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product of botli but also different in decisive ways from each."¹** The Cliicano culture, wliich is expressed in literaturę as well as in otlier practices and genres, bas been furtlier shaped by migrations of Mexicans coming to the USA in tlie nineteenth, twentiedi, and twenty-first centuries.

By 1900. according to critic Raymund Paredes, "Mexican American literaturę had emerged as a distinctive part of the literary culture of tlie United States."¹³ Paredes highlights the significance of Josephina Niggli's 1945 novel, Mexican Village, which was "the first literary work by a Mexican American to reach a generał American audience."^m It was. however. the first of many. and Cliicano literaturę from many different genres (narrative. poetry. drama) now has a wide popular and critical presence.

Themes

Cliicano literaturę tends to focus on tliemes of identity, discrimination. culmre, and history, with an emphasis on validating the Mexican American experience orChicano culture in tlie United States. It is often associated with tlie social and cultural claims of tlie Cliicano movement It is a vehicie througli which Cliicanos express and represent tliemselves, and also often a voice of social critiąue and protest Otlier important themes include the experience of migration. and the situańon of living between two languages. Cliicano literanire may be written in either English or Spanish. or even a combination of tlie twa Spanglish. Politically, too, Cliicano culture has been focused on tlie question of tlie border. and tlie ways in which Chicanos straddle or cross tliat border.

The contributions of feininists such as Gloria Anzaldiia and Cherrie Morąga have been particulariy pronounced over tlie past couple of decades.

■    We may come acnoss different terms, literaturę uses different terms for 1. Chicano Literaturę

■    In the past 1960s - Mexicans-Americans

■    Problematic from today's perspective

■    Not iminigrants from Mexico, ancestors not immigrants - as a result of Mexican War

■    For some people it is offensive the most often used, concentrated morę on Mexicans

■    2. Latino Literaturę

■    Asa result of peace treaty a great area of tlie US was...

■    Cliicano literaturę, when we think about American Mexican heritage; constant movement

■    Mexicans immigrants after 1910 - mostly mral

■    1940 - triggered by economic expansion during World War II. emigration encouraged at tlie same time

■    Over 40 million Mexicans Americans, 64% immigrants from Mexico

■    Immigrants from Mexico - victims of hostile policies

■    Those who lived on tlie areas admitted to tlie US were under tlie strong cultural and social influence of the US

■    Cliicano population - defined by diversity

■    Ifs impossible to create category upon liistoiy; all different culture, impossible to form 1 definition

■    Tolerance for difference

■    H omogenous culture

■    The idea of border - connected with geograpliical situation. constant legał and illegal movement, at tlie same time evolving; kultura graniczna ewaluuje, zmienia się, ale przystosowuje się też do sytuacji

■    Cliicano - comes from tlie comiption

■    Cliicano movement gained attention with tlie Civil Riglits movement

■    Performative poetry - much morę about performance than passive reading

■    Poetry very much moved by multiculmralism

■    Reference for orał tradition

■    Argerin - founded .. .”Poet’s Cafe” (in Califomia) poetry, cultural centre in New York