T
HIS IS PERSONAL-Pachuco refers to a particular old school subculture of Hispanic and Latino Americans associated with zoot suits, street gangs, nightlife, and flamboyant public behavior in an attempt to look and feel like a mafia bosses of the Chicago gangster era. The idea of the pachuco – a zoot-suited, well-dressed, street-connected flamboyant playboy of Hispanic/Latino heritage – originated in El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, and moved westward, following the line of migration of Mexican railroad workers ("traqueros") into Los Angeles, where it developed further.
Statue of the Mexican actor Germán Valdés better known as Tin Tan Pachucos called their slang Caló (sometimes called "pachuquismo"), a unique argot that drew on the original Spanish Gypsy Caló, Mexican Spanish, the New Mexican dialect of Spanish, and American English, employing words and phrases creatively applied.
To a large extent, Caló went mainstream and is one of the last surviving vestiges of the Pachuco, often used in the lexicon of some urban Latinos in the United States to this day. The influence of Valdés is responsible for the assimilation of several Caló terms into Mexican slang.
As a kid in the ghetto we took on the pachucos from East LA, the dandies from Hollywood, and the surfers from Santa Monica. However, when we put on the uniform we all stood as one. Now whenever we go to El Cholo restaurant we sit together as one and reminisce about the good times.
In 1922 Alejandro Borquez pushed back from the dinner table and says to his young bride Rosa, “You are such a good cook we should open a restaurant.”
In 1925 a guest wanders in for dinner and while waiting draws a picture of a man and calls him “El Cholo.” In those days it was the name given to field hands.
{module [862]}
{module [662]}
The minute you enter the restaurant you know it is special. This has to be the closest Los Angeles comes to a Parisian restaurant including the tiles floor and the sun splashed patio.
You usually start off with albondigas soup and a small guacamole salad. This is followed by whatever but the main thing is the guests. During the entire time we all laugh and tell jokes about that pain in the ass drill sergeant during boot camp. We have even invited the sergeant as a guest.
Finally you chase everything with desert of flan and a glass of margarita and as you leave you wonder when we will get together again.
Adios, and que le pasa bien!
(Kay Martin is an author and a CityWatch contributor. His new book, Along for the Ride, is now available. He can be reached at [email protected] This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. )
-cw
CityWatch
Vol 12 Issue 87
Pub: Oct 28, 2014
