Chicano

or chi·ca·no

[ chi-kah-noh, -kan-oh ]

adjective

1. of or relating to Mexican Americans or their culture.

noun

, plural Chi·ca·nos.

1. a Mexican American.

chicano

/ tʃɪˈkɑːnəʊ /

noun

1. an American citizen of Mexican origin

Word History and Origins

Origin of Chicano¹

First recorded in 1960–65; from Mexican Spanish, by shortening and alteration of mexicano Mexican ( def )

Word History and Origins

Origin of Chicano¹

C20: from Spanish mejicano Mexican

Example Sentences

That chain of events could reshape the political landscape of the Eastside, the birthplace of Chicano activism in L.A.

From Los Angeles Times

Actor, director and entrepreneur Eva Longoria has pursued cookbook writing for nearly 15 years, and along the way also earned a master’s degree in Chicano studies and political science.

From Los Angeles Times

The Chicano artist probably wasn’t the only person who thought he was seeing things.

From Los Angeles Times

A youth mariachi band and a baile folklorico troupe performed; a covers band played Chicano favorites such as War and Earth, Wind and Fire.

From Los Angeles Times

Chicanos have largely dropped Aztlán as an aspirational legend, as the Latino population in the U.S. has diversified.

From Los Angeles Times

About This Word

What does Chicano mean?

A Chicano is a person who is Mexican American. In other words, it’s someone of Mexican descent who was born in or now lives in the United States, as in Although Jorge loves living in the United States, he remains a proud Chicano, frequently visiting his Mexican hometown.

Chicano is also used as an adjective to describe Mexican American people or things involving them or their culture, as in Rosa loved Chicano food so much that she became a chef and opened a popular Chicano restaurant. 

Chicano comes from Mexican Spanish, a language that uses gendered nouns. Chicano is the masculine form, while Chicana is the feminine form. Chican@ and Chicanx are sometimes used as gender-neutral forms.

As with any term that refers to a person’s identity, it is best to ask the person what term they prefer to identify themselves with. Even if a person fits the dictionary definition of Chicano, they might prefer to be identified by another term, such as Mexican American, American, Mexican, Hispanic, or Latino.

Example: The ad campaign was targeted at the city’s large Chicano population, who were proud of their Mexican heritage.

Where does Chicano come from?

The first records of Chicano come from around 1960. It comes from Mexican Spanish by shortening and altering the word mexicano, meaning “Mexican.”

In particular, Chicano was used during the Chicano Movement of the 1960s, which emphasized a Mexican American identity and brought attention to the oppression and discrimination of Mexican Americans. The term la raza, which refers to Mexicans and Mexican Americans, was also used during this time.

Did you know … ?

What are some synonyms for Chicano?

• Mexican American

What are some words that share a root or word element with Chicano? 

• Mexican

What are some words that often get used in discussing Chicano?

• Mexican American
• Mexico
• United States​​​​
• culture
• population
• people
• experience

How is Chicano used in real life?

Chicano is used to refer to Americans of Mexican descent and their culture.

Listen to this fresh, fabulous musical take on indigenous, Chicano culture with @lascafeteras.

— NBC Latino (@NBCLatino) November 1, 2016

I’m proud to be a Chicano

— Drizzy Bert (@fishersnet51) May 17, 2020

Spending my time with other chicanos, creating art, it nurtures my soul.

— niña normal (@pinchepelionera) August 22, 2017

Try using Chicano!

True or False?

The word Chicano comes from the word mexicano.