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S40E6: American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez | Clip

Where the term “Chicano” comes from

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The term “Chicano” has mysterious origins, but it is believed to have been derived from how Indigenous people would pronounce the word “mexicano.”

TRANSCRIPT

(protesters shout) - Chicano!

Power!

- "Chicano" like the word "pachuco," like the word "zoot suit," is of mysterious origin.

Nobody seems to really know where it came from.

- The term Chicano originally started out as an insult from Mexicans to other Mexicans living in this country.

There were something else.

They were something smaller.

There were Chicos, little Chicanos, you know, little satellite Mexicans.

(light guitar music) - [Narrator] Word on the street is, it goes back to how the indigenous would say Mexicano.

Mechicano.