MAPACA

Mid-Atlantic Popular &
American Culture Association

As part of a project to map the cultural work of the chica lit genre, this paper will specifically look at Young Adult chica lit, and will show that though these YA novels share certain conventions with their chica lit siblings—namely, a quest to define one’s Latinidad—the protagonists of these YA novels struggle for self-recognition in a way that is distinct from their older counterparts.

Chica lit reflects the culturally blended experiences of US Latinas in their twenties and thirties. This new genre naturalizes a version of Latina womanhood that differs from older narratives of Latinidad found in twentieth century protest, nationalist, or immigrant novels. The lives of the Latinas found in chica lit include higher education, white-collar careers, and the increased purchasing power and cultural capital that come with these changes, rather than poverty and oppression. As a result of this representational shift, chica lit protagonists often spend portions of the novel figuring out what it means to “be Latina.”

YA chica lit novels share with their chica lit siblings this emphasis on exploring and defining one’s Latina identity. However, I will show that these YA works contain their own set of concerns. As coming-of-age novels written for younger readers, these texts explore issues related to generation gaps, transmission of cultural practices, and how these young Latinas define themselves in relation to their parents or parental figures. To sketch the themes and tropes that constitute this sub-genre, this paper will analyze a variety of novels, by authors such as Veronica Chamber, Caridad Ferrer, Meg Medina, Micol Ostow, and Alisa Valdes. Ultimately, understanding the cultural work of this set of novels helps to map not only the shape of this YA sub-genre, but of the chica lit genre as it continues to develop.