The new mestiza : negotiating gender and ethnicity in Josefina López 's simply maria, or, the american dream

الملخص EN

This paper addresses itself to the representations of gender and ethnicity in Josefina López 's Simply Maria, or, The American Dream (1992).

It highlights patriarchy and racism in Mexican- American culture and investigates whether marginalization and persecution silence people or lead them to fight in order to get their rights and achieve their full potential.

The paper examines how Simply Maria deconstructs the stereotypes about Chicanas and shows them as agents of social change.

Overall, this paper gives an insight into Mexican American theatre and explores how Chicana writers use theatre to discuss the problems of their countrywomen and give voice to the disenfranchised.