Wait a Minute - What the Heck's a "Chicano"?

"Chicano"? Why are people using that again? I thought that was '70s. Does it mean something different now? I thought the current word was "Latino."

Isn't it a rule that as soon as there's a switch to a new word, the previous word becomes racist? I thought that was the rule.

Mida, muchachos! You got to get with the program, here. You can't keep all these different terms in good standing! Not at the same time, anyhow. You've got to keep switching them out: "That one is good - no wait, now that one's BAD, this one is good! - no, that one is bad too now, this new one is the only one you can use." That's the proven strategy. That's what works to keep whitey and/or gringo hoppin', on his toes, ever-eager to humor you on the semantics.

Which, really, when you get right down to it...what could possibly matter more, when it comes to redressing race- or ethnicity-based societal inequities?

I suppose instead of throwing the question out there into the internet, I could just look it up on the internet. I'm sure I'd get myself a reasonably satisfactory answer. But then, there would probably be no point to me posting this if I did that. And I bet a lot of people might ask the same question!

So I gotta ask. I won't be silenced.

Comments