CHICANA POETRY OF RESISTANCE: GALVÁN RODRÍGUEZ EXTENDING THE MESTIZA CONSCIOUSNESS AND ENCOURAGING POLITICAL ACTIVISM THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA

This thesis presents an analysis of Chicana poetry of resistance by poet and activist Odilia Galva´n Rodri´guez. Specifically, I examine three poems--"Geographic Dreaming or What it Means to be Chicana," "Collecting Thoughts from the Universe," and "Poem 25 ~ ~ Giving Voice"--To argue how contemporary Chicana poetry represents a form of, and a precursor to, political action and community activism. Underpinning my analysis are Gloria Anzaldu´a's Borderlands theory and Barbara Harlow's theory of resistance literature. Through her poetry, Galva´n Rodri´guez extends Anzaldu´a's conception of the mestiza consciousness into the twenty-first century context by meeting Anzaldu´a's vision for Chicanas to not just react, but act against the social injustices that continue to plague those living at the U.S.-Mexico borderland. Galva´n Rodri´guez seeks to educate the dominant hegemonic culture about the reality of violence and oppression at the borderland in order to actualize change. To meet this goal and reach a broader audience, the poet disseminates her poetry of resistance through social media. Harnessing the power of digital communities, Galva´n Rodri´guez encourages Chicanas and those in the dominant culture to work in solidarity and actively construct a more inclusive society that reflects the tenets of equality and justice for all in the United States