You will encounter the terms "Chicano(s)" or "Chicana(s)", "Latino(s)" or "Latina(s)", "Hispanic(s)" or "Hispanic American(s)" and "Mexican American(s)" in different websites, online catalogs and databases.
Regardless of which terms you prefer, it may be necessary for you to try all of them to find the resources you need. A keyword search can help to determine which terms have been used in the database you are trying to use.
In those databases with a controlled list of vocabulary, "Chicano" or "Chicana" will rarely be the term selected. Instead "Mexican American" or even "Hispanic American" will probably be the preferred term, but sometimes Latino and Latina is used.
U.S. government websites have traditionally used the term "Hispanic American" in their reporting, but recently, the Census Bureau allowed people to self select the terms used to identity their ethnicity in the 2000 Census. Most government agencies have begun to use some of these other terms.
(Please note that many of the resources in this guide will contain content that can be triggering, upsetting or offensive for some individuals. These resources may possibly use offensive terms, descriptions and images of but not limited to: violence, murder, abuse, sexual assault, torture and colonialism)
This work by the Reed College Library is licensed under a Creative Commons CC-BY Attribution 4.0 International License.
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