This course is an introduction to the intellectual and artistic expressions of a generation of Mexican-American activists who defined themselves in opposition to American society during the Cold War. Through primary and secondary materials we will explore the alternative visions of life and culture that Chicanos offered in critique of what Corky Gonzales characterized as "the American social neurosis" of materialism. We will critically explore how "Mexico" and "America" existed within Chicano nationalism as oppositional constructs, how Chicanos claimed the contested ground that lay in-between the cultures of Mexico and the United States, and what meaning Chicanos gave to their imagined "Aztec" past. Finally, because Chicanismo did not occur in a vacuum, we will explore the larger historical circumstances that informed the dynamics of gender and class in the construction of Chicano nationalism. Readings will include Anaya, Behar, Bruce-Novoa, Gonz#les, Niggli, Rendon, Rodr#guez, Villareal, and Villase#or. Requirements include two short papers of 5-8 pages, active class participation, and a final paper of approximately 15 pages. Group A