Chicanx Utopias by Luis AlvarezCall Number: 305.86872 A473c
ISBN: 9781477324479
Publication Date: 2022-03-29
Chicanx Utopias by Luis Alvarez, a 2023 Honorable Mention for Best History Book at the International Latino Book Awards, examines Chicanx popular culture from the 1950s to the 2000s and the utopian visions it expressed. In the face of neoliberalism, globalization, and movements for civil rights, Chicanxs used film, music, television, and art to challenge oppressive political and economic systems, imagining new worlds and forging connections across diverse communities. Alvarez explores works such as Salt of the Earth, brown-eyed soul music, sitcoms, poster art, and borderlands reggae, revealing how Chicanx pop culture shaped interracial and transnational identities, engaged social movements, and offered both hopeful and critical utopian dreams. Grounded in the theories of Walter Benjamin, Stuart Hall, and the Zapatista movement, the book highlights how these cultural expressions helped Chicanxs understand and improve their world.