Cholo/Chola

The term Cholo (or the female Chola) is derived from early Spanish and Mexican usage and denotes racial or cultural marginalization. This Mexican American subculture originated in the barrio (neighborhood) street gangs of Southern California. Recently, some of its stylistic elements have been appropriated by pop stars and clothing manufacturers for consumption by the wider youth culture. Cholo style includes characteristic demeanor, clothing, makeup, speech patterns, hand signals, tattoos, and graffiti. Characteristics associated with choloization include low socioeconomic status, marginalized acculturation, problems in school, and the need for cultural support, protection, and a sense of belonging. Loyalty, honor, respect, and protection of territory are hallmark Cholo values that guide behavior and social organization. Locura (craziness), criminal activity, and fighting are accepted within the culture, and Cholos are at high risk for drug, alcohol, and tobacco use at an early age.

The forerunners of the Cholo tradition were the Pachucos, Mexican American adolescents who belonged to gangs between 1930 and 1950. Known as zoot suiters because of their style of dress–baggy, high-waisted trousers cuffed at the ankles; long, wide-shouldered sports coat; ducktail hairstyle; long decorative chains; and tattoos on the hands and arms–they are remembered for a 1943 confrontation in East Los Angeles known as the Zoot Suit Riots. Cholo slang, an amalgam of Spanish and English words, is called Calo, which was originally derived by Pachucos from the slang of Spanish gypsies.

Cholo gangs are loosely organized into age cohorts or cliques, called klikas. Most cliques are separated in age by two to three years, so that within a barrio there is a succession of cliques, which together make up a larger barrio unit of older and younger gang members. Wannabes are youngsters who emulate the gang style but are not yet members. As they prove their loyalty, they may be “jumped in” (initiated in) to a clique, usually between the ages of 10 and 14. Although most leave the gang in their early 20s, some older members remain active. Veteranos may serve as counselors and role models and are accorded considerable prestige.

A clique tends to have a unique behavioral and stylistic signature and may be known to specialize in particular activities, such as violence or drug use. Female cliques have become more prevalent in recent years and are structurally equivalent to male cliques. Cliques are a source of companionship, financial and emotional support, and physical protection.

Cholo culture finds myriad outlets for creative expression, including graffiti, tattoos, and customized “lowrider” cars. A prevalent form of Cholo graffiti is the placa or “hit-up.” A symbol of territorial street boundaries usually executed in Old English lettering, the placa states a gang's name, the clique name, and the names of the writer and his or her closest friends. Cholo tattoos also employ this style of writing, often on the neck or face. Other common tattoos include praying hands, teardrops, and hand tattoos signifying specific criminal activities. Lowriders are of two basic types: immaculate restorations of 1930s- and 1940s-era family cars, and later-model cars that have been restyled with elegant upholstery, paint, chrome- and gold-plated undercarriage, elaborate sound systems, and hydraulic suspension that permits individual wheels to be raised from the ground while the car is in motion.

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