Politics in the Production of Knowledge, Chicana/o Historiography, and the Gestation of the Chicana/o Movement

The first theme explored in week one is the historical process. Since history is a knowledge production process, as a student of history, you must be aware of the politics and power in the production of knowledge. We look at the past to make sense of the present; to understand our place in history. Humans are, in the words of Professor Michele Rolph-Trouillot, both actors and narrators in the historical process.The second theme explored in this course is the place of Mexican Americans in the rich tapestry of American history. This week’s material will introduce us to the writing of Chicana/o history, or Chicana/o historiography. The reading on Chicana/o historiography will provide us with a better understanding of how Chicana/o scholars have attempted to reinsert the Mexican American into the fabric of American history.In a 1-2 page essay, and based on the readings and lectures for week one, please answer the following questions:1. What is the relationship between the past and the present?2. How can we separate fact from fiction in the historical process, i.e., how do we determine the historical origins of processes and/or historical junctures (historicity)?3. What are the major historiographical trends in Chicana/o History and how do Chicana/o scholars attempt to re-insert Chicanas/os into American history?4. What important historical event fomented the Chicana/o Civil Rights Movement?5. How important are the intersections of race, gender, class, and power in the formation of Chicana/o identity and in the historical process in general?6. What were the legal and educational antecedents to the Chicana/o Movement?introduction. The Politics of Producing Historical Knowledge.Various interpretations of Chicano/a History and multiple points of origin.Read *Ernesto Chavez, Chicano/a History: Its Origins, Purpose, and FuturePreview the document. Pacific Historical Review, Vol. 82, pp. 505-519.Read Escobedo, Introduction, Chapter 1.