Todos Somos Joaquín: An Inter-American Elaboration on Chicanismo, or the Social and Political Philosophy of the Chicana/o Civil Rights Movement

This essay elaborates on the historical and philosophical roots of Chicanismo, or the social and political philosophical commitments and ideological/normative leanings of Mexican Americans who called themselves Chicanas/os and who become politically engaged activists alongside other global social protest movements of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Its purpose is to outline the historical groundwork, critical influences on, and ideals and values expressed by Chicanismo among its various representatives and multiple forms. It humanizes and defends citizens and non-citizens who self-identified as Chicanos/as and who sometimes also referred to themselves as members of La Raza (literally the Race, meaning the People, or la gente).