| Abstrakt: |
Using a Chicana Feminist lens grounded in Anzaldúan epistemology, I offer a close reading of "Confessions of a Pseudo-Chicana" (2018) by liz gonzález and "Study of a Part-Time Pocha" (2019) by Sara Borjas to reveal how these poems continue the tradition of deconstructing predetermined or fixed understandings of Chicana identity via literary production. As multigenerational U.S.-born, non-native Spanish speaking Chicanas, both gonzález and Borjas delineate mutable parameters of that particular cultural and political identity, reconcile some of the contradictions that have been part of Chicana/x identity formation and performance, and interrogate perceptions of authenticity. Additionally, the poems articulate the feelings of inadequacy a Chicana like myself experiences, especially because I do not express or project what are often considered key traits or markers, and as an academic, often must conduct myself in accordance with mainstream norms. This analysis addresses the tension between the utility of demarcating an imagined community of Chicanas and essentializing Chicana identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
