Word Chicano example essay topic

Chicanoism Today For a more symbolic meaning of the word Chicano / a, to many of us it is the mixture of both American and Mexican culture. It had become a political term for those who wanted to find a more specific word to identify themselves with than Hispanic, a word to classify all who spoke Spanish in America from Latin America. In the 60's the word Chicano / a grew strong with many political Mexican-American's and used it as a source of pride. Today, the older generation of Chicano / as ', some but many, see young Chicano / as ' as those who live in the past or use the pasts's struggle to reflect on their own lives and go no where to empower their society.

For the most part I disagree, I understand and I am grateful for what the older Chicano / as ' have done historical for us newer generations of Chicano / as ' but I resent that I'm labeled as a "wannabe". In the definition of what it is to be the newer race of Chicano / as ' I will have to interpret it from what the past has led us to be now. In many historical moments of the 60's, you could find many racial groups emerging for their rights to liberation from oppression. The Chicano / a movement was certainly one you couldn't miss in the books. Organizations like the United Farm Workers or the Brown Berets, as well as protests and rallies such as, pro-Affirmative Action, helped in glorifying the meaning of Chicano / a power. It made many Mexican-Americans proud and not alone in a country that didn't want them there.

Yet with such an upraising in praise and pride for this new identity, the movement declined gradually throughout decades to come. Not much political activism had gone on but the word Chicano / a carried on but not in the sense that the Chicano / as of the 60's intended it to be. It would become an identity to those born in America of Mexican parents. By this time around, now in the 90's, I could have the choice on any application to indicate, optionally, what ethnicity I am.

It was either Latino / other, or Mexican / Mexican-American / Chicano. With my parents consent of what I was, I'd proudly pick the box that had Chicano beside it. I grew up proud being Chicana because my dad always had pride in what he was, Mexican. Now, as I write / say this, it isn't pride so much but honor. I honor being Chicana for what the past Chicano / as ' have done to be recognized but now, I honor what the newer Chicano / as ' will do for themselves and society. We will struggle for what we really are - externally to society and internally for ourselves.

When we see the word Chicano / a before our eyes we " ll have to question our pride for it and the meaning to it before we use it as our identity. Our struggle lays in what our minds tell us and what our hearts feel. Throughout the decline in Chicanoism, in terms of political activism, a slow but gradual rise will happen and it is happening now but its force is stronger than before. We will find ourselves as Chicano / as ' of a new era but we " ll have allies on our side. We will bring those who " ve been expected more of by their ancestors, such as African descendents, and we " ll unite to create a stronger movement of people.

When it will happen only time will tell. Though, this is what it means to be Chicano / a now and that is to redefine the word and expand it to fit the cause for everyone. I am proud to be one of the new Chicana today.