Music of the Chicano Movement
Lesson Hub 10:
¡Yo soy Chicana!
In what ways have issues related to gender affected Chicana identity before, during, and after the Chicano movement?
Dolores Huerta, by Barbara Carrasco. National Portrait Gallery.
The overarching essential question for Lesson 10 is:
¡Yo soy Chicana!
MUSIC MAKING
HISTORY & CULTURE
Portrait of the Artist as Guadalupe, by Yolanda M. López. Archives of American Art.
MUSIC LISTENING
30+ MIN
30+ MIN
30 MIN
Dolores Huerta: Planting the Seed
Path 1
30+ minutes
Dolores Huerta Speaks at UFW Rally, unknown photographer. Walter P. Reuther Library, Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs, Wayne State University.
“Through her example as a labor and civil rights leader, and her challenge to norms that restricted women’s role in society, Dolores Huerta became an early symbol of female power for the Chicano and feminist movements” (National Portrait Gallery).
Dolores Huerta: Planting the Seed
Dolores Huerta, Delano, California, by Harvey Richards. Courtesy of the Harvey Richards Media Archive.
About Dolores Huerta
Watch this video (produced by the National Portrait Gallery), which provides a brief overview of Dolores Huerta’s life and contributions during the time of the Chicano movement.
About Dolores Huerta
She was a fierce negotiator and worked tirelessly to bolster the morale of workers on the picket line.
Dolores Huerta Speaking at a Rally, by Rudy Rodriguez. National Portrait Gallery.
Dolores Huerta was instrumental in achieving major legal protections and a better standard of living for farm workers.
Huerta was also instrumental in achieving major legal protections and a better standard of living for farm workers. Although many of her efforts were successful, Dolores Huerta remains largely under-acknowledged in history.
The Chicano Movement and Gender Expectations
This decision was likely a reflection of traditional gender role expectations during this time (within American society in general and Chicano culture more specifically).
When Dolores Huerta and César Chávez co-founded the National Farmworkers Association in 1962, they agreed that he would be the public face of the union and she would handle the logistics.
Although many Chicanas were actively involved in movement-related efforts, they rarely occupied leadership roles.
Above: César Chávez During the March to Sacramento, photo by Harvey Richards. Courtesy of the Harvey Richards Media Archive.
“The Chicana is born into a life pattern that we see again and again. If she finishes her secondary education, she is lucky… eventually she will marry and become pregnant… from birth, her life is a predestined pattern based on passing from her parents’ control to that of her husband” (Brotando del silencio liner notes).
The Chicano Movement and Gender Expectations
In her refection on traditional Chicana/o gender roles in the 1960s and 1970s, Chicana author Betita Martinez reflected:
Women of the United Farm Workers Singing at a Rally, Early 1970s, by Diana Jo Davies. Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
Dolores Huerta conformed to these gender expectations in certain ways.
For example, she married for the first time when she was in college, and ultimately raised eleven children.
But ...
Dolores Huerta and Gender Expectations
Dolores Huerta and Gender Expectations
According to Dolores herself, the growers sometimes complained because they were not used to dealing with women. They expected her to be polite . . . but she refused to be polite to people who were making racist and sexist comments.
... Dolores defied traditional gender expectations in other ways. For example, she was known for assertively using her voice to drive hard bargains with powerful growers.
Dolores Huerta and Fred Ross, by Cathy E. Murphy. National Portrait Gallery.
Four Categories of Societal Gender Expectations
In the liner notes she wrote for the 1973 Paredon album Brotando del Silencio: Breaking out of the Silence, Betita Martinez argued Chicanas’ attitudes about societal/cultural gender expectations (and related sexism) during the time of the Chicano movement generally fell into the following four categories:
- Women should seek no change in their roles and should never challenge the status quo.
- Women are very capable and can make important contributions without making a fuss about it–in other words, without directly challenging the sexism that exists.
- Women must fight sexism constantly, but as an isolated phenomenon.
- Women should and can be revolutionaries at every level of the struggle.
Discussion: Dolores Huerta and Gender Expectations
- Women should seek no change in their roles and should never challenge the status quo.
- Women are very capable and can make important contributions without making a fuss about it–in other words, without directly challenging the sexism that exists.
- Women must fight sexism constantly, but as an isolated phenomenon.
- Women should and can be revolutionaries at every level of the struggle.
With which of these positions do you think Dolores Huerta most closely aligned and why?
Honoring Dolores Huerta Through Song
Let's fast forward 50 years!
