Cholo, or chola, is a term that can evoke negative connotations and stereotypes about Latinos and their cultures. However, there is a historical and cultural complexity to this term, as it often portrays cholos and cholas as criminals or gang members, perpetuating negative perceptions and creating a distorted image of the community. Cholos have turned layering into an art form, mixing slim and baggy pieces like tank tops under open flannels under a puffy jacket.
Cholos are members of a Chicano and Latino subculture or lifestyle associated with a particular set of dress, behavior, and worldview that originated in Los Angeles. Bandanas are often chosen in bold colors such as red, blue, black, or white, sometimes symbolizing neighborhood affiliations and identification. To embrace the cholo stance and exude authentic vibes, there are several tips to help you nail the look.
The history of Cholos can be traced back to the 1940s and 1950s in the Mexican-American neighborhoods of Los Angeles. At that time, many young Mexicans grew up around cholo culture and enjoyed participating in it. The video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories features a street gang called the Cholos who resemble the stereotypical gangster image of a Cholo.
Cholo fashion, as we know it today, crystallized in Los Angeles among first and second-generation Mexican Americans. A mix of workwear and clothing has become a part of the cholo culture, and respect for cholocouture and Cholo Couture is essential for promoting understanding and respect for Latinos and their cultures.
📹 My opinion on white people that dress like cholos/cholas
… is how I feel when white people dress like cholos or cholas. Subscribe to my cooking channel https://youtu.be/yENV9IynFlQ …
📹 Dressing as a cholo to get my uncles reaction
Alright I decided to find some other peoples response to white people dressing in that Chicano style. I am personally white. Not gonna sugar coat it. And not to bash on the white people but i am pretty embarrassed to be white. I respect the chicanos with my whole heart. Im not racist I respect all cultures but I prefer the chicano style a hell of a lot more then white style. Like i said, im not tryna impersonate anyone, but i do wear clothes more like the chicano style because thats what I respect the most. Its a way of life and even though i have white skin, I respect the chicano culture more. Nothin but love and respect🤙🏽
Italian/Scottish heritage, don’t try to be anything else. Grew up in Cali and have over the years seen how people take different styles and image to change everything about themselves even if its in poor taste or completely fake. I noticed it more while I was living in Oregon for a while, random dudes at bars or car/bike shows would see me in ben davis gear and start rattling off their best vato loco impression. If they grew up in that life and they get down like that than cool, no prob. But for the majority, Dressing comfortable and slick when you grew up in hotrod-customs-Cali culture is much different than someone speaking with a Chicano accent when they’re first language was English. That’s just my personal view on it, something about another white dude rollin up like “hey whatup holmes” I just have the urge to say check it out bro I love you, but pump the f*ckin brakes before someone shows you what you did wrong
People are too hung up on this whole “appropriating other cultures” thing. If you like to wear, make / eat, listen to things from “other cultures”, what’s the problem? It’s not the same thing as falsely claiming to be a MEMBER of another race or culture. I’m an Italian – American who’s been a HUGE Selena fan for going on 23 years.Does the fact that I listen to her music every day mean I’m trying to “appropriate the culture of Mexican – Americans”? I just have good taste in music, that’s all. People should be allowed to enjoy what they enjoy. It’s not a big deal.
Ok so I’m just gonna say this up front. I’m adopted and have no idea what my culture is periodt. But my mama (the one who adopted me, thanks mama ♥️) is quarter Puerto Rican. And she doesn’t really celebrate her culture to much, but I think it’s the best culture out there. I live every part about it and I do incorporate it in my life a lot (especially with my looks.) I’m not trying to make people think I’m Puerto Rican or Latina, I just have always liked the culture and it’s what makes me happy. And if I am doing this out of pure respect and but from Latin/Mexican/everything Latino business, then I think people should just let me live my life. All the respect to my Puerto Rican’s out there btw ✌️🙏 All the respect to you.
i loved this article bc you didn’t show hate or nothing, you just gave your honest opinion & you didn’t come for nobody in a negative way. you kept it real & let the ppl know that it is possible that you could get pressed for dressing a certain way. i’m white but grew up around Mexicans my whole life & even lived that life/cultura & i speak spanish fluently. my son is first generation Mexican American. his dad is from Guerrero & crosses over when he was 5. it’s important to me that his son knows his identity & is aware of his indigenous roots but also that he is an American so i keep Chicano/Mexican culture alive in our household for my son & also for myself. on the other hand, it makes sense when ppl get offended when white ppl use Chicano culture as a costume bc it’s definitely NOT a costume. it’s a way of life. it’s our cultura. i guess the only thing that bothers me is if someone says something to me about the way i dress, which really i don’t dress “muy tumbada” como dice mi suegra. 😹 but like there’s white ppl who grew up around this kinda stuff & it’s just what we know ya know.
Im half irish half mexican, I look hella white though. Im billingual . But I have freckles and hazel eyes lol. My momma is a shade of brown, my dad is white as paper. I dress more chicana style, growing up in LA. Sure, some people have argued with me because of how white I look, dressed like this But Im half mexican and hella proud of it. People should be able to wear whatever they like, as long as they arent disrespectful. I dont care what race or group dresses chicano or chicana as long as they arent disrespectful to the culture attached to it
for me it comes down to acknowledgement because this is how it is for black people too. white people, not all, but most like to act or dress like some sort of character whether it be from black or brown culture but they act like they aren’t and that’s the problem i have. there would be less issues if they could say something like yea im really into this culture and i like this style, im genuinely into it. stuff like that.
