Being Chicano in America

The plight of the Hispanic citizen in the United States is difficult to characterize; a massive demographic that has made its home in an equally massive nation - every major US city today boasts an impressive and diverse Hispanic population. Nowhere is this more true than in Los Angeles and New York City, where Hispanic Americans number in the millions. But who are Hispanic Americans? To what degree have they assimilated to the broader “mainstream” American culture? How do they differ from one another? In major American cities, Hispanics have, by degrees, experienced a blend of alienation and acceptance. First, it must be understood that the broadly defined “Hispanic” or “Latino” label is itself a vast oversimplification. The US Census Bureau is the first to acknowledge that Hispanic Americans can belong to any of 13 distinct races (Cohen 88). Many people think that all Hispanic people are the same, but in actuality the term Hispanic refers to many different types of people. The term Hispanic American is not necessarily a precise linguistic description of this demographic group based on its economic, social, political and cultural diversity. Most Hispanic-Americans speak Spanish and originated from the same part of the hemisphere. Typically, most Hispanics came to America from Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Central America, and South America. . Most Mexicans come to the United States to earn higher wages and to support their families back in Mexico. Mexican Americans were treated inferiorly by Caucasian Americans until the late 1990s despite the 1848 Treaty of Guadeloupe Hidalgo which gave Mexican Americans the right to maintain their culture in the United States (Schaefer, 2006). Mexican American children were forced to attend segregated schools that lacked adequate supplies and educated teachers. This “de jure” school segregation lasted 1975 when the U.S. Supreme Court declared the segregation unconstitutional (Schaefer, 2006). Even after the school

References: Cohen, Andrew. “The US had a non-white majority…” WorldLink. July-August. 14 (4): 88-91. 2001. Corral, Oscar development, and education. New York: Academic. 189 pages. 0125772505. Location: Dallas SIL Library 371.97 R173c. Santiago-Rivera, A.L., Arrendondo, P., & Gallardo-Cooper, M. (2002). Counseling Latinos and la familian: A practical guide Schaefer, R. (2006). Hispanic Americans. Racial and Ethnic Groups, Tenth Edition. Retrieved from Axia College Course Materials: https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/classroom/ic/classroom.aspx Therrien, Melissa & Roberto Ramirez