Establishing a Chicana feminist bildungsroman for young adults

ABSTRACT Mexican American literature for adolescent readership deserves scrutiny as much as appreciation. Young adult novels The Tequila Worm (2005) by Viola Canales and Under the Mesquite (2011) by Guadalupe Garcia McCall exemplify a literary form this article labels the Chicana feminist bildungsroman. The characteristics of this new genre are narrating the coming of age of a Chicana protagonist over an extended period of time, portraying the protagonist’s developing a socially engaged understanding of dual identity as a Mexican American, and connecting individual development with valuing of family, community, and collectivity. Further classifiable in the künstlerroman genre, the books link with The House on Mango Street (1984) by Sandra Cisneros. This analysis demonstrates the importance of inclusive literature and culture in schools and the prominent position that Mexican American literature merits in young adult literature as a discipline.