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ORIGIN OF THE WORD XICANO
The word Xicano (pronounced Chicano), is directly derived from our native/indigenous ancestors the Mexicas, better known as the Azteks. During their peregrinación from Aztlan, their place of origin, the Aztlanekas or Teo Chichimecas, were summoned by their Lord Huitzilopochtli and told that from that point on they would be known as Mexica Tenochcas.
The "x" in Azteka Nahuatl (lenguaje de los Aztekas, meaning "sonido harmonioso"), is pronounced with the ""tz" j "sh", or "ch" sound. Thus you will get a pronunciation such as Metzika, Meshica, or Mechica.
When the Spanish came over they had a difficult time pronouncing the native "tz" sound, so they adapted by pronouncing it as a "ch" sound. Later, they completely did away with the proper native pronunciation and Mexico became Mejico, because in Spanish the "x" is silent.
It is important to note that after the war for independence from Spain, in 1821, the newly formed Mestizo nation called itself Mexico after the capital city of the Aztek empire, Mexico Tenochtitlan. The inhabitants of Mexico are known as Mexicanos.
After the war between Mexico and the United States in which the U.S. stole over half of Mexico's land (the five southwestern states) and which ended with the signing of the Treaty-of Guadalupe- Hidalgo on February 2, 1848, there were Mexicanos who legally became citizens of the U.S.. Thus began the creation of the Xicano: the Mexicano within the United States.
We became a marginal people not wanted by the U.S. nor Mexico; in search of our identity. We were called, and called ourselves many names: Mexicanos, Hispanos, Latinos, Mexican- Americans, Indios, and even Caucasians, but it wasn't until the advent of the Chicano Movement in the 1960's that we decided as a collective to call ourselves Chicanos. We could no longer accept labels imposed on us by an oppressive, dominant society. Only we can say who we are!
Since that time the word Chicano has been used interchangeably with the word Xicano because we know who we are historically, politically, and culturally: MEXICA, MEXICANO, XICANO
Signed: JUAN TEJEDA ©/s
QUE VIVA AZTLAN LIBRE
11 FEBRERO, 1981
