Educational Media Reviews Online

This visually stunning film begins and ends with lines from This River Here, a poem by Carmen Tafolla, which speaks to the difficulty of precisely separating the boundaries of two countries, two cultures, and two languages. The countries in question are the United States and Mexico as they join in Texas; the cultures are the Latino culture versus the Anglo culture and the languages are Spanish versus English.

Award winning producer Ray Santisteban combines a lyrical camera with profiles, spoken word performances and in depth interviews with some of the best Texas contemporary Chicano writers to reveal the roots of this unique literary tradition. Authors and poets featured include Sandra Cisneros, Jesse Cardona, Tonantzin Canestaro Garcia, Tammy Gomez, Carmen Tafolla, Pat Mora and Raul R. Salinas.

By 2027, the Latino population will be the majority population in Texas, according to projections from the Texas State Data Center. One of the issues addressed in this film is that fact that Chicano literature is still not reflected in American Literature courses. The issue of language hierarchy is also addressed. English is still the dominant language, but for many Chicano writers Spanish was the language of home. And then there is Tex-Mex, a blend of Spanish and English spoken in South Texas, which poetry/performance artist Tammy Gomez says is for her a better vehicle for expression that either Spanish or English.

“Poetry is a way of protecting the story”, says Pat Mora as she is interviewed. The story of Texas Latino culture is alive and well, thanks to the creative output of the poets profiled in this film. If Texas is, as many people think, a country in its own right, this film reveals a hitherto unsuspected richness in its heritage. This film is recommended for any academic institution that has a literature program. The poetry readings and spoken word performances alone are sure to engage any student.