The Cheech Marin's Contribution To The Chicano Movement

Many Mexicans immigrated to the United States throughout the 1920’s forming their own communities like East Los Angeles. Throughout the years, they overcame hardships like segregation, bad stereotypes, etc. They created a movement for civil rights, where their culture began to flourish around the country, known as the Chicano Movement. One big contributor to the Chicano Movement is Cheech Marin. “Being a Chicano in Hollywood, my experience is that you're not given credit for any sophistication... You're just kind of some guy that just crossed the border, you know, on the back of a truck and that's it (Cheech Marin).” Cheech Marin has brought many talents to the Chicano community from the 1970’s to now. He is an author, actor, director, writer, and art collector. His most famous works include the famous comedy duo Cheech and Chong, his solo film Born in East L.A., and his wide-range collection of Chicano art. Richard Anthony Marin was born on July 13, 1946 in Los Angeles, California to Mexican American parents. He was given the name “Cheech” for his love of chicharrones, a Mexican snack of fried pork skins. Marin went on to

The film is centered as a parody of Bruce Springsteen’s popular hit “Born in the USA.” In the film, he embodies a Mexican-American from East Los Angeles who is falsely accused of being an immigrant and then deported. The film uses political satire to employ the message of the status of Chicanos within the United States. “The film is a critique of white racism, particularly white racism directed toward ethnic minorities and immigrant groups that are considered foreigners and therefore unwelcome in Anglo America (Tatum 80).” The film won Best Picture at the Havana Film Festival as well as Best Screenplay and Best Production Design. It was later accredited as being part as “Hispanic Hollywood” along with other famous Latino films during the