Title: Chicano | people | Britannica
Headings: Chicano
Chicano
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Chicano

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The Chicano community created a strong political and cultural presence in response to years of social oppression and discrimination in a predominantly Caucasian American society. Like most historically disenfranchised groups in the United States, some Mexican Americans have taken the term Chicano, previously considered a pejorative word, and used it to empower themselves. Today, the term Chicano is an essential component of the community’s revitalization and renewed sense of hope and pride. Regaining and regenerating the term Chicano, and having Chicanismo (an identity embracing the political consciousness of the Mexicans’ history in the United States), was the first step toward releasing the psychological barriers in the minds of many Mexican Americans. Initially, Chicana/o was used to refer to all people of Mexican origin. Since the 20th century, the term has referred to people of Mexican descent born in the United States. The term Chicana has feminist connotations resulting from its use by Mexican American female activists determined to raise consciousness about women’s rights within the Chicana/o community and to raise political awareness of those outside the Chicana/o community. In fact, during the Chicano Movement ( El Movimiento) of the 1960s and 1970s, Chicanos established a strong political presence and agenda in the United States through the leadership of Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales, Cesar Chavez, and Dolores Huerta. All three individuals gave strength to men and women in the community to fight for equality and demand social justice. The Chicano Movement, political unrest, community disturbances, and a focus on ethnic conflict raised the consciousness of "Brown pride," "Chicano power," and Chicanismo.