Mexican vs Chicano

[wale57]

A Mexican is someone who is born and raised in the country of Mexico. They can be a legal or illegal resident of the United States however they keep strong cultural ties with Mexico.
A chicano is a person born in the United States who's parents or ancestors descended directly from Mexico. Chicanos have more of an "American" upbringing and some may not even know spanish, while some speak a combination of both english or spanish; spanglish. Depending on how they were raised some chicanos despite having been born in the United States relate more with their Mexican side and even have an accent when they speak english.

Now you have to remember Mexico is a large country With many different regions and each state has its own culture just like the United States. Lumping us all into one category can be very frustrating at times. A popular custom or tradition in one part of Mexico is not common at all in another state.

For example my family comes from the Northern Mexico state of Durango and growing up I thought all mexicans were like family until I started noticing the differences within my own culture. When I hung out with my best friend his family celebrated customs I had never heard of and made food I had never tasted. An example is the day of the dead celebration. Americans have the idea that all Mexicans celebrate it. I didn't even know what that was until it became popular to make the candy skulls here in the states.

The point is Mexican people are very diverse and how they want to be viewed and what they want to be referred to as is going to vary from person to person.

[Tulemutt]

Originally Posted by bigdumbgod

Why do we have a New Mexico, but no New Canada?

We do. It's called N. Dakota. In attempt to disguise it to encourage settlement. Hasn't worked out well. Yet. Now they're trying oil shale and that's not working out so well either.

[sjnative]

Originally Posted by Nyc77

I am wondering if someone can tell me the difference.
A friend of mine scolds me whenever I say or refer to him as Mexican. He says he is not Mexican he is Chicano and that they are very much different. I was wondering if someone can please tell me what they are wether it be culturally or anything that will help me understand. I dont know if this matters but he has light skin and green eyes. He says he is from New Mexico but it usually slips he is really from Mexico (which of course does not matter, but I understand everyone has their reasons to say things.)
He mention that it is people in California that confuse the two and think they are one in the same when they very much are not.

Any serious answer is greatly appreciated.

I wonder why he says he's from New Mexico. This state is swollen with people who came here illegally and will proudly tell you they're from Mexico. They might even wear a t-shirt with the American Southwest being included in Mexico. It's all standard fare here in the state of political correctness.

But I digress.

What a given person wants to be called will change with the times.

It used to be that people of latin american origin wanted to be called chicanos.

Now they generally want to be called latins.

The next generation will want to be called something else.

The game you have to play is to call your friend whatever he tells you to call him. Otherwise, he'll get all upset.

[1AngryTaxPayer]

Originally Posted by BeauCharles

I was around Merced in the late 70s as a teenager and it was pretty much as you describe. Most Latinos were Mexican-American who's grandparents immigrated to work the fields in the 30s/40s like my parents from Oklahoma did. Basically, they spoke English with Chicano slang thrown in. Most loved oldies or current rock and many had tricked out lowriders. Quite a few of my cousins married Latinos and the valley really was a pretty nice place - mostly white, large Mexican-American community with a smaller black community. As you said it is more slanted now towards recent Mexican immigrants. Mexican-Americans like I grew up with are in the minority now within the Latino community. I remember my neighbors across the street when I moved back in the 90s (third generation Mexican-American) were really upset with the local elementary school their son went to. The mother said they spent so much time on instruction for the ESL students that her native English speaking son (and others like him) was being ignored.

That part hasn't changed for a large % of schools here.

[BuffaloSpringfield]

I am happy to let people self-identify and call them what they wish to be called.

[mrsltd]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

A Chincano is someone with Mechica or other Native heritage. Indigenous heritage from Mexico. Not all Mexicans have Indian blood. Many people whose families have been in New Mexico for hundreds of years don't appreciate being called "Chicano", because they aren't Chicano. They trace their ancestry to Spain, some of those ancestors having arrived in NM directly from Spain, not via Mexico City, so the appropriate category for them is Hispanic. If their heritage is exclusively European, they're not Chicano.
Aztlan.html

These are "criollos", no?

[BORDER G]

A Chicano it's someone born in the USA of Mexican parents. But I believe it's how you choose to be identify.



Proud Mexican!!

[iNviNciBL3]

A Mexican is a Mexican, A Chicano is American.