Discursive (Re)Contruction of Mexican American Identity in J. Gonzo's La Mano del Destino

Abstract

Written and illustrated entirely by artist Jason Gonzalez, J. Gonzo’s La Mano del Destino (2011-2019; collected edition 2021) is a 6-issue comic book series revolving around the resurgence of its eponymous protagonist, a luchador previously stripped of his mask. La Mano struggles to make his comeback abiding by his own ethos and focusing on reclaiming the place usurped by his antagonists, facing choices and shadows from the past that will make him self-doubt and falter. Playing with symbolism, careful detailing, and defined artistic choices, the Chicano author delves into his own passion for both lucha libre and Silver Age comics; he also tackles matters related with the quest for identity, as well as the imposed subject positions intrinsic to the belonging to a minority group in the United States. Building a fantastic world in which the clash between técnicos and rudos embodies the conflicts peculiar to modern life, Jason Gonzalez’s vision is markedly personal and hybrid, channeling a powerful Mexican American voice that goes beyond Chicanx paradigms. From a critical discourse analysis standpoint, the article proposes a study of the power relations depicted by Gonzalez, interpreting the comic as an allegory for the struggles of the subordinate subject, both in the Mexican and the Mexican American context.

Keywords

• Lucha libre
• Chicanx comics
• cultural heritage
• wrestling
• borderlands
• CDA