CHICANA POETRY OF RESISTANCE: GALVÁN RODRÍGUEZ EXTENDING THE MESTIZA CONSCIOUSNESS AND ENCOURAGING POLITICAL ACTIVISM THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA

Abstract

This thesis presents an analysis of Chicana poetry of resistance by poet and activist Odilia Galván Rodríguez. Specifically, I examine three poems--"Geographic Dreaming or What it Means to be Chicana," "Collecting Thoughts from the Universe," and "Poem 25 ~ ~ Giving Voice"--To argue how contemporary Chicana poetry represents a form of, and a precursor to, political action and community activism. Underpinning my analysis are Gloria Anzaldúa's Borderlands theory and Barbara Harlow's theory of resistance literature. Through her poetry, Galván Rodríguez extends Anzaldúa's conception of the mestiza consciousness into the twenty-first century context by meeting Anzaldúa's vision for Chicanas to not just react, but act against the social injustices that continue to plague those living at the U.S.-Mexico borderland. Galván Rodríguez seeks to educate the dominant hegemonic culture about the reality of violence and oppression at the borderland in order to actualize change. To meet this goal and reach a broader audience, the poet disseminates her poetry of resistance through social media. Harnessing the power of digital communities, Galván Rodríguez encourages Chicanas and those in the dominant culture to work in solidarity and actively construct a more inclusive society that reflects the tenets of equality and justice for all in the United States.