Background on the Chicano Wave

As citizens of the United States, one of the social movements that we learn and speak the least about is the Mexican Civil Rights Movement. The Mexican Social Rights Movement included a variety of social issues- from the possession and restoration of land, the rights of farm workers, equal education to voting and political rights. To read more about the History of the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement or to watch Chicano! A History of the Mexican Civil Rights Movement a four part documentary click here.
The word "Chicano" refers to Mexicans who grew up in the United States. This word is now associated with ethnic pride. However it was not always used in that way, it was once used as a demeaning, derogatory word. The Chicano wave brought about a sense of ethnic pride for Mexican Americans. From the late 1950's through the 1970s, Mexican Americans in California, Texas, and the Southwest started to create their own musical voice in the United States. Much of the music created during this time was expressive of the events of the Mexican Civil Rights Movement. During this time period, Latin pop became a huge phenomenon in the US.