Chicano

American  

[chi-kah-noh, -kan-oh] / tʃɪˈkɑ noʊ, -ˈkæn oʊ /

Or chicano

adjective

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

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noun

plural

Chicanos

1. a Mexican American.

chicano British  

/ tʃɪˈkɑːnəʊ /

noun

1. an American citizen of Mexican origin

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Usage

What does Chicano mean? A Chicano is a person who is Mexican American. In other words, it’s someone of Mexican descent who was born in or now lives in the United States, as in Although Jorge loves living in the United States, he remains a proud Chicano, frequently visiting his Mexican hometown. Chicano is also used as an adjective to describe Mexican American people or things involving them or their culture, as in Rosa loved Chicano food so much that she became a chef and opened a popular Chicano restaurant. Chicano comes from Mexican Spanish, a language that uses gendered nouns. Chicano is the masculine form, while Chicana is the feminine form. Chican@ and Chicanx are sometimes used as gender-neutral forms. As with any term that refers to a person’s identity, it is best to ask the person what term they prefer to identify themselves with. Even if a person fits the dictionary definition of Chicano, they might prefer to be identified by another term, such as Mexican American, American, Mexican, Hispanic, or Latino. Example: The ad campaign was targeted at the city’s large Chicano population, who were proud of their Mexican heritage.

Etymology

Origin of Chicano

First recorded in 1960–65; from Mexican Spanish, by shortening and alteration of mexicano Mexican ( def. )

Example Sentences

In the 1970s, Chicano artists in the U.S. adopted Kahlo as an emblem of their cultural pride and demand for equal rights.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

The region became the birthplace of the Chicano civil rights movement that included the East L.A.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 21, 2026

The United Farmer Workers union said it will halt celebrations of its founder Cesar Chavez amid what the union described as “troubling allegations” against the iconic Chicano figure.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2026

Since coming onto the scene in 2018, the band has gotten the stamp of approval from established acts like Bomba Estéreo, Los Tigres Del Norte and Chicano Batman.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 11, 2026

My relationship to many of the self-proclaimed Chicano students was not an easy one.

From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez