Identifying Terms

Hispanic

A term used in communicating about Chicanos and Mexican Americans and other Latinos to agencies of the federal government who use this term for the sake of bureacratic expediency.  By including Caribean as well as other Central and South America culures under "Hispanic," the term misrepresents these distinct societies and attempts to homogenize them.

Latino/Latina

English language interpretation of La Raza.  A term that is preferred over Hispanic by Chicanos when referring to groups of individuals of various Mexican, Caribbean, and Latin American origins.

Mexican American

A term which became popular with politicized Mexican Americans beginning in the mid 1950's.  In using this term, Mexican Americans were affirming their identity (as Chicanos later reaffirmed) both as U.S. citizens and as individuals of Mexican heritage.  Unlike "Chicano," the term did not represent a cohesive "movement," although it marked an important stage of political continuity for Americans of Mexican descent.  Chicano usage of this term omits the hyphen between the two words.

Chicano/Chicana

Term of self-designation for politicized peoples of Mexican descent int he United States.  It came into prominence in the mid 1960's with the beginning of the Chicano Civil Rights Movement.  Because this term linguistically reflected the indigenous pre-columbian roots of Chicano culture, it was effective in promoting unity among the movement's constituency who proudly asserted their ethnic heritage.  The term also may be applied to persons active in the Chicano Movement, 1965 - late 1970's, and beyond.

La Raza

Its literal translation is "the race," however its immediate and popular connotation is "our people."  Although used by Chicanos to identify other Chicanos, it also has been extended by other Latinos to include anyone from Spanish or Portuguese American.

Chicano Art: Resistance and Affirmation, 1965-1985 Education Packet

This page was created by Esmeralda Pulido Updated April 17, 2000