Chicano Cultural Center: Celebrating Bilingual Arts and Culture
Explore vibrant bilingual arts and cultural exchanges today, and engage with your community in meaningful ways!
Discover Our Cultural Center
Our Mission
At Embajada Cultural Chicana de Aztlan (ECCA), we aim to celebrate and promote the rich bilingual arts of bilingual and bicultural communities in the United States. Our mission includes fostering cultural exchanges with countries like Mexico to enhance community engagement and enrich both our communities.
Exploring the vibrant tapestry of our culture
This narrative circulated for half a century after it was published in 1972. It was taken from the book, Chicanos: Our Background & Our Pride, by Nephtalí De León. It was repeated in many journals, formats and publications. But the attribution was "by a Chicano from Roswell. 50 years later, an African American friend of the author, a woman from Alabama, Bonita Gill, decided to set the record st
"El Azadón," © by Nephtalí De León, water color and gouache on paper. Reflects the migrant background of the artist. So many of our people had no other way to survive other than migrant farm work. They followd the crops all across Aztlan. At a very early age so much of our youth had already criss-crossed the land learning about other languages, cultures and people.
El Chuco Garcia. Chicano dude tirando garra. Vato de San Anto, (San Antonio, also called "San Quilmas," & " la Oreja"). Our style is so unique it has developed into its own genre, with a play by Luis Valdéz, centered on the clothes, "Zoot Suit." The style was also picked up by Mexican actor Tin Tan, who lived close to the American border for a while. These were our Pachucos and Pachucas.
Music and dance have always been an important part of our life and survival. Our musicians were the first to carry and save our culture all across Aztlan, more often than not, at great cost and sacrifice to themselves.
Chicanos are very pious, as in this version by Jose Antonio Burciaga:
Creo en Chuy,
bato de aquella,
y buti alivianado.
Creador de Africa, Asia y Aztlan
y todo lo firme y chafas.
Creo en el jefito Chuy,
hijo ausente,
hijo del jefito,
jefito del hijo,
hijo de su,
mas pronto que quick,
antes del before,
luz del light,
jefito del father,
todo firme,
todo machin,
no hecho a mano,
nor in Taiwan…
Cholas
© Nephtalí De León
las cholas pachucas
took off in their ranfla
looking for tacos
to fill up their panza
y dijo la nelly
got two in my belly
they dreamed of their vatos
el mingo y el diamond
el cooky y la barbie
none of them dreamed of pelón
a squealer a snitch
who sent them like gatos
detrás del telón
you know what I mean
don´t cough up your cake
a two year vacation
with in-your-face plumbing
wall to wall
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Books by José Ángel Gutierrez
First Item
Dystopia and Derailment: Gringo Politics in the Building of Aztlán, Volume I, explores the initial efforts at self-governance and the inception of Aztlán in South Texas, highlighting the role of bilingual arts in fostering community engagement. Volume II, Redemption and Retribution: Aztlán Begins Again, examines the Raza Unida Party's strategy to expand statewide and nationally, aiming to replicate Aztlán, a nation within a nation, while promoting cultural exchanges across the country. Volume III, Aztlán: The Nation of Aztlán, focuses on the internationalization of the Raza Unida Party and its influence on diverse communities.
Second Item
Gutiérrez details his rise from being beaten down by racist political and agricultural interests in South Texas to his leadership role in the Chicano civil rights movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Complemented by photos from his personal archives, Gutiérrez recalls his struggle for education, his early baptism in grass-roots political organizing, and his success in creating one of history’s most successful third party movements, La Raza Unida Party. Throughout his journey, Gutiérrez emphasized the importance of bilingual arts and community engagement, fostering cultural exchanges that enriched the movement. Along the way, Gutiérrez earned college and law degrees.
Third Item
The new One Mexico/Un Mexico country’s leadership envisions an empire reminiscent of the 1822 Mexican Empire, which extended into all of Central America. This vision aligns well with the Zapatistas, who believe their empire stretched from the heart of present-day Aztlán past Panama into Venezuela. The theme of community engagement through bilingual arts and cultural exchanges will be explored further in Volume II of this new trilogy.
Visit Dr. José Ángel Gutierrez's website below to explore his work in bilingual arts, community engagement, and cultural exchanges.
Support Our Cultural Mission Today!
Your generous donations help us promote the bilingual arts and culture of bilingual bicultural communities. Together, we can enhance community engagement, foster cultural exchanges, and support artists. Join us in making a difference in the community and beyond. We are a registered Non-Profit National Organization.
Aztlan is the mythical but real homeland of the Mexica/Aztec people, the ancestors of today's Chicanos and Mexicanos. They migrated south establishing
Map of Aztlan © by Eddie Martinez, Imagineering Pioneer Artist of Walt Disney fame. He designed the Aztec/Maya pavilion for the Walt Disney Epcot Center in Orlando, Florida, as well as Amusement Festival Centers for Korea and other places around the world. He also did the art and designs for several big time Holywood movies, and the sets for Luis Valdez', premiere Zoot Suit Musical in Los Angeles.