Melinda Palacio
Where are the Chicano Intellectuals? Are they buried under student loan debt? Are they dead, an idea reduced to a meme or emoji? I think they’re among us, making art, daring us to take notice, and sometimes they’re recognized. I think of the playwright Luis Alfaro, the photographer and poet Marisela Norte, the painter Margaret Garcia, the teacher Mary Ortega, the lawyer Eddie Ortega, the playwright Lindsey Haley, people who have opened their door to provide a cultural center, spaces for books, music, and dance. The list goes on and on, but most don’t get the opportunity to share their intellectual insights on PBS or have a HBO show dedicated to Chicano Intellectuals. While not the Hollywood walk of fame, Luis Rodriguez placed his handprint on the Vroman’s Walk of Fame.
However Cano has a point, while I can think of many thinkers with enormous intellect who could stand under the Chicano umbrella, I cannot think of someone like Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz who is willing to sacrifice herself for a life favoring intellect. Books don’t seem to hold the same reverence they held in Sor Juana’s time. She didn’t have the modern problem of having too many things or too many bigs. She didn’t have to ask herself which volume of poetry no longer sparks joy in her life. She treasured every book she owned.
As I write this short response on my iPad in a hotel room on the road to California, I wonder if this very device isn’t responsible for the diminishing future of Chicano Intellectuals. In my travels I see less young people pull out a book from their backpack than I did twenty years ago. People seem to argue less about the meaning of passages in a book, let alone have a conversation without referring to a photo on their device. Perhaps, I am dating myself and am skating into Chicano curmudgeon territory when I notice a reverence for athletes, rockstars, and actors over intellectuals and literary artists in our community?
At least we have La Bloga and intellectuals, such as Professor Cano to keep us on our toes.