In common usage, the terms Chicano (male) and Chicana (female) refer to people of Mexican ancestry born and/or raised in the United States. They are roughly synonymous with the term Mexican American. Like the terms Hispanic or Latino/Latina, these are terms of political identity and personal choice. With a few exceptions, Chicanos and Chicanas are citizens of the United States and Chicano/Chicana cultures are American cultures.

Chicanos and Chicanas were legally created in the United States through the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo at the end of the Mexican American War in 1848. However, Chicanos and Chicanas’ roots in the southwestern United States predate the arrival of the Spaniards in the late sixteenth century In 1990 they remain geographically centered in the Southwest, although concentrations appear in every state.

Until the mid-1960s, the terms Chicano and Chicana were frequently used in derogatory non-self-referential manners. In the 1960s, Mexican Americans, particularly on college campuses, began adopting and positively redefining the terms. By the late 1960s, clearly identifiable Chicano and Chicana movements existed, celebrating unique Mexican American experiences and demanding social equality The most often quoted definition of the term was penned in 1977 by Santos Martinez, Jr: “Chicano—a Mexican American involved in a socio-political struggle to create a relevant, contemporary and revolutionary consciousness as a means of accelerating social change and actualizing an autonomous cultural reality among other Americans of Mexican descent. To call oneself Chicano is an overt political act.” This association with direct action has made “Chicano” and “Chicana” controversial terms of identity for some Mexican Americans.

Several theories about the origin of these terms exist. One of the most popular resonates with the indigenous interests and emphases of the Chicano and Chicana movements. It postulates that the terms originated from the ancient Aztec “Mexica” or “Mexicanos.” Over time, the prefix disappeared and the soft “sh” sound of the letter “x” hardened into the “ch” sound used since the early 1900s.

Demographic figures vary widely but, in 1990, the American population of Mexican descent, including Chicanos and Chicanas, was estimated at between 13 and 14 million.

Throughout the last half of the twentieth century the Chicano community has remained one of the fastest growing and most dynamic segments of American culture.