Chicano is an identifying term for people of Mexican descent in the United States, and became popular during the rise of the Chicano Movement in the 1960's.  Chicano, previously used pejoratively, is now a term of empowerment for Mexican Americans, and thus, has helped many to break down psychological barriers built from they alienation and othering they experienced in the US.  Furthermore, the term "Chicana" has feminist connotations resulting from its use by Mexican women activists determined to raise political awareness for women's rights within the movement.  Today, Chicano/a's continue to face similar issues that they did in the 1900's, including poverty, crime, violence, poor health care access, lack of health insurance, underrepresentation in U.S. politics, and discrimination in schools.  Miguel E. Gallardo, writer for Britannica, states that "the questions of what constitutes an American and what role American culture has in a new group of Nuevo Mexicanos—Chicana/os—are important ones. Within this social framework, we can begin to understand the psychological and social impact these perspectives have on the community. In particular, the manifestations of acculturative distress, ethnic identity confusion, and marginalization begin to take shape" (Gallardo).  He indicates that many who identify as Chicano/a straddle the line between Mexican and American---while Mexico may not be their homeland, due to the racism and prejudice they encounter daily in America, the United States does not feel like home either.

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In the Alma Backstage Guide from American Blues Theater, the following passage describes the movement in full: "the Chicano Movement was a social and political movement inspired by prior acts of resistance among people of Mexican descent that worked to embrace a Chicano/a identity and worldview that combated structural racism, encouraged cultural revitalization, and achieved community empowerment by rejecting assimilation.  The Chicano Movement was heavily influenced by and entwined with the Black Power movement, and both movements held similar objectives of community empowerment and liberation while also calling for Black-Brown unity. Leaders such as César Chávez, Reies Tijerina, and Rodolfo Gonzales learned strategies of resistance and worked with leaders of the Black Power movement.  Similar to the Black Power movement, the Chicano Movement experienced heavy state surveillance, infiltration, and repression from the U.S. government, which led to the decline of the movement by the mid-1970s" (Alma Backstage Guide).