Chicana

American  

[chi-kah-nuh, -kan-uh] / tʃɪˈkɑ nə, -ˈkæn ə /

Or chicana

adjective

1. of or relating to female Mexican Americans or their culture.

   a conference on Chicana issues.

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noun

1. a Mexican American girl or woman.

Etymology

Origin of Chicana

First recorded in 1965–70; from Mexican Spanish, feminine of Chicano

Example Sentences

The photos currently flooding my social media stream are like a highlight reel of the life of Chicana civil rights icon Dolores Huerta.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2026

Clad in black, hair pulled up in a dark bandanna and lips stained bright red with lipstick, Velador looks like a modern, Chicana version of Rosie the Riveter.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 20, 2025

“It would be great to have a Chevy truck and paint it with all this Chicana history. And then take it to schools to inspire students.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 12, 2025

Garcia’s second album, “Cha Cha Palace,” delved further into what it meant to be a Chicana growing up bicultural in the San Gabriel Valley — a quintessentially American experience, yet a very individual one.

From New York Times • Jun. 3, 2024

Day of the Dead “is my favorite holiday,” said Amezkua, 53, who identifies as Chicana.

From New York Times • Apr. 11, 2024