In 2019, the Oakland Symphony honored Dolores Huerta's important contributions to the Chicano movement with a concert entitled Sí Se Puede: Dolores Huerta’s Playlist.
Dolores Huerta in 2019, by Jay Godwin. Wikimedia Commons (U.S. Code § 105).
Huerta, who was 89 years old at the time, was asked to select a wide variety of musical compositions that were important to her, ranging from Carlos Santana’s "Novus" to Igor Stravinsky’s "Firebird."
As the concert closer (and sing-along), Dolores chose the song "This Little Light of Mine."
Attentive Listening: “This Little Light of Mine”
Listen to this live version of the song "This Little Light of Mine."
As you listen, think about the following guiding question:
In what ways is this version of "This Little Light of Mine" the same as or different than other versions you have heard?
Attentive Listening: "This Little Light of Mine"
- Listen to short clip from the same recording (30-45 seconds).
- Think about these questions:
What are the origins of this song?
In what context (and when) do you think this recording was made?
Adding Historical Context
Fannie Lou Hamer at 1965 Newport Folk Festival, by Diana Jo Davies. Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
Although it is difficult to trace the exact origins of the song "This Little Light of Mine," it appears to have originated as a children’s song and, over time, became a spiritual.
Dolores Huerta was particularly fond of the version we've been listening to, recorded by civil rights activist, Fannie Lou Hamer, in 1963.
According to Hamer, this song became popular during the civil rights movement because it “gave people a sense of strength and courage in the face of seemingly insurmountable opposition from white supremacists” (Songs My Mother Taught Me liner notes).
Class Discussion:
What was Dolores Huerta's "light" and how did she let it shine during the time of the Chicano movement?
Dolores Huerta, by Barbara Carrasco. National Portrait Gallery.
... this song remains as relevant today as it was during the time of the civil rights and Chicano movements. In 2019, she stated:
“Her [Hamer's] ‘This Little Light,’ we need it now. It’s such an important moment in our history. Our light has to shine, it has to shine in this world. It gives people hope and energy to take action” (San Francisco Classical Voice).
Dolores Huerta in 2019, by Jay Godwin. Wikimedia Commons (U.S. Code § 105).
Dolores thinks ...
Engaged Listening: "This Little Light of Mine"
Sing along with Fannie Lou Hamer’s live recording of "This Little Light of Mine"!
As you sing, consider Dolores Huerta's words about the song's continued relevance . . .
- Do you think this song might still give people hope and energy to take action?
- Do you think it would be as powerful if you sang it by yourself? Why or why not?
Extension Ideas: Perform "This Little Light of Mine"
- Sing along with the recording again . . . this time, try to sing along with some of the vocal harmonies you hear (or create your own).
- Compare/contrast (and sing along with) different versions of this song.
- Learn the chords (on piano, guitar, or ukulele) and accompany yourself as you sing.
- Add rhythmic ostinati on classroom percussion instruments.
- Create a class arrangement of "This Little Light of Mine" and add it to your performance repertoire.
Optional Activity: What is your "light," and how will you let it shine?
- Share your quality and goal with the class.
- Identify one of your special characteristics . . . a special skill, ability, or interactive quality.
- Write down your quality and make a goal.
Walking the Park the Morning and Ray Light, by Nawa Photography, CC-BY-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Learning Checkpoint
- Who was Dolores Huerta and what was her role in the Chicano movement?
- What is the origin of the song "This Little Light of Mine"?
- Why does Dolores Huerta think the song "This Little Light of Mine" is still relevant today?
End of Path 1! Where will you go next?
Chicana Feminism
Path 2
30+ minutes
Women of the Brown Beret, by Patricia Borjon-Lopez, PD US no notice, via Wikimedia Commons.
Opening Activity: Interpreting Musical Meaning
This is a song that was written during the time of the Chicano movement. As you follow along with the lyrics, think about this question:
What is the message of this song?
Brotando del silencio (Breaking Out of the Silence)
Suni Paz (with friends) wrote and recorded this song in 1972 as part of an album called Brotando del silencio (Breaking out of silence).
Brotando del silencio: Breaking Out of the Silence, cover designed by Collective Graphics Workshop, Inc. Paredon Records.
"Quiero decirte": Lyrical Message
The song’s title, "Quiero decirte," means: I want to tell you something.
Suni intended for the lyrics of this song to remind Chicanos and Chicanas that they must work together in the fight to liberate themselves from oppression.
