Mexican American Literature

One of the most prominent characteristics of the literature by United States citizens of Mexican descent is that it is frequently written in a combination of English and Spanish. By not limiting itself to one language, such writing resonates with its authors' bicultural experiences. Their work is largely Mexican in its sensibility, in Mexican culture, it distinguishes itself from Mexican literature in its content and concerns.

Many Mexican Americans are only a generation away from the mostly agrarian culture of their ancestors, and the work of most Mexican American writers shows evidence of heavy influence from this culture. Their novels are often simple in structure, and some of the common themes in these novels include the struggle to values of the characters' culture, such as the spiritual and religious benefits of working the land.

Much of Mexican writing, on the other hand, has been criticized for being dominated by the prominent literary establishment concentrated in Mexico City. Literary reputation and success in Mexico—including the attainment of publicly sponsored positions in the arts—are often bestowed or denied by this literary establishment. Moreover, the work of Mexican writers of what this community sees as parochial concerns belies the thematic richness of Mexican American writing.

The work of Mexican American writers can be richly textured in its complex mixture of concerns; among other things, their work is distinguished by an overarching concern with the complexities of cultural transition. Many Mexican American writers assert that rather than working to be absorbed into U.S. society, they are engaged in borderland in which nostalgia and reality are combined in the service of forging a new identity.