The chicano movement: dead or alive?  (Page 10/11)

Those not of Mexican ancestry resented being identified and labeled as Mexicans. They wanted their own identity, usually their nationality. But in the U.S. English-speaking, White hegemonic environment, a separate national identity is not acceptable. Race is a national fixation. Those not White compete for social space between Whites and Blacks. Latinos as hybrids are perceived both racially by phenotypic attributes and by national origin by Whites and Blacks. Under these circumstances the self-descriptive terms of Chicano and Mexicano lost favor to the U.S. government sponsored label of Hispanics. Hispanic became the official name for the Panethnic group of Spanish speakers in the U.S. Those in opposition to the term Hispanic with its clear nexus to Spain opted to call themselves Latinos. Spanish language media, print and electronic, in hopes of increased market share have also chosen to use either or both Hispanic and Latino for group labels, dropping any reference to national origin. These new arrivals were neither invited nor recruited to join existing Chicano organizations. The CM was a social movement of the past, 30 years past at the turn of the century. The word Chicano is only used by those that still identify with the term and by organizations that have refused a name change, such as the Te Chicanos Por La Causa in Phoenix, Arizona.

21st century politics: is the chicano movement dead or alive?

Mexicanos and Latinos became the largest ethnic minority group in the U.S. in the first few years of the 21 stcentury, surpassing African-Americans. The geographic spread of Mexicanos and Latinos is national. The fastest growing areas of population growth are Southeastern states such as Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, and Florida. More importantly, within the Hispanic population enumerated in 2000 there are more persons under the age of 18 than over the age of 55. Those born less than 35 years ago were not present during any aspect of the Chicano Movement. Additionally, there are more foreign-born persons in the Mexicano and Latino communities than native-born persons. The foreign born, regardless of age, were not present to witness or participate in any event of the Chicano Movement. In other words, the majority of present-day Mexicanosand Latinos are disconnected from the history, leadership, and contributions made by Chicanos 35 years ago now in 2005. To many of these persons, the Chicano Movement is a historical footnote, if at all, to their present day concerns of daily life.

The “famous four” Chicano leaders are dead, dying, or not in an active leadership role. Chavez died in 1993. Gonzales died in 2005. Tijerina is very ill in Uruapan, Michoacan, Mexicowith no plans to return to the U.S. I am not as active as I once was, nor am I affiliated with any national organization. Followers and supporters of the CM are also graying, ill, and dying. The generation is coming to an end.

The ideas and contributions of the Chicano generation with their nationalist SM and efforts at nation building however will remain alive for decades to come. Chicano authors and others have memorialized that era in textbooks and curriculum. That Hispanics or Latinos will revive this SM or a similar effort remains to be seen. At present, neither Hispanics nor Latinos have produced any substantial SM of their own or built an organization. The only discernible contribution has been to change the name of organizations from Chicano to Hispanic or Latino. The other major transformation occurrence is the gender gap developing among Latinos and Latinas in educational attainment in the U.S., as in most of the industrialized world, Spain included. Basically, Latinas are out performing and out distancing their male counterparts in educational achievement at all levels, from high school to professional degrees. At this pace, Latinas will become the breadwinners, leaders, political figures, and professionals in the community. The specter of a reversal in roles from patriarchy to matriarchy within three to four decades is visible from this distance. The literature on the gender gap is growing because this phenomenon applies to white, black and brown women with Asians and Indians not far behind. See Michelle Conlin, “The Gender Gap,” Business Week, May 26, 203, pps. 75-84. The destiny of Chicanos, Mexicanos, Hispanics, and Latinos in the U.S., as in other parts of the globe, will be in the hands of females in the years ahead. Perhaps, the women that take the leadership mantle in the U.S. will produce a Chicano-like generation that will paint the White House brown and become the governors and not allow being the governed evermore.