I love Chola style so much. I didn’t know that’s what it was called, or that it was attached to someone else’s culture, and when I was a teenager I adopted a lot of things from Chola style just from seeing them in movies and TV. I shaved my eyebrows off and drew them on, but my makeup was more goth than Chola. I used to buy cheap hair shop clip on ponytails so I could have really long black pigtails, with a bandana and little spit curls, always giant hoop earrings, lots of chains and rings, crazy long acrylic nails, wife beaters, and hoodies with those giant Tripp pants from Hottopic, and converse. Kids in my school used to make fun and call me “ghetto goth”. Anyway. I didn’t know what appropriation was, so I guess I wasn’t doing it out of anything negative, but now that I know that a lot of people find it offensive I don’t even wanna wear a bandana, or hoops, let alone all at one time, but I do really appreciate the style. I love the mix of feminine and masculine, the pretty hair and makeup, with more masculine clothing.
I don’t understand this thing. What’s with the drama about how people dresses. Anyone can dress how they like. Honestly where I’m from this is not a problem, there’s no what you Americans call culturales appropriation. People don’t get angry at what you wear. I’m not saying there is not racism, but it’s not that big of a deal. I mean you friggin Americans divide people into races, Hispanics and what not. Where I’m from there’s not that. Iean yes there is racism toward people with pigment and usually people that you call whites do get more privileges. But is not like in the US. You are crazy dividing people like that. I remember we had a test. It came I think from the US. And there was this question what race are you. I am not kidding I was like what the fu*k? What do you mean what race I am? The human race obviously. And I was not the only one, my whole class was like the fu*k with this. We have to ask our teacher what to put. Because we didn’t. Never in our education have they told us, oh you are this. There was no distinction. It’s crazy. And I get in YouTube years later and what do I find. People from the US get stingy about race and what you wear. I was baffled. Sure there was joke oh your skin color is brown or is dark. But it was never racist. It was just their pigmentation was darker.
If you go to Guadalajara, Mexico, most of the people their have Blonde hair and Blue/Green eye balls. Red Hair boxer Canelo Alvarez is from there. Guatemala has a huge German population. If you were born before the 90’s, look at your Birth Certificate. It’ll say “Whitey” or “Caucasian” The next ? is, why does it say that?
She nails this, I grew up in national city, only white boy in the neighborhood I was like 1 of 10 (not exaggerating) at my school. bunch of kids banged and yeah sometimes white boys and sometimes black guys too. When you grow up somewhere like that you’re gonna associate with some gang bangers. If you dress hard you’re gonna get banged on. As far as the lingo and the accent, I still say “like” all cholo I can’t even help it. This girl is real as fuck she’s knows what’s up. You can leave the hood but somethings never leave you .
I’ve never understood it, but different strokes for different folks. I’m not one to be a culture vulture. I mean I appreciate other cultures but I will never try and be something I’m not. The closest I’ve ever been is doing Salsa in Miami lol……some people do be extra tho; I’ve seen people try to act so hood when in reality their ass don’t wanna be black at the end of the day. Stop it. Like they just wanna be cool 🤣🤣 Happy NY bird!
Mi papa is half gringo on his mamas side and Mexican on his padres side but mi papa’s piel is white and doesn’t look Mexican mi mama es Mexicano, Ella es de Ensenada en Baja California. But I honestly I look like a pinche wedo a white boy. I look exactly my dad I don’t know how this biology works but my older hermanos have mi mamas skin, mi abuela y mama taught both of them espanol but never me and so I grew up white washed looking like a white boy and all my primos y primas y hermanos made fun of me all the time lol I have learned on my own now and am very into my peoples culture I think i am considered a pocho not a Chicano because I me and my older peothers are first generation immigrants pero since I still look like a white people think and sometimes even call me white and I don’t show it but it honestly makes me pretty mad sometimes idk 😐 but yeah
I dressed like a chola and didn’t even know it was my shit and then I watched blood in blood out and I was like Wut? This was before I realized Mexican isn’t a race, we aren’t all Spanish and most of us are more indigenous than Conquistador. Now I’m officially Mexican, I can dress like a chola and nobody can call me racist. Gwen Stefani cannot dress like a chola with a bindi because no. We’re NDN’s feather not dot. It really makes me wonder if you’re born a chola. Like it’s in you DNA because all the things I’ve loved since I was little has all been stereotypically “Mexican” I was websiteing my Chola Goth when I was 10, only to find out as a whole ass adult that my family are indigenous peoples of the country currently known as Mexico.
I am a whiteboy from NYC into street fashion now living in SD for 7 years. Doesn’t matter from what genre. I go punk/hip hop/Italian and blend it all into one style…MY STYLE. Lived in Tijuana for 5 years and mixed well with the local crowd. I wear a Toros and Xolos gear with pride because I love TJ and the joy it gives me in when I visit in many different aspects. I brought some of that Ben Davis and Dickies style with me to NYC in the early 90’s. Only skinheads wore dickies then. Personally I think The Cholo/Italian from Brooklyn look looks good together …East/West blended. Anyway I do my own thing. but I have many inspirations. You guys button the top button with a flannel. I do a crispy white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up from JC Penney with 3 buttons in the middle and the last open like a guayabera and I will hit that shit with some $$$$$ high end 5th ave premium cologne. I don’t wear LOCS but I do own Tom Ford square glasses. Art imitates art. Congratulations for creating happiness for other people and fomenting your place in history . You know you hit GOLD when the kids in Japan are rocking your shit ! A HUEVO