I always thought a Chicano was a person born in the United States of Mexican decent. Being born in Texas, therefore, I assumed I was considered a Chicana; although when I was younger and watching Blood In Blood Out, I associated a Chicano with someone being a gangster. I did not want anything to do with the image.
I preferred to be called a Mexican American or Latina, which begs the question: what is a Chicano? Is it an image? A stereotype?
Cheech Marin, an actor, director and art advocate, shared his thoughts of what is a Chicano in his first article in a series for the Huffington Post’s Latino Voices.
I want to add that after studying Chicano history, I am very proud to be called a Chicana, although I do not mind being called Mexican American, Latina or Hispanic.
Read more at Huffington Post.
About Irma Sanchez
Consuela
Ruben Salazar’s “Chicano Manifesto” gives a great definition of what Chicano means
Ruben Salazar’s “Chicano Manifesto” gives a great definition of what Chicano means
being “any other latin country not Mexico-American” is even more confusing
under WIKI ( different terms .. but i used this : CHICANO means :.that’s what a Chicano is, an indigenous Mexican American mixed with either Mexican Indian / American Indian . & Spanish .. & also , another term , WIKI uses , is American Born of Mexican Decent .. Yes I seen Blood in Blood out & American Me ..both are very good movies . too ,, BUT i dont consider myself as them .. .. as for some one born in another Latin Country , would be Latin , or Hispanic ..ie : Benjamin Bratt , would be considered , as Latino , with indigenous being his mother is Peruvian Indian..
That was both hilarious and provoking at the same time. Im with him 100% on the various terms.
Chicano term comes from Mexico and it meant mexican, just like Chapin means Guatemalan, Tico Costa Rican, well Chicano actually meant mexican, but throughout the years, it went from meaning mexican to meaning mexican-american.
I’m Mexican-American but I do not like to call myself Chicana. (I just don’t identify with that term.)
Chicana all day!!!! I just love my culture!!!!
<~~~ Chicana
I was born in the U.S. in 1961. The word “Chicano” was a pejorative. No different from “Wetback”, “Beaner” etc. There was no “Hispanic” or “Latino”. It wasn’t until the 70′s when a group of individuals leading a political movement decided to embrace the word “Chicano” and use it to identify themselves and their movement. In the 1970?s, the term “Hispanic” became the government’s word of choice for people of Spanish origin. It was Richard Nixon’s administration that came up with the notion of the “Hispanic”. During President Nixon’s administration, federal bureaucrats (which included Grace Flores-Hughes) divided the nation’s population into five: Native American/Eskimo; Asian/Pacific Islander; White; Black; Hispanic. Nearly 40 plus years later we see and use the words Hispanic routinely. The term was first placed on the 1970 Census form. I was born prior to the creation of these artificial identities and don’t subscribe to using said labels on myself. Born in the U.S.A., I tell you I am American in a country that traditionally insists on racial categories. I define myself not by reference to race or color but by reference to my birth place. With the stroke of a pen, I went from being Caucasion to Hispanic. I reject all labels placed on me by President Nixon, Grace Flores-Hughes and anyone else with their own agenda to separate me from my fellow citizens. Unlike many people of Hispanic/Latin descent who embrace said labels, I choose not to. Using the old adage of what came first, the chicken or the egg…well…I came first when it comes to what came first, the artificial identities or me. Again, I was born a decade before these labels were created and embraced by people who share my heritage. Why would anyone want to embrace an artificial identity? The word “Chicano” will always be a pejorative to me. It is important to remember that although there are many who choose to embrace these artificial identities, there are many of us who choose not to.
Wow! I have been researching and I have finally come across something that makes the most sense, Jesse Olvera! Bravo!! I was born a decade later and still do not accept to be labeled by my peers or our government. This does not reflect my family, spiritual, political or social position or sentiments. I simply refused to be enclosed into some category that as you put it embrace artificial identities. Well put… Thank you!