Leninism and the Chicano Movement

Viva la raza. A History of Chicano Identity and Resistance. Yolanda Alaniz and Megan Cornish. Red Letter Press, Seattle W.A. 2008. Yolanda Alaniz and Megan Cornish authors of Viva La Raza: A History of Chicano Identity and Resistance, analyze the Chicana/o movement using a Leninist framework. The authors discussion is built upon Lenin's definition of a nation, "a nation is a historically evolved, stable community of people, formed on the basis of a common language, territory, economic life and psychological make up manifested in a common culture." (p29) Using this criteria the authors ask three questions, first are Chicanos a nation? Second are Chicanos developing into a nation? Third, is the oppression faced by Chicanos that of an oppressed group?