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Pachuco


Pachuco refers to a particular old school subculture of Chicanos and Mexican-Americans associated with zoot suits, street gangs, nightlife, and flamboyant public behavior. 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, had moved north, following the line of migration of Mexican railroad workers ("traqueros") into Los Angeles, where it developed further.

A pachuca is the female counterpart, often idealized as a beautiful Chicana woman in extravagant evening dress or a female version of the zoot suit, out with a pachuco boyfriend for a night on the town. Pachucas broke taboos of their time by wearing men's-style pants sometimes and appearing in public often with their pachuco boyfriends; at the time, a "good woman" was considered to have her place in the home. They defied male/female stereotypes and roles in Mexican-American culture in much the same way flappers had in European-American culture in the 1920s.

The origin of the term "pachuco" is uncertain, but one theory connects it to the city of El Paso, Texas, which was sometimes referred to as "Chuco Town" or "El Chuco." People migrating to El Paso would say, in Spanish, that they were going "pa' El Chuco." These migrants became known as pachucos.

The name "Pachuco" is quite possibly derived from the name of the city of Pachuca, the capital of Mexico's Hidalgo state. There have long been migrants from Hidalgo state living in Texas.

Another theory says that the word derives from pocho, a derogatory term for a Mexican born in the United States who has lost touch with the Mexican culture. The word is also said to mean "punk" or "troublemaker". Yet another theory is put forth by author Laura L. Cummings who postulates a possible indigenous origin of the term. The founder of the "Pachuco" subculture was a Mexican comedian and film actor named German Valdés better-known by his Artistic name "Tin-Tan". He introduced the Pachuco dress and slang throughout his Golden age-era films.


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