Chicano

1947 (n.), from Mex.Sp. dialectal pronunciation of Mexicano "Mexican," with loss of initial unaccented syllable. Probably infl. by Sp. chico "boy," also used as a nickname. The adj. is first attested 1967.

Chicano is a word for a Mexican American.this term is originally used by and regarding U.S. citizens of Mexican descent.The origin of the word is not clear. Mexican researcher Villar Raso attempted to trace the origin to 1930s and 1940s California, although most Chicanos believe the terms far predates that assessment. Nevertheless, according to Raso, the term supposedly stems from "the inability of native Nahuatl speakers from Morelos state to refer to themselves as Mexicanos, and instead spoke of themselves as Mesheecanos, in accordance with the pronunciation rules of their language." The pronunciation was supposedly misunderstood by some Mexican Americans, who exaggerated the sound. In both cases, the term and its pronunciation are analogous to the Nahuatl word Mexica.

This page was last updated March 16,2009 by Jonathan