Biography
Christian (he/him) is a Chicano graduate student at Princeton Theological Seminary who passionately explores the interplay of religion, race, and history. He is ardent about Chicano religious expressions and liberation theology. Silva delves into the rich tapestry of history and culture, seeking understanding and fostering dialogue pa’ la gente.
Paper Abstract
This paper grapples with the Chicano Movement’s reclamation of their Mexica (Aztec) identity and their pursuit of liberation through a nationalist perspective. Criticized for homophobic and patriarchal/misogynistic overtones with the embodiment of the Aztec warrior, the movement sought to reclaim Aztlán (Southwest), perceived as the mythological ethnogenesis of the Mexica, from the Anglos. I argue that their Aztlán segmented land and community. It must be (re)mythologized, blending early mythologies with Chicanx liberation aspirations. La Virgen de Guadalupe’s perceived indigeneity and motherhood are inseparable to Aztlán, thus a Chicanx communal project for a new mythology of material belonging to the land and fostering an inclusive and communal undertaking is necessary. This paper explores Mexica mythologies, Chicanx liberation, indigeneity, ecological belonging to land, and queer persons.