USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -The term Tejano, derived from the Spanish adjective tejano or (feminine) tejana (and written in Spanish with a lower-case t), denotes a Texan of Mexican descent, thus a Mexican Texan or a Texas Mexican.

Detailed explanation-2: -Who are Tejanos? Tejanos are descendants of the Spaniards and Mestizos – Spanish, Native American, and other groups – so they are largely a mixed race people. As a group, they are identified as a Hispanic people. Texas history and the Southwest are very intricately linked to the Spanish colonial period.

Detailed explanation-3: -The first generations in Texas and later descendants were called, and called themselves, Spaniards, Mexicans, Tejanos, Texas Mexicans, and, in recent years, Hispanics, Latinos, Mexican Texans, Mexicanos, Mexican Americans, la Raza, Chicanos, and, again, Tejanos.

Detailed explanation-4: -The Spanish settlers in Texas lived in a small part of what they called “New Spain.” In the beginning, Tejanos were the older generations of people in Texas or descendants of these Spanish vecinos. At one point they actually used the word Tejano as a self-designation, or Tejana for women.