Caló (Chicano)
Encyclopedia
Caló is an argot
or slang of Mexican Spanish
which originated during the first half of the 20th century in the Southwestern United States
. It is the product of zoot-suit
pachuco
culture.
:
He goes on to describe the speech of his father, a native El Pasoan
:