Message to Aztlan: Selected Writing

by Rodolpho Gonzales

Message to Aztlan is the first collection of Gonzales' diverse writings: the original I Am Joaquin (1967), along with a new Spanish translation; seven major speeches (1968-78); two plays, The Revolutionist and A Cross for Malcovio (1966-67); various poems and a selection of letters. Eight pages of photographs accompany the text.

Genres: Banned Books, Social Justice, Nonfiction

264 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2001

Reviews

[Chinook · Rating 3 out of 5]

I came across this basically by accident - National Poetry Month meant Overdrive had a collection of options and the Book Riot Read Harder challenge meant I was in the market for some poetry.

This turns out to involve maybe a quarter poetry. It's the writings of Corky, a leader in the Chicano Justice Movement here in Denver. There are also two plays, speeches, letters to the editor etc.

It was an interesting read: I'd never heard of Gonzales nor any of this history and after reading about the American Indian Movement in a book earlier this year (In the Spirit of Crazy Horse) this added to the general picture of activists in the sixties and seventies.

The poems themselves I found a bit challenging. The plays had some really sexist women's roles - which seemed in contrast to what was said in the speeches. The speeches were very, very of their time but informative. There were some parts about police violence that really drive home that not enough has changed.

[Jerome Berglund · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thankful one of those Google landing page doodles turned me on to this seminal text, every bit as relevant today as when it was first printed. Should be required reading for anyone who cares to or attempts discussing immigration, race, or inequality, containing core concepts which are almost exclusively misunderstood or ignored by the mainstream media, pundits, and economists. It’s small wonder the struggles of the chicano people are so willfully ignored, their concerns get short shrift in popular culture and historical discussion, as the obligatory concepts surrounding expropriation, the violation of binding agreements, labor issues, civil disobedience, colonial structures, class war and the inherently defective duopoly with its compromised charade of representative democracy are all subjects our Orwellian gatekeepers of information in no way want people to wise up about. Good thing you can still get your hands on a book like this, for now. Highly advise you read it while you still can. o_o

[Edsone · Rating 5 out of 5]

if you from the hood, this is a must read right here...

[Karen]

This book was banned in Arizona schools.

[Lucho · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a great book to get a glimpse of the time in which Corkey Gonzalez lived and organized in. A wonderful selection of his writings that ranged from poetry, plays to speeches.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Message to Azlan contains Corky's selected writings. It includes his epic poem I am Joaquin, seven major speeches, two unpublished plays, poetry, and seleted correspondence. Becuase I read Vigil's The Crusade for Justice, I can place the events where the speeches occured and to which the correspondence refers. I've studied Rodolfo "Corky" Gonzales. I admire him greatly.