La raza - Chicano Power!, unknown artist. Kenneth Spencer Research Library.
Suni's Advice: Unpacking "Quiero decirte"
Through the lyrics of this song, Suni Paz gives advice to both women and men in the Chicana/o community:
- Women: Abandon your conditioned passivity and take your rightful place, alongside the men, as you struggle for liberation.
- Men: Recognize the contributions of women and welcome them as equal partners in the struggle for liberation. You need them in order to win this battle.
Adding More Context: Traditional Gender Roles
Woman Rolling Tortillas, by Russell Lee. Library of Congress.
Activity: Learning From Liner Notes
Read the linked excerpt from the Brotando del silencio liner notes.
Within this essay, Betita Martinez (Chicana author) shares her views about the limited role of women during the Chicano movement.
Click to the next slide for more instructions and reflection questions.
Learning From Liner Notes: Read and Reflect
According to Betita Martinez, how did many Chicano men interpret femininity?
After reading the excerpt, reflect verbally or through writing on these questions:
What is machismo?
Within the context of Chicano activist organizations (such as the Brown Berets), what type of jobs were usually assigned to women?
According to Betita Martinez, how did many Chicano men respond when women asked to play a larger role in the Chicano movement?
Adding Context: What is Machismo?
Machismo, by J. Ross Baughman. National Museum of American History.
In addition to discrimination and marginalization as members of an ethnic minority and exploitation as members of the working class, Martinez argued Chicanas faced an additional layer of oppression . . . They were women . . . within a cultural group that embraced machismo, a term that has been loosely defined as strong and/or aggressive masculine pride.
- Discrimination: the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people
- Racism: prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one's own race is superior
- Oppression: unjust or cruel exercise of authority or power
- Marginalization: treatment of a person, group, or concept as insignificant or peripheral
- Exploitation: the action or fact of treating someone unfairly in order to benefit from their work
Understanding Terminology
Adding Context: Machismo and the Brown Berets
The Brown Berets were inspired by and modeled after the Black Panthers (pictured here), an influential political organization that was part of the Black Power movement in the 1960s.
Black Panthers, by Mark James Powers. National Museum of American History.
The Brown Berets (a political, pro-Chicano defense group) was criticized during the Chicano movement for its machismo stance and practices.
Adding Context: Las Adelitas de Aztlán
Women members of the Brown Berets became disillusioned with “their exclusion and subordination with the organization” (Montoya, 2016, p. 115) and eventually split off and formed their own group, which they called Las Adelitas de Aztlán.
Listening Activity: "La Bamba Chicana"
Listen, while following along with the lyrics.
Do you recognize the tune?
What message is Suni trying to convey?
Another interesting track on Suni Paz’s 1972 album Brotando del silencio, is her reinterpretation of the popular song, "La bamba."
- Within this version, Suni sings adapted lyrics that fit the context of the Chicano movement.
About "La Bamba Chicana"
- La Causa: A term for the farm workers movement
- La Raza: Although it translates literally as "the race," more nuanced interpretations of the term would be "the people," or "the community"
- La Huelga: The Strike (a term associated with the farm workers movement)
- The grape boycott: associated with the farm workers movement
- Gavacho/a: a term for white person
The lyrics of this song remind Chicanas about the goals of the movement and encourage them to join the fight.
Notable Chicano movement references in the lyrics:
Artist Spotlight: Suni Paz
Although Suni was born in Argentina and did not move to the United States until 1965, she identified as a Chicana feminist during the time of the Chicano movement.
Suni Paz Album Covers. Top: Unknown designer, Right: Designed by Sonya Cohen Cramer. Smithsonian Folkways Recordings.
Suni Paz is well-known for the ways in which she uses music as a tool to amplify the voices of the oppressed and unheard, and to raise the consciousness of those around her.
Discuss:
Based on what you have learned so far, how would you define Chicana feminism?
Chicana Feminism
The Chicana feminist movement has helped many women reclaim and redefine their role within the Chicana/o community.
Rosita, by Robert Valadez. Robert Valadez Fine Arts.
Chicana feminism can be understood as a social movement that challenges long-standing stereotypes and examines and ways in which facets of cultural identity intersect (gender, ethnicity, race, class, and sexuality).
Examples of Chicana Feminism in Action
La Conferencia de Mujeres Por La Raza (The National Chicana Conference) in 1971 was one of the first times that a large number of Mexican American women gathered together to discuss issues like racism, discrimination, and sexism, and other social issues.
