Tejano

[ tey-hah-noh, tuh‑ ]

noun

1. a Texas native or resident of Mexican or Mexican American birth or descent:

   The author’s newest short stories focus on a network of relationships between Tejanos and Anglos in a fictional Texas town.

2. (often lowercase) a style of Mexican American popular music that features the accordion and blends the polka with various forms of traditional Mexican music, now often including synthesizers and rock music.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Tejano¹

From Spanish (Mexico, Texas): literally, “Texan,” from Tejas Texas ( def ) + masculine adjective suffix -ano ( -an ( def ) ); Tejano def 1 was first recorded in 1925–30; Tejano def 2 was first recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

The monikers for the two classifications pay homage to the song “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom” by Tejano legend Selena Quintanilla.

From Los Angeles Times

The titans of Tejano music look back at three decades of hits, becoming a norteño powerhouse and the freedom of making music on their terms.

From Los Angeles Times

Back in March, Carlos A. Gutiérrez, the executive director of Cinema Tropical, a New York-based nonprofit focused on highlighting Latin American cinema in the U.S., wrote about how multiple Tejano filmmakers were “defying hegemonic narratives,” dubbing this collective body of work as the “Border New Wave.”

From Los Angeles Times

Even Texas Monthly is executive producing a documentary about iconic Tejano television host Johnny Canales.

From Los Angeles Times

As a border native, I’ve become used to a specific kind of narrative when it comes to how my homeland is depicted on screen, so this new wave of Tejano filmmaking is not only remarkable, it’s long overdue.

From Los Angeles Times