Chicano Means Power
The term Chicano or Chicana describes Americans of Mexican descent and is a chosen identity for many Mexican-Americans. It differs from the term “Mexican-American” because the word Chicano was originally used in a derogatory way to refer to the Mexican working class. However, Mexican-American people took the classist and racist term and used it as a form of empowerment.
The Chicano Movement, also called El Movimiento, was a social and political movement that began in the 1960s. During this movement, Chicanos fought against discrimination, segregation and stereotypes, as well as for voting rights. The Chicano Movement was caused in part by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which marked the end of the Mexican-American War and promised to uphold pre-existing land grants to those who decided to remain where they were. The border moved when the States won the Mexican-American War. The U.S. took over California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, most of Arizona and Colorado, and parts of Oklahoma, Kansas, and Wyoming. As many like to say, “We didn't cross the border, the border crossed us.” Unfortunately, these land grant promises made by the U.S. government were not fulfilled, causing many Mexican-Americans to suffer due to the loss of land and not being treated as equals to white Americans. The Chicano Movement emerged through all of this to bring to light the issues and injustices faced by an entire community.
Many went out to the streets to protest. Posters and banners reading “Chicano means Power,” “Unite for better schools,” “We will not be intimidated,” “Be brown and be proud,” “Viva la Raza,” and “Education not eradication'' could be seen in big, bold letters. They were protesting for their rights and for equality. This movement was a form of expression for Chicanos as they stood up for their people.
Chicanos also protested by expressing themselves through fashion. They used fashion to counter forced assimilation into American culture. During World War II, when women and men were told to spend less on clothing, Chicanas and Chicanos did the opposite and started wearing Zoot suits. Zoot suits had jackets with extra-wide shoulders that narrowed at the waist, paired with baggy slacks and a wide-brimmed hat. Chicanos stood out because of these suits and people didn't like it. Many people, including servicemen, were upset. They viewed Zoot suits as an unpatriotic waste of resources. Chicanos were seen as thugs and delinquents and were targeted as the victims of violence and police brutality. On some occasions, police beat them with clubs and other weapons they could get their hands on. Even though they faced many obstacles, Chicanos never stopped fighting for their rights, particularly through their embrace of fashion as a form of expression. Because of this, fashion has been a long-lasting element associated with Chicanos expressing their culture.
Many of the clothes that Chicanos wore stayed popular throughout the early ‘90s and 2000s and some were even modernized. Throughout the movement’s history, Zoot suits, tapered trousers, bold lip liners and big hairstyles, to name a few, were very prominent. Now, we can see the movement’s influence through the use of lip liners, bandanas and hoops as key pieces.
Clothing and fashion helped Chicanos and Chicanas express themselves and support their identity as an example of the love and respect for the culture, traditions and the Chicano movement itself. From Zoot suits to straight-leg khaki pants, Chicano fashion has continuously evolved and caught the attention of many. Their fashion has helped inspire many of the trends we see today. It helps remind people of what they were fighting for and why they still fight.
Although they have continuously been targeted for their form of expression through clothing, Chicanos have never shied away from styling themselves as a form of protest and rebellion to those they are fighting against. Fashion has played a key role in El Movimiento and will continue to do so.
Overall, the goal of the Chicano Movement was to fight for the restoration of land grants, rights for farm workers, better education and the right to vote. El Moviemento also contributed to various aspects of society such as fashion, art and political and social issues. The outcomes of this movement have impacted more than just Chicanos— El Movimiento has shaped an entire generation.
