Chicana/Chicano/Chicanx

use these terms for people who so label themselves. Some people of Mexican descent in the U.S. (the terms are inappropriate for Mexicans living in Mexico) prefer other words (Mexican American, Latina/Latino/Latinx, Hispanic). "For more than 100 years, they were Americans in name only.... Mexican Americans were denied the rights of other citizens, and many were stripped of their land. In the 1960s, a new generation of leaders came forward and fought for change. They called themselves Chicanos—an ancient Mexican word that describes the 'poorest of the poor.' But they wore the name with pride. They walked out of fields and demanded a fair wage. They walked out of schools and demanded better education. They formed a political party and demanded full citizenship" (Judith Michaelson, in Minneapolis' Star Tribune ). The terms Chicana/Chicano/Chicanx (always capitalized—note the recent unisex term) carry connotations of ethnic nationalism (Indian, African, and Spanish roots) and political activism, which means they are not popular with some older, more conservative Mexican Americans who want middle-class respectability and assimilation. Thus, "Mexican American" and "Chicana/Chicano/Chicanx" are not synonyms but are in fact mildly antithetical. Chicanas and Chicanos specifically reject the idea that they must deny their Mexican heritage in order to be "real" Americans. "Chicana/Chicano/Chicanx" is not used for other Spanish-language groups, for example, Puerto Rican Americans or Cuban Americans, and the popularity of the term varies across the U.S. See also Hispanic, Latina/Latino/Latinx, La Raza, mestiza/mestizo, Mexican American.