THERE’S STILL A WOMAN:Analyzing Portrayals of Malintzin as a Means of Assessing Gendered Power Dynamics

Malintzin (La Malinche) has remained a central figure in Mexican and Chicano history since she served as Hernan Cortés’ translator during the Spanish Conquest. However, her story has been distorted over the centuries, in part due to the lack of archival material written from her perspective, but also because her position as a formerly enslaved indigenous woman assisting Spanish conquistadors in the destruction of the Mexica empire raises difficult questions concerning race, class, colonization, and gender. Artists and historians have honored Malintzin as the mother of modern Mexico, vilified her as the ‘Mexican Eve’ who betrayed her own people, and turned her into a feminist symbol of resistance and agency. Holding an indigenous woman solely responsible for Spanish Conquest not only sets unreasonable expectations for Mexican/Chicana women, but also inspires a dangerous form of self-loathing for anyone whose heritage includes both Spanish and indigenous Mesoamerican ancestry. Vilification of Malintzin has created an origin story defined by incorrect understandings of Mesoamerican society and a symbolic founding mother despised by her children. Separating the process of identity formation from the lasting consequences of colonization proves impossible but reclaiming Malintzin as a representation of empowerment and resilience rather than defeat may provide a path to reconciliation of the internal conflicts that began with the first encounters between Spaniards and Mesoamericans. The evolution of Malintzin’s image over the past several centuries serves as a valuable means of assessing how Mexican and Chicano communities construct gendered power dynamics, perceive indigeneity, and understand the Mexican origin story.Plan II Honors Progra