La Conferencia de Mujeres por La Raza Poster, Young Women's Christian Organization, via Wikimedia Commons.
Examples of Chicana Feminism in Action
Newspaper Icon. Public Domain Vectors.
Las Hijas de Cuauhtémoc, a student Chicana feminist newspaper founded in 1971, is another tangible example of Chicana resistance during the movement.
This newspaper was named after a Mexican feminist organization that worked against Porfirio Díaz (a dictator who served as president for thirty years in the late 1800s and early 1900s).
It covered a variety of topics related to the marginalization and stereotyping of Chicanas.
Chicana Symbolism
Chicana feminists argue machismo values are not embedded in their cultural history.
Activists have often invoked historical symbols of female empowerment to disrupt this narrative.
- For example, the image of “adelitas/soldaderas” (women who joined the military during the Mexican Revolution) became a feminist symbol during the Chicano movement.
Las adelitas, unknown artist, PD-US-expired, via Wikimedia Commons.
Chicana Feminism and Visual Art
For example, several Chicana artists have interpreted and reimagined the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe as a symbol of struggle, strength, and liberation.
From Left to Right: La offrenda, Wanted, by Ester Hernández. Smithsonian American Art Museum.
Chicana feminism has also been expressed through visual art.
Expressing Chicana Feminism through Visual Art
La Virgen de Guadalupe defendiendo los derechos de los Xicanos, by Ester Hernández. Smithsonian American Art Museum.
Portrait of the Artist as Guadalupe, by Yolanda M. López. Archives of American Art.
Optional Activity: Adapting and Repurposing Music
- Although these songs originated within a specific context ("This Little Light of Mine" as a children’s song and "La bamba" as a Mexican folk song (son jarocho), both have been adapted, re-imagined, and re-purposed over and over again to fit the needs of people in a wide variety of contexts around the world.
The songs from Paths 1 and 2 of this Lesson ("This Little Light of Mine" and "La bamba") provide examples of how music has the power to cross borders (of both space and time):
Adapting and Re-purposing Music (Part 1)
Follow these steps as you adapt and re-purpose one of the songs ("This Little Light of Mine" or "La bamba" based on your own interests, experiences, beliefs, values, and skills:
- Choose the song you will use as the framework for your arrangement and the purpose or context of your composition.
- Decide how you will outline the harmonic structure of the song (choose from several instruments).
- Write an underlying rhythmic ostinato pattern and choose the instrument on which it will be played.
- Write your lyrics.
- Put it all together and practice.
- Decide how you will document your creative ideas.
Adapting and Re-purposing Music (Part 2)
On another day (or as homework), follow these steps as you revise, rehearse, and refine your work based on teacher feedback:
- Read and reflect on your teacher’s feedback
- Make and explain rationale for revisions.
- Rehearse and refine your arrangement and present (and turn in) a final version.
Learning Checkpoint
- Why did Chicanas face an additional layer of oppression during the Chicano movement?
- What is Chicana feminism?
- What was the main message of Suni Paz’s songs "Quiero Decirte" and "La Bamba Chicana"?
End of Path 2! Where will you go next?
Chelo Silva: The Tejana Queen of Bolero
Path 3
30 minutes
Chelo Silva: La reina tejana del bolero, by Elizabeth Weil. Arhoolie Records.
Imagine . . .
It’s the first day of choir at your school . . . you love to sing and are very excited. You take your seat in the front row and warm-ups begin. After the first warm-up, your teacher asks you to move to the second row . . . so you comply. About halfway through the rehearsal, your teacher asks you to move again – this time to the third row. This pattern continues, and by the end of rehearsal, you are seated in the very back row. As you leave the classroom, you overhear your teacher tell the accompanist that she doesn’t like your voice . . . it is too loud and unrefined.
What would you do?
Chelo Silva
Legend has it, a woman named Chelo Silva found herself in a similar situation as a child.
How did she respond?
She kept singing anyway and eventually became a famous Tejana (Texan) singer, paving the way for many female musicians who came after her.
Chelo Silva, unknown photographer. Ideal Records, courtesy of Arhoolie Records.
Attentive Listening: Vocal Timbre
Listen to a short clip of a song recorded by Chelo Silva in the 1950s.
How would you describe her vocal timbre?
Attentive Listening: Instruments
Listen again . . .
What instruments do you notice?
Attentive Listening: Time and Rhythm
Listen again . . .
What do you notice about the time structure?
What about the rhythms?
Attentive Listening: Structure/Form
Listen again . . .
What do you notice about the structure (form) of the song itself?
Integrating: Bolero
The song you just heard is an example of a bolero.
- The bolero originated in Cuba; the Mexican bolero gained widespread popularity in Mexico during the 1940s and 1950s (unrelated to the Spanish dance of the same name).
- Boleros are slow, sentimental songs that often deal with topics of love and betrayal.
- Performances of boleros are expressive and emotional.
Bolero: Musical Characteristics
Distinguishing musical characteristics of boleros include:
- Simple duple meter (2/4)
- Steady, underlying eighth notes
- Simple binary form (AB)
Listen again . . . are these characteristics present in this recording?
Engaged Listening: Bolero
Perform these rhythmic patterns along with the recording of this bolero (using body percussion and/or instruments):
About the Artist: Chelo Silva
She was viewed as more than just a cantante (singer); she was an interpréte, a term that places emphasis on “how the individual interprets a composition” (Del Toro, 1995).
Chelo Silva was known mostly as a bolerista (a bolero singer).
Her low, powerful, and sultry voice was perfect for this genre.
About the Artist: Chelo Silva
- Born in 1922 in Brownsville, TX, Consuelo Chelo Silva was the oldest of 7 children (she lived most of her life in Corpus Christi).
- Her family struggled financially, and she did not come from a musical background.
- In 1939, (at the age of 17) she married Américo Paredes, a songwriter, author, and a professor at the University of Texas).
- Américo and Chelo had one child together and divorced several years later.
- Chelo had a lengthy career in the music industry (1930s–1980s) and died of cancer in 1988 at the age of 65.
Chelo Silva: Crossing Borders
This was significant because she was one of very few Mexican American artists who were able to gain popularity across the border.
Throughout her career, Chelo Silva maintained a strong link with Mexico.
Chelo liked to help up-and-coming composers by performing their songs (native Mexican composers and Tejano songwriters).
Chelo Silva: Paving the Way
Chelo Silva’s career is notable for a variety of reasons, but especially from a feminist perspective:
- She pursued her dream and persevered in an overwhelmingly male-dominated business.
- During this time (1930s), a woman’s participation in a non-traditional career was frowned upon and her chances of success were low.
- Chelo defied the odds and became very successful. During the 1950s and 1960s, she was one of the bestselling Hispanic recording artists in the Spanish-speaking world.
Caravana poster advertising performance at Cine Tropical, in Villa Hermosa, state of Tabasco, Mexico, on July 3, 1958, unknown artist. Arhoolie Records.
Lyrical Analysis
Based on what you now know about boleros and Chelo Silva, what do you think this song is about?
Listen to the track again while following along with the lyrics/translation . . .
Were you right?
Chelo Silva: Turning the Tables
However, Chelo Silva did not adhere to traditional gender expectations regarding what she should sing and how she should sing it.
- She sang about the same topics as men (love, betrayal, bitterness, heartache, etc.), but from her own (distinctly female) point of view.
Early Mexican American female performers often sang songs from the male’s perspective.
"Si acaso vuelves" (In Case You Return)
The lyrics to the bolero you just heard ("Si acaso vuelves") have a distinct feminist message:
- “Don’t think that I’ll beg you and just go on your way”
- “Don’t think that during my nights of pain I’ll miss your caresses”
- “Because the emptiness that you leave without reason, another love will fill”
Even early in her career, Chelo Silva performed music that she wanted to sing and unapologetically interpreted it in her own way.
Learning Checkpoint
- What are some distinguishing characteristics of boleros?
- Who was Chelo Silva, and why does she serve as an early example of Chicana feminism?
End of Path 3 and Lesson Hub 10! Where will you go next?
Lesson Hub 10 Media Credits
Audio courtesy of
Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
Video courtesy of
National Portrait Gallery
Images courtesy of
The Arhoolie Foundation
Archives of American Art
TM/© 2021 the Cesar Chavez Foundation. www.chavezfoundation.org
Harvey Richards Media Archive
Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division
National Museum of American History
National Portrait Gallery
Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections
Robert Valadez Fine Arts
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
The University of Kansas Libraries
Walter P. Reuther Library, Wayne State University
© 2021 Smithsonian Institution. Personal, educational, and non-commercial uses allowed; commercial rights reserved. See Smithsonian terms of use for more information
This Lesson was funded in part by the Smithsonian Youth Access Grants Program with support from the Society for Ethnomusicology and the National Association for Music Education.
For full bibliography and media credits, see Lesson 10 landing page.