Chicas' lit is a flourishing body of literature with young latina protagonists
living and negotiating culture in today's fast-paced United States. The purpose of this
work is to demonstrate the many ways this body of literature, introduced as Chicas'
lit, creates a safe space for the negotiation of cultural identity of young latinas.
Salient indicators were used to place twenty two books and one novella identified and evaluated into a spectrum to demonstrate the diversity in this corpus of new
Latina Young Adult Literature. Chicas' Lit main protagonists represent diversity in
nationality, geography, class, and level of acculturation. Latina ethnicity, a teenage
protagonist and a present-day trope are defining factors for this corpus, as well
conciencia, a sense of communal responsibility, is noted in this almost exclusive
Latina authorship. A detailed comparison to Chicana literature reveals a shift in family dynamics, including a striking increase in paternal interaction, only children, and an identity
with a stronger focus on the peers than on the' family. A study of book titles and
cover art indicates the commodification of culture, a leaning towards the use of
mainstream marketing techniques, specifically sexualization of images, use of certain
words in Spanish, lighter skin ethnic images, and tropical or bright colors. The
importance of community, ritual and communal celebration in the development of
cultural identity is noted.