Terica Post 6: Don't Say The C Word (Chicano)

So, I’ve been wondering about this since I left class. I’ve been taught that Chicano is not a good word and I was shocked to learn in class that people thought differently. After class, I went to talk to some Spanish people. (No, not just random people but people I knew). I asked them was the word Chicano offense and the general response I got was yes. Chicano is the same as Negro; the word often has derogatory meanings and should not be said. However, you probably will hear Spanish people call themselves Chicano, the same way you might here a black person call themselves Negro. It’s more of an insider that other members of that group can say. More than likely if you were to call someone a Chicano they might get offended. Unless they’re Mexicano and from Chicago, then Chicano might be more of a joke. There is more history to the word and there was a whole Chicano movement. For more information about it I would recommend Wikipedia or asking a Spanish person. However, please do not assume the person is Mexicano because that would be offense also.