Customer Reviews

Viva la Causa, 500 Years of Chicano History (version in English) [VHS]

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¡Viva la Causa! 500 Years of Chicano History, a 2-part educational video in English, offers a compelling introduction to the history of Mexican American people. Based on the book 500 Years of Chicano History in Pictures edited by Elizabeth Martínez. The video is suitable for youth in grades 5 - 12 and up, as well as community gatherings.

PART ONE of the video depicts Mexican Americans from their pre-Columbian origins through Spanish colonization, the U.S. take over of today's Southwest in 1848, the people's resistance, workers creating great wealth, and their massive strikes, up to World War II.

PART TWO includes the 1943 "Zoot Suit Riots," and early efforts to fight discrimination, the farmworkers' struggle, student protests, the Chicano Moratorium against the U.S. war in Vietnam, and new Chicano art. Today's Latino struggles bring the video up to date.

¡Viva la Causa! 500 Years of Chicano History is a unique, inspiring tool for everyone to learn about one of our oldest yet least known peoples.

This is great for any student who is studying Chicano History for the first time. Also great for anyone who calls himself Chicano but has no idea of thier past history.

Viva la Causa! aims high and does what most documentaries can't: Offers a coherent, relevant history of its subject matter (Chicano/Chicana people) in the space of just 60 minutes.

Both parts of this film do justice both to the most important people and events in Chicano history, but also to the lesser-known but equally important contributions of many individuals and organizations (especially women)

Like the video cover says, this film is sympathetic to the issues of Chicanos, and other oppressed peoples, without flinching from difficulties facing "el Movimiento" including class, sexism, interracial unity and homophobia. Obviously the filmmakers' refreshing look flows from their committment to not just document the world but play a role in changing it for the better.

Although its surprisingly fresh for being ten years old, one wishes it could be updated to include the aftermath of Prop. 187 in California banning bilingual education and the Primero de Mayo protests throughout the country this year in response to immigrant-bashing in Congress.

But in just one hour this two-part film provides an excellent people's history and forms a nice starting point for learning the history of Chicanos and Chicanas with an eye on making some history, too.

The two-video set provides learners with an excellent introduction to Chicano/as. Its passionate coverage on the struggle for Mexican-Americans in a gringo world inspires anyone to be more conscientious of the people around them. Little-known history on the Chicano movement was presented here clearly with excellent original footage. Informative and great for any classroom or political group.

Do not view this film if you are looking for mainstream research style objectivity. Do view this film if you would like to hear the words and see the point of view of an oppressed people. One does not view the writings of the victims of the Holocaust, Slave Trade, or the Native American Genocide as being unbiased, balanced, or academic. These writings and films are the voices of the losers. We live in a time where their voices can help us make winners of all who fall prey to future conflicts. View this film as though it were YOUR ancestors that were oppressed and let the college professors enjoy their self-indulgent auto intellectualism.

As a Doctorate student, I say this is an excellent documentary. It depicts the truth. Everyone living in the U.S. must watch this remarkable piece! The documentary is not spoken out of anger (as others say). It is spoken from a deep voice that only wants the truth to be known. Throughout history, the roots and participation of these people have been overlooked. A major part of this land was once of Mexicans, and many people have forgotten this truth. Reiterating the facts, this is a must see documentary!! (In particular if of latin descent)...Teachers, students and other down to Earth people....spread the word! ...

This video contains documentation of the historical events that have taken place in Chicano history. It includes statistics, personalities, time lines, etc., but in many places the script (written by Elizabeth "Betita" Martinez) seems to have been written by an angry, hormonal adolescent who hasn't matured to the point of being secure about who she really is. There is a great deal of sarcasm in the tone of voice of the narrator whenever he speaks of the Anglos, which takes away from the credibility of the documentary itself. (Examples: "The YANKEES wanted even more", "They [the "Yankees"] took over OUR skills".) The documentary is clearly directed to a Chicano audience, implying that Anglos are not included in the intended audience. The narrator spoke multiple times of how "We [la Raza] demand....". This Anglo professor of Spanish and Latin American Studies was very disappointed in the strongly politicized and angry tone of the video. Just as the scriptwriter voices her complaints about racism directed toward Chicanos, this video demonstrates hostility toward Anglos and grossly biased generalizations of them, which unfortunately diminishes the value of this otherwise excellent documentary.

This video takes the viewer back to the radical politics of the Sixties. It is utterly biased and unredeemed by any balanced viewpoint and I found it suitable mainly for college courses in political rhetoric, radical communications history, and radical sociology and anthropology.