The youth in the Chicano movement aimed to affirm a distinct Mexican American identity and push for political and social empowerment rather than blend into the dominant culture. They viewed assimilation as erasing language, culture, and community, and they organized around education, civil rights, and self-determination—often rejecting pressures to abandon their heritage in favor of mainstream norms. This stance is best captured by rejecting assimilation, since it reflects both the cultural pride and the active challenge to discriminatory norms that characterized Chicano youth activism, including efforts like bilingual education, Chicano studies, and community organizing. While some actions did involve cultural maintenance and addressing economic issues, those aims were part of a broader push for dignity, recognition, and self-direction. Embracing assimilation would contradict the movement’s emphasis on rejecting pressures to assimilate, and focusing solely on economic issues misses the cultural and political dimensions that defined youth activism in this movement.