Chicanas/Chicanos

Chicana/Os: History and Term Identification

Traditionally, the United States has been a country with a majority population made up of Caucasian Americans, and U.S. values and beliefs have evolved around Western European cultural practices (this is called a Eurocentric perspective). In light of this Eurocentric perspective and an intent to preserve power among the majority, a history of oppressing ethnically and racially diverse individuals in the United States has been well noted. Chicana/os have not been excluded from the marginalization and discrimination projected in response to the “browning” of America. As an ethnic and racial group, Chicana/os have created a strong political and cultural presence in response to years of social oppression and discrimination. Within this social context, American society often categorizes minority status by physical appearance or race rather than by culture, values, and beliefs. Consequently, Chicana/os' physical appearance has become the most salient factor to those outside the community. The continued social and political influences of Western European society, a lack of understanding of the largest Latina/o group in the United States, and oppressive circumstances have provided a foundation for the manifestation of Chicana/o psychology.

Like most historically disenfranchised groups in the United States, some Mexican Americans have taken the term Chicano, previously considered a pejorative word, and used it to empower themselves. To fully understand the meaning of Chicanismo, the history of the term must first be examined.

Several theories address the root of the term Chicano. One presumption dates back to the 1930s and 1940s, when poor indigenous (Native Nahuatl) Mexicans came to America as seasonal migrant workers. The early Mexican farm workers struggled to call themselves Mexicanos and instead referred to themselves in their own native tongue as Mesheecanos. The term Chicano was used by Caucasians in the fields to ridicule the laborers and their limited language proficiencies.

Another recognized cultural story that ties the term Chicano to Mexican Americans traces back to the Aztecs. During the Spanish invasion, an Aztec tribe [Page 86]referred to themselves as Mexicas (Mesheekas) or Xicanos (Sheekanos). The name of current-day Mexico was derived from the word Mexica. Until Spanish colonization in Mexico, the terms Mexicas and Xicanos were used with orgullo (pride) among the country's people. The Spanish, however, to maintain superiority over the Aztecs, used the terms Mexica and Xicano derogatorily. In particular, the Spanish created an inferior and inadequate mind-set among the Aztecs, ensuring the long-term effects of their conquest while reducing the likelihood of retaliation. Moreover, the Spanish reinforced a belief that Chicana/os were uneducated, lazy, and of a lower social class. Consequently, the Aztec community, which had such initial pride, internalized the inferior perception and rejected the foundation of their culture as beautiful and full of value.

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