Customer Reviews

Aztlán and Viet Nam: Chicano and Chicana Experiences of the War (American Crossroads)

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George Mariscal has done a wonderful job collecting information by Chicano and Chicana writers -- both Vietnam veterans, and anti-war activists -- who share emotions, insights, and experiences about the Chicano community's involvement in the war. So little has been written about the Vietnam war and the Chicano(a) experience. As a community college teacher, I assigned my own book, Shifting Loyalties, to the class. Shifting Loyalties also deals with Chicanos in Vietnam. I remember a Vietnamese student saying, "I didn't know there were Mexicans fighting in Vietnam." His statement reminded me how sad it is that the Chicano community has given so much for this country, including the lives of our men and women, and still, there is relatively little recognition for our efforts. George Mariscal's book does much to remedy this situation. He has compiled a strong representation of poetry, short stories, interviews, and essays. His own narrative moves the work along in a way that makes the entire book act as if it were one piece. Any teachers, students, or persons interested in the Vietnam war from an entirely new and fresh perspective must buy this book.

I stumbled across this book while searching for another item. I purchased it as a Christmas present for my boyfriend since he is Chicano as well as his family and his father is a Vietnam veteran (hence the interest in this point in history). He loves it and even his father was really interested in the book. We will be purchasing another for his father for his birthday. Great buy!!