I try everyday to spark dialogue about many things related to Latino culture. Many times I do this to expand my own knowledge base and this is one such time…
I have been to California, have some friends on the west coast and I was always very curious as to what exactly a Chicano is. I especially want to know why they do not identify with terms like Latino and Hispanic. I watched the video below…but it confused me even more…
Please leave me a comment below letting me know what your thoughts are about this…I am very curious.
Gracias…
As I am,
George Torres
The Urban Jibaro
Chicano is a political identity term. Chicano is the name given to those people who reject the assimilationist agenda of the “white house”
Latino is a bulk item name given to define any folk whose language is derived from Latin. These people also tend to be associated with the roman catholic church and their colonialist agenda.
Hispanic is a term created by the US census to pen up together any number of nationalities into one lump. No longer Colombian, Argentinian, Brazilian, Mexican, but Hispanic. The term is only valid in USA because in any other country you are still Columbian or Mexican, depending on your families’ home country.
Thus, Chicano is a political platform that stands against assimilationist tactics from the “status quo” It stands against the English only, it stands against cereal for breakfast and uniformity, or homogeneous culture. Chicanos, like myself, are proud world citizens who abide the law of the land but who refuse to have our cultural heritage mismanaged and destroyed in favor of ignorance. After watching your above video, I feel like Chicano activism should probably go up.
Watch the documentary “Chicano!” It explains the political roots and developments of the movement. Chicanos can come from any national background and be of any religion. Chicanismo respects and celebrates individual herritage. There are militants within the movement, however, but mostly they are not as well researched. Chicanismo at this point is very much an academic thing. There are no leaders and the association is loose and personal.
My poem is my comment:
Hispana, Latina o Chicana, No Se
Palabras de Rosalinda Vargas
Un profesor me dijo que Chicana venia de la palabra cerdo.
¿Quien quiere ser una Mexicana Cochina?
Una amiga me dijo que Latina era una persona de Latino América.
¿Quien puede disputar que una tejana tuvo origen allí?
El diccionario dice que hispana es una persona que habla español.
¿Quien mas que yo sabrá lo que soy?