Chicano Identity and Discourses of Supplementarity on Mexican Cinema

From ‘The Man Without a Fatherland’ (Contreras Torres, 1922) to ‘Under the Same Moon’ (Riggen, 2008)

Authors

  • Armida de la Garza

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7146/dl.v10i16.113577

Keywords:

Chicanos, representations, discourse, cinema, supplement

Abstract

A radical change took place in Mexican narratives of belonging during
the 1990s, when NAFTA was first negotiated. Narratives of migration
drastically changed the status of Mexican migrants to the US,
formerly derided as ‘pochos’, presenting them as model citizens
instead. Following Derrida, I argue the role of the migrant became that
of a supplement, which is, discursively, at the same time external to
and part of a given unit, standing for and allowing deeper
transformations to take place in the whole discourse of bilateral
relations and national identity more generally. I use Derrida’s concept
of the supplement to discuss changing representations of Chicanos in
Mexican cinema, and to assess the extent that they have succeeded in
reframing the discourse on national identity, with a focus on gender.

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Published

2009-01-01

How to Cite

Garza, A. de la. (2009). Chicano Identity and Discourses of Supplementarity on Mexican Cinema: From ‘The Man Without a Fatherland’ (Contreras Torres, 1922) to ‘Under the Same Moon’ (Riggen, 2008). Diálogos Latinoamericanos, 10(16), 12. https://doi.org/10.7146/dl.v10i16.113577

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Section

Articles