Chicano literature is an aspect of Mexican-American literature that emerged from the cultural consciousness developed in the Chicano Movement. Chicano literature formed out of the political and cultural struggle of Chicana/os to develop a political foundation and identity that rejected Anglo-American hegemony. This literature embraced the pre-Columbian roots of Mexican-Americans, especially those who identify as Chicana/os.

Chicano literature first emerged in the mid-1960s and is notable for its early embrace of Spanglish in published literature as well as its use of hybrid forms and styles. Chicana/o writers often include earlier published literature as residing within or as being a precursor to the tradition. In addition to prose, Chicano poetry and playwriting are included as forms of Chicano literature.

Chicano prose was established as a distinct literary tradition in the mid-1960s. José Antonio Villarreal’s Pocho (1959) is commonly cited as the first widespread Chicano novel. Poets and writers in the 1960s defined themselves in their own terms, different from the white Anglo-Saxon protestant gaze that, as written by Alurista, sought to "keep Mexicans in their place."

The first publishing house dedicated to Chicana/o writers was Quinto Sol, which was established in 1967 by Andres Ybarra, Nick Vaca, and Octavio Romano. Early works which became benchmark's in the field of Chicano literature were Tomás Rivera’s ...y no se lo trago la tierra (1971) and Rudolfo Anaya's Bless Me, Ultima (1972). Bless Me, Ultima used colloquial Spanglish in its linguistic form and inspired others to develop their own approach to Chicana/o themes. Anaya is sometimes cited as the 'father' of Chicano literature.

In a 1979 essay on Chicano literature, Arnulfo D. Trejo wrote that this literature was important in establishing a unique self-image for the Chicano: "the Chicano self-portrait is long overdue." Trejo outline six qualities of the Chicano novel or narrative fiction:

By these criteria, in 1977 he named the following works as examples of Chicano novels: Chicano (1970) by Richard Vasquez, Rivera's ...y no se lo trago la tierra (1971), (3) Anaya's Bless Me, Ultima (1972), and Peregrinos de Aztlán (1974) by Miguel Méndez. Aside from narrative fiction, other notable works included Abelardo Delgado's poetry in 25 Pieces of a Chicano Mind (1969), Oscar Zeta Acosta's autobiographies The Autobiography of a Brown Buffalo (1972) and The Revolt of the Cockroach People (1973). In 1977, Trejo acknowledged that there was an "omission of Chicano women in Chicano literature."

Chicana literature is a form of literature that has emerged from the Chicana Feminist movement. It aims to redefine Chicana archetypes, in an effort to provide positive models for Chicanas. Chicana writers redefine their relationships with what Gloria Anzaldúa has called "Las Tres Madres" of Mexican culture (i.e. Our Lady of Guadalupe, La Malinche, and La Llorona), by depicting them as feminist sources of strength and compassion.

According to the Encyclopedia of Race, Ethnicity and Society, "Chicana feminist writings helped to develop a discourse in opposition to the Eurocentric frameworks." Chicana writing grew out of Chicana feminism, through the feminist journals founded since the 1960s – one of which led to Norma Alarcón's Third Woman Press, the assertions of Chicana feminism in essays, and the portrayal of the gender crisis in the Chicano Movement in the poetry and fiction of Chicana authors.