Chicano
See also: chicano
English
Etymology
From Mexican Spanish chicano, from mechicano, a dialectal variant of mexicano (“Mexican”).
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /t͡ʃɪˈkɑːnəʊ/[1]
- (General American) IPA(key): /t͡ʃɪˈkɑnoʊ/, sometimes /-ˈkæn-/, (emulating Spanish) IPA(key): /t͡ʃi-/
- Rhymes: -ɑːnəʊ
Adjective
Chicano (not comparable)
- (chiefly US) Of a person: American and of Mexican descent, especially if conscious of one's political identity in the U.S. body politic.
- Synonym: Mexican-American
- Hypernym: American
- 1980, [Juan D.] Bruce-Novoa, “Bernice Zamora”, in Chicano Authors: Inquiry by Interview, Austin, Tex., London: University of Texas Press, →ISBN, page 214:
- When Chicanos think about us at all, they perpetuate the stereotypes. Gabacho depiction of us as emotionally unchecked, sultry women lusting after pale bodies is just an extension of the fantasy they have about all women. Such dishonest portrayals are why Chicanas are "breaking the silence," as Rita Sánchez calls it.
- (of a person) Identifying with the mixed-raced heritage of Old World and New World.
- Of or pertaining to Chicano people.
Usage notes
- Reflecting Spanish usage, the form Chicana is typically used when applied specifically to women; however, the form Chicano is sometimes used in this case as well.
- Rarely, Chican@ or Chicanx is used as a gender-neutral form.
Noun
Chicano (plural Chicanos)
- (chiefly US) A Chicano person.
- Synonyms: Mexican American, Mexamerican
- Hypernyms: American < person
Usage notes
- See notes about the adjective, above.
Coordinate terms
References
- ^ The Concise Oxford English Dictionary, Eleventh Edition.
Further reading
- Chicano on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
- “Chicano”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.