Chicano,
feminine form Chicana, identifier for people of Mexican descent born in the
United States. The term came into popular use by Mexican Americans as a symbol
of pride during the Chicano Movement of the 1960s. The Chicano community
created a strong political and cultural presence in response to years of social
oppression and discrimination in a predominantly Caucasian American society.
Like most historically disenfranchised groups in the United States, some
Mexican Americans have taken the term Chicano, previously considered a
pejorative word, and used it to empower themselves. Today, the term Chicano is
an essential component of the community’s revitalization and renewed sense of
hope and pride. Regaining and regenerating the term Chicano, and having
Chicanismo (an identity embracing the political consciousness of the Mexicans’
history in the United States), was the first step toward releasing the
psychological barriers in the minds of many Mexican Americans. Initially,
Chicana/o was used to refer to all people of Mexican origin. Since the 20th
century, the term has referred to people of Mexican descent born in the United
States. The term Chicana has feminist connotations resulting from its use by
Mexican American female activists determined to raise consciousness about
women’s rights within the Chicana/o community and to raise political awareness
of those outside the Chicana/o community. In fact, during the Chicano Movement
(El Movimiento) of the 1960s and 1970s, Chicanos established a strong political
presence and agenda in the United States through the leadership of Rodolfo
“Corky” Gonzales, Cesar Chavez, and Dolores Huerta. All three individuals gave
strength to men and women in the community to fight for equality and demand
social justice. The Chicano Movement, political unrest, community disturbances,
and a focus on ethnic conflict raised the consciousness of "Brown
pride," "Chicano power," and Chicanismo. Chicano power signified
that the community would no longer tolerate the injustices imposed by Caucasian
society. Chicana/os demanded a change in the social and political climate in
the United States and considered anything less inadequate. These ideologies
became threatening to Caucasian society, but Chicana/os maintained momentum and
encouraged others to regain what had been lost and to assert their civil
liberties and rights as people who deserve social equality. Chicana/os
represent a large percentage of the population in the states of California,
Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, and Colorado. Though the population
continues to grow, many question the factors that hinder the social mobility of
this group. After careful review of this group’s social status, scholars have
argued that Chicana/os continue to encounter similar problems to those faced
before 1980. Today, Chicana/os continue to face poverty, crime, violence, poor
health care access, lack of health insurance, underrepresentation in U.S.
politics, and discrimination in schools. A group’s success in society is highly
dependent on its perceived social status. Hence, the way Chicana/os are
perceived in the United States plays an important role in psychological and
social factors within the community. Eurocentric values and cultural norms have
placed Chicana/os at a level in society where upward mobility has become
extremely difficult and, at times, impossible. The social and cultural
disconnection of Chicana/os from Caucasian American society often shapes two
distinct cultural experiences. In particular, Chicana/os or Mexican Americans
live within what many have called “the space” or “the hyphen.” The dual moniker
Mexican American suggests that Chicana/os straddle two worlds. Further
reinforcing their cultural incongruity, many Chicana/os’ experience of
prejudice, racism, and mainstream attitudes remind them that although Mexico
may not be their homeland, America does not always feel like home either. The
irony, however, is that the Southwest region of the United States was once part
of Mexico; the dominant sentiment in the community is that “we didn’t cross the
border, the border crossed us.” The questions of what constitutes an American
and what role American culture has in a new group of Nuevo
Mexicanos—Chicana/os—are important ones. Within this social framework, we can
begin to understand the psychological and social impact these perspectives have
on the community. In particular, the manifestations of acculturative distress,
ethnic identity confusion, and marginalization begin to take shape.
Gwen Stefani Gwen Stefani's been ripping them off basically forever. It's the "chola look," a Mexican-American female aesthetic that's now being appropriated by celebrities. Think white sleeveless undershirts, Dickies pants with suspenders, thinly plucked eyebrows, maroon lips with a lot of liner, big Aquanet-enabled bangs, and a general " don't mess with me" vibe . Gwen Stefani is perhaps the poser Chola-in-chief. In her music video for “Luxurious” she wore chanclas and shirts with old English lettering. Even La Virgen de Guadalupe makes an appearance. Gwen Stefani, whose 2004 Luxurious video places her as the only (blonde, glimmering) white chola at a Mexican American barbecue, reflecting her upbringing in the majority-Latino city of Anaheim, California . “I love other cultures, but I was most influenced where I grew up in Anaheim, two hours from the Mexico border. The girls in class would use a safety pin to separate their three-week-ol...
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