somewhat intimidating (“if you’re not with us, you’re a ‘vendido’ — you’ve ‘sold out’ to the Anglos”). I was very proud of my Mexican roots, but having been incubated in a highly conservative environment, it took me a while to understand the philosophy and goals of the MEChA — Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán (Chicano Student Movement of Aztlán) — organization.
MEChA has a checkered history. Having origins in the tumultuous years of the civil rights movement of the 1960s, it laudably advocates for Latinos in higher education, but at the same time has found itself embroiled in several roiling controversies, including inflammatory statements and blatant violence. Part of the problem appears to have been the few iconoclastic “loose cannons” who seemed to think that violence and angry, threatening rhetoric would further MEChA’s agenda, whereas the MEChA constitution and official party line distanced itself from such aggression and hostility.
Quite a bit of acrimony and angry reactions from Hispanics and non-Hispanics alike resulted from certain MEChA members alluding to a “reconquest” of the Southwest; i.e., returning the southwest states of the U.S. to Mexico. Things may be tough for us now in California, but where would we be at this time if we were instead back in Mexican territory once again? In comparison, this almost makes the calls for absolute and instantaneous amnesty for illegal immigrants seem innocuous. This cry for “reconquista” was quite naturally considered threatening and even treasonous to the government of the United States, thereby generating friction between the conservative and “militant” sectors of the Chicano Movement, not to mention that generated between the more strident elements of MEChA and the more conservative elements of the general population.
But the purpose of this mini-series of articles is to focus on the concept of Aztlán, which is something that could be interpreted as either highly controversial, historical, geographical or sacred, depending on the context within which it is discussed.
From Wikipedia*:
Much of the criticism addresses statements made by individual MEChA members or chapters, as opposed to the official agenda of the national organization. Critics also point out the group’s use of the word Aztlán: To many, this word calls to mind a region comprising much of the Southwestern United States and as a result, some critics feel use of the phrase implies support for the controversial theory of reconquista. While MEChA supporters point out that the Aztlan mythology itself does not refer to reclaiming conquered lands, it simply describes the ancestral home of the Aztec people.
Aztlán may very well technically refer to the ancestral home of the Aztecs, much as Israel is generally considered to be the ancestral home of the Jews. But several renowned Chicano authors have elevated the significance of the term and have bestowed upon it other dimensions, something that we can embrace as an ideal. For the people of Mexican ancestry, it can begin to take on the attributes of a spiritual quest, much like the Hindus who strive to attain nirvana — a state of transcendental happiness, of “luminous consciousness”—while Christians similarly endeavor to deserve heaven at the end of life. These supreme attainments are not necessarily mutually exclusive.
Most of us of Mexican origin come from Catholic families — at least nominally (in my case, the indoctrination was, shall we say, “assertive”). The founder of the Catholic faith taught, two thousand years ago, that the kingdom of heaven is “within.” Is it possible that for those of us in whose bodies course Mexican blood the kingdom of Aztlán is likewise “within”? Or is Aztlán a wider concept that embraces all of mankind, but simply with different labels?
Join me on this journey. We’ve taken the first steps. To be continued…
*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Movimiento_Estudiantil_Chicano_de_Aztl%C3%A1n
— David Magallanes is the creator of his own enterprise, Real World Projects, a business primarily dedicated to building distribution outlets for highly reputable products that offer a healthier life and a more vibrant lifestyle. An emerging branch of Real World Projects is Edifiquemos, a Spanish language enterprise dedicated to teaching the Spanish-speaking how to create a profitable international (U.S./Mexico) enterprise with low investment and high earning potential. David may be available for speaking opportunities. To contact him and for more information, you are invited to visit and explore his web sites at www.realworldprojects.info and at www.edifiquemos.com