Chicanismo/Mexicanismo
The word Chicano or Xicano(as used by contemporary Chicanos) is inherently rooted in european thought and culture. Despite what historical writers such as Ruben Salazar say “A Chicano is a mexican american who has a non-anglo view of himself”, it does not hold true.
Chicanismo is still “anglo” in the way that most chicano/a’s still practice european culture. An example is Christianity or more correctly within the chicano community, “Catholicism”. It is esentially an anglo religion. Even though Catholicism took upon the system of manifestations of Ometeotl(Nahua God). Ometeotl is the god and only god of the Nahuas, who were Purepecha, Mexica, Tarascan, Huichol and various other nation/tribes. The “god of fire” or “god of rain” are not gods themselves but manifestations of Ometeotl.
The Spaniards took this set of beliefs and converted them into “Saints”. You have the saint of war, the saint of fertility and so on. These sets of saints are rooted in the indigenous belief system of manifestation which helped convert the indigenous to Christianity.
We also have Chicanos who speak spanish and believe Spanish is necessary to learn to be able to fully experience Chicanismo/Mexicanismo. They argue that a host of Mexican words are rooted in Nahuatl. These words are a bastardization of the original Nahuatl words. Mexican Spanish is esentially a dialect of Spanish the same way American English is a dialect of England’s english which is the bona fide.
Not everything in Chicanismo is anglo however, one of the few things that still remain indigenous is our diet. Like our ancestors, we still consume chocolate, corn tortillas, chile, nopales, tamal, squash, tomato, and various other foods.
Our music, Mariachi, Banda, etc are still played using european instruments, the songs are sung in Spanish. However the stories sung in some songs are of no doubt, Chicano or Mexicano. We may sing of our love for our families or our country and life, but the method of doing so is still anglo.
NO offense, but you’re a dumbass. Number one, to say that the ” Purepecha, Mexica, Tarascan, Huichol and various other nation/tribes” were all Nahua is just plain wrong, and as offensive to every one of them except the Mexica as saying that you’re “Hispanic” is to you. Nahua (Nahuatl) is a language and family of languages. P’hurepecha’s origins are unknown, perhaps from Quechua in S. America. Tarascan is an offensive colloquial word for, guess who, the P’hurepecha. It comes from a word that meant “cuñado.” Huichol…not a nahua language.
Number two: Catholocism…not anglo. Anglo comes from “Anglo-Saxon.” Catholocism…where does it come from? Where does it come to Mexico from? England? You can’t truly think that Spanish speaking “Anglos” came to Meso-America from England.
So, what do we have. You’re just as, if not more culturally imperialistic as the people you rail against, trying to crowd every people in the area now known by the Nahuatl/Azteca/Mexica name Mexico into one group. And, to boot, you name one group twice, using the word that, for them, is roughly the same as nigger or spic would be up here. And, you’re just plain uninformed. Damn you’re good!!!
By the way, nice website.
I’m sorry, I’d like to apologize for calling yu a dumbass. That was rude. It just shocked me that someone as politically involved as yourself would be, could let yourself be, so uninformed. I can see that you genuinely want the best for your people. To help them get it, you’re going to have to be your best, and inform yourself, and think and check a little more deeply, ’stá bién? Yo tengo muchisima amistad y respeto por la gente Mexicana. Vivo parte el año en México, y parte aquí. Yo quiero que saque un logro ustéd, pero ustéd mismo lor va a tener que ganar. Me explico?
Suerte
How’s that? If I got the tribes wrong, shame on me. But you understood the message. I’m by no means a writer, I’m just trying to voice my opinion and hope that people understand what I’m trying to say, these are not essays or anything of the sort.
When one says anglo, like Ruben Salazar, he meant white/eurocentric. We don’t specifically mean english peoples. Give me some room here.
I never have been a writer, and I never will. I don’t want to engage in intellectual masturbation the rest of my life like writers do.
Our people should learn the old ways as our ancestors did. such as learning our history and learning our ancestor religions. We are not lationos nor hispanics. Yes we do practice the european ways but this is why we are so ignorant that we forgot who we useto be. did you ever heared about this organization in LA Califaz. Mexica Movement P.O. Box 5088 Huntington park CA, 90255-9088 tele:323-981-0352. If you want to learn about your!!! history just contact this info and they will teach you about your history and the achievements that our ancestors made throw the past years. I love My people so much that i will try to get my people the right education that they need. Viva Mexica soy Mexicano Soy Mexica Soy Tejano Soy Chicano.
actually those eurocentric traits you listed are hispanic traits more than anglo. You are right in calling them western and eurocentric though but you are still confusing hispanic and anglo. They are two different colonizers with two different mindsets and styles.
Just as in all of the history texbooks that exist there will never be one consencious opinion because we all will intrepret differently. But there are some facts, the spainards that came to modern day Mexico were European, they where light skinned, they came from a country that had classism and they were looking to exploit and conquer for the betterment of spain, and they did this at the xpense of most notably the aztec indian tribe. And one of the biggest ways to start dividing all of the tribes in Mexico was to use the Catholic church as a tool for subjugation. And to neil Catholicsm cam to the Americas directly as a result of the Spanish who were european. The English never went to South America. Of course the England did not give us catholicism because they were not united under that church ne more like spain was.
i feel your message so deep in my heart.why are we as a people practicing reactionary religion. christianity has always been used to control. the same way blacks were tauht not to worry rebel or revolt against european imperialism because one day when they die they will be free in the kingdom of heaven. therefore why fight againt oppression? we were slaughtered in the name o the lord and still we worship the lord. we need a new train of thought. “i say socialism is the key. imagine theres no heaven. imagine all the people living for just today.” makes perfect sence. viva la revolucion! mexica chicano children of tenochtitlan!
Guys, chill. nitehtlazohtla! Everybody sit back and take a breather
Is the browneagle image subject to copyright? I’d like to use the image on my homepage.
I have never understood the term “Chicano” as coming from the word Mexicano,or Mexica. There is another word I think the term comes from which is “Chicanery” just because our race has been seen as a lower-minority. I would like to know who coined the term Chicano, because if it was when the Mexicans immigrants stand up to fight against US policies, it is more likely that the term comes from the term “Chicanery” which means clever dishonest talk or behavior used to deceive people (according to Cambridge dictionary) and according to Encarta dictionary deception or trickery especially by the clever manipulation of language. The term comes from the French word ‘Chicanerie,’ and a derivative ‘Chicane’ from England: means “the use of sly or evasive language, reasoning, etc. to trick or deceive’, and also ‘a tricky or deceitful maneuver; subterfuge” That is why I have never liked the term, we are Mexicanos! Mexicanos-Americanos!
Stand up against the term “CHicano,” unless you want to be deceitful and sly!
CHiCANO….The title that represents All indigenous American people who chose to elevate and evolve amidst a historically oppressive system. The origins of the “title” are irrelevent. To disect an entity as such would be detrimental to growth of this movements integrities. I chose to look beyond any disheartening account or accusation and appreciate one’s ill intention. DiSOBEYUS