What Does Chicano Refer To

03 May What is a Chicano?

Posted at 12:00h in Blog, Essays, News

Who the hell knows?

To me, you take to declare yourself a Chicano in order to be a Chicano. That makes a Chicano a Mexican-American with a defiant political attitude that centers on his or her correct to self-definition. I'm a Chicano considering I say I am.

But no Chicano will concur with me considering ane of the characteristics of beingness Chicano is you don't agree with anybody, or annihilation. And certainly not another Chicano. We are the only tribe that has all chiefs and no Indians. But don't ever insult a Chicano about being a Chicano because so all the other Chicanos will be on you with a vengeance. They will even fight each to be outset in line to support y'all.

It's non a category that appears on whatsoever U.South. Demography survey. You can bank check White, African-American, Native-American, Asian, Pacific Islander and even Hispanic (which Chicanos hate). But there is no little box you can check that says Chicano. Nonetheless, yous can become a Ph.D. in Chicano Studies from Harvard and a multitude of other universities. You tin cash retirement checks from those same prestigious universities after having taught Chicano Studies for 20 years, only in that location nonetheless no official recognition from the government.

No wonder Chicanos are dislocated.

So where did the word Chicano come from? Once more, no two Chicanos can agree, so here is my definition what I think. In truthful Chicano style, this should be the official version.

The discussion "Chicano" was originally a derisive term from Mexicans to other Mexicans living in the United States. The concept was that those Mexicans living in the U.South. were no longer truly Mexicanos considering they had given up their country by living in Houston, Los Angeles, "Guada La Habra," or another city. They were now something else and something less. Footling satellite Mexicans living in a foreign country. They were something small. They were chicos. They were now Chicanos.

If you lived near the U.S.-Mexican edge, the term was more or less an insult, just ever some kind of insult. In the early on days, the connotation of calling someone a Chicano was that they were poor, illiterate, destitute people living in tin shacks along the border. Every bit shortly every bit they could get a automobile loan and could move further away from the border, the term became less of an insult over the years. But the resentment still lingered.

Some inquire "Why tin can't yous people merely all be Hispanic?" Same reason that all white people can't only be called English. Simply because you lot speak English or Castilian does non mean that you are one group. Hispanic is a census term that some dildo in a government office made up to include all Castilian-speaking brown people. It is especially annoying to Chicanos because it is a catch-all term that includes the Spanish conqueror. By definition, it favors European cultural invasion, not indigenous roots. It too includes all Latino groups, which brings usa together considering Hispanic annoys all Latino groups.

Why? Because they're Latino and information technology's part of their nature. (Aren't you glad y'all asked?)

So what is a "Latino?" (It's like opening Pandora's box, huh?) "Latino" is refers to all Spanish-speaking people in the "New World" – S Americans, Central Americans, Mexicans, and Brazilians (even though they speak Portuguese). All those groups and their descendents living in the United States want to exist chosen Latinos to recognize their Indian roots.

Mexicans call it having the "Nopal" in their face, that prickly pear cactus with big flat leaves that Mexicans swallow, revere, and think they expect like. When you become to Mexico and walk down the street in Mexico City, it'south like walking through a Nopal cactus garden. Nopal is everywhere.

For Latinos who don't want to be so "Nopalese," at that place's always "Mexican-American." Or the dreaded "Hispanic" that should only be used when faced with complete la-la-land from the person asking what y'all are.

Because I am the only official version of what being Chicano is, I say Mexican-American is the politically correct centre ground between Hispanic and Chicano. Like in the song I wrote to be sung by a Chicano trying to exist P.C. "Mexican-Americans; don't similar to just become into gang fights; they similar flowers and music; and white girls named Debbie as well."

All those names made it confusing for me growing upwards. I lived in an all-black neighborhood, followed by an all-white one, and other kids in the e'er called me Mexican in both neighborhoods.

It never bothered me until i day I thought to myself "Hey, await a minute, I'yard non Mexican." I've never even been to Mexico and I don't speak Spanish. Sure, I eat Mexican nutrient at family unit gatherings where all of the adults speak Castilian, only I consume Cheerios and pizza and hamburgers more. No, I'thou definitely not a "Mexican." Mayhap I was "Mexican-ish," simply like some people were "Jew-ish."

These thoughts all ran through my listen when I chased down an aisle by five immature African-American kids. "Yo, Messican!" they called out in their patois. I stopped in my tracks and spun around. "I'm non a Mexican!" I shouted defiantly. They stopped as well, then stared at me. The leader spoke, "Fool! What you talking 'bout? Y'all Mexican as a taco. Await at you."

"No,", I said. "To be a Mexican, you lot have to exist from United mexican states. Y'all're African-American. Are you from Africa?"

"Due north–. You crazy. I'thousand from South-Primal, just like you."

"That'south exactly what I'k talking about!" I said. "Did anybody knock on your door and inquire y'all did you desire to be African-American?"

"Hell no! The social workers don't even knock on our door, they too scared," he said, cracking everyone up.

"And so why you letting people call you whatever they want? What do y'all want to exist chosen?" I asked.

He looked at the others, thought about it for a few seconds and then said proudly, "I'grand a Blood."

"Ooo-kay," I said making it up as I went along. "And then you're a Claret-American."

That seemed to go over well. They all nodded. "Yep, nosotros Blood-American."

"Well, then go out and exist the best Blood-Americans that you can be. Peace, brothers, I got to blow." I walked away and then did they. Self-identification saved the day. Yet, I yet was dissatisfied with what I wanted to call myself.

When I got home, at that place was a party going on. A bunch of relatives had come up over for dinner and everybody was sitting effectually gabbing and drinking beer. My Uncle Rudy was in the center of a story: "Then, I took the car into the dealer and he said, 'Yeah, the repairs gonna run you about $250.' 2-l? Estas loco? Hell, just give me a pair of pliers and some tin foil. I'll fix it – I'm a Chicano mechanic. 2-50, mis nalgas."

And that was the defining epiphany. A Chicano was someone who could do anything. A Chicano was someone who wasn't going to get ripped off. He was Uncle Rudy. He was industrious, inventive, and he wants another beer. So I got my Uncle Rudy another beer considering, on that twenty-four hours, he showed me that I was a Chicano. Hispanic my donkey, I've been a Chicano ever since.

~ Cheech Marin

Originally published in the Huffington Postal service. This is the start article in a three-part series on "What is a Chicano" by actor, managing director, and art advocate Cheech Marin.

Prototype Credit: "It is a Brown Globe After All" by Eloy Torrez, 2006 (oil on canvass, 60″x lx″). Courtesy of Cheech Marin Collection.