Abstract: This paper examines the historical and contemporary positioning of Chicano identity and its relationship to Indigenous identity in Mexico and the United States. Drawing on archival materials, historical narratives, oral history interviews and personal reflection, this paper investigates the emergence of an Indigenous-identifying Chicano identity within the Southwestern United States and specifically in Arizona. The paper focuses on the shift from assimilation into Anglo-American culture toward articulating a distinct ethnic and cultural identity within Chicanismo that includes identifying as Indigenous and including Indigenous cultural practices and ways of orienting identity as a major component of Chicanx identity today. By contextualizing Chicano identity within broader histories of the United States and Mexico, this paper highlights the specific processes of self‑determination and cultural reclamation that have facilitated this shifting identity. Ultimately, the research and narrative in the paper argues that understanding this historical and personal interplay within one’s own familial history is essential for appreciating current expressions and ideas of Chicano indigeneity. This research contributes to Chicano and Mexican American scholarship established by scholars such as Gloria Anzaldúa and Walter Mignolo and Tucson community members who have contributed their experiences to this research on ethnic identity by demonstrating how looking back enables Chicanos to move forward by forging a unique identity rooted in both resistance and resilience.