Chicano, Hispanic, Latino: What Does It Mean?

Chi·ca·no n. A Mexican American.

The term "Chicano" has become popularized since its political movement in the 1960s, yet its exact origin is unknown. Writer Santiago Rodriguez explains one theory of the origin of the word: a written symbol for the sound "esh" did not exist in the Spanish vocabulary before the conquest. Consequently, the sound was written with an "x" as seen in "Mexicano," which was pronounced "Meshicano." A possibility is that the shortening of the word created the term "Chicano."

According to Matt Meier and Feliciano Rivera, authors of the Dictionary of Mexican-American History, upper-class Mexicans used the term "Chicano" to refer to lower-class Mexicans in the late 19th century. The term also was used derogatorily for Mexicans who were newcomers to the U.S. However, since the 1960s, many Hispanics use the word with dignity. Meier and Rivera say, "In its narrowest meaning, it signifies a proud militant ethnicity with connotations of self-determination, rejecting accommodation and assimilation, and favoring confrontation strategies."

His·pan·ic adj. 1. Of or relating to Spain or Spanish-speaking Latin America. 2. Of or relating to a Spanish-speaking people or culture. n. 1. A Spanish-speaking person. 2. A U.S. citizen or resident of Latin-American or Spanish descent.

[This term] was coined in the early 1970s by the United States government to classify diverse people with a relationship to the Spanish language or culture. The term is used to describe people who were born in any Spanish-speaking country of the Americans, or those who can trace their lineage to Spain or Spanish territories. This includes a vast number of people of diverse countries and ethnic groups. Many Hispanics would rather view themselves according to their distinct identity, in contrast to the broader label of Hispanic.

La·ti·no n. 1. A Latin American. 2. A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States. See Usage Note.

Usage Note: Hispanic and Latino are not identical terms…Hispanic, from the Latin word for "Spain," has the broader reference, potentially encompassing all Spanish-speaking peoples in both hemispheres and emphasizing the common denominator of language among communities that sometimes have little else in common. Latino, which in Spanish means "Latin" but which as an English word is probably a shortening of the Spanish word latinoamericano, refers more exclusively to persons or communities of Latin American origin. Only Hispanic can be used in referring to Spain and its history and culture; a native of Spain residing in the United States is a Hispanic, not a Latino, and one cannot substitute Latino in the phrase the Hispanic influence on native Mexican cultures without garbling the meaning. In practice, however, this distinction is of little significance when referring to residents of the United States, most of whom are of Latin American origin and can theoretically be called by either word. A more important distinction concerns the sociopolitical rift that has opened between Latino and Hispanic in American usage. For a certain segment of the Spanish-speaking population, Latino is a term of ethnic pride and Hispanic a label that borders on the offensive. According to this view, Hispanic lacks the authenticity and cultural resonance of Latino, with its Spanish sound and its ability to show the feminine form Latina when used of women. Furthermore, Hispanic, the term used by the U.S. Census Bureau and other government agencies, is said to bear the stamp of an Anglo establishment far removed from the concerns of the Spanish-speaking community.

For full text and more information, visit these websites:

http://www.epcc.edu/ftp/Homes/monicaw/borderlands/17_ethnic_terms.htm

http://www.bartleby.com/64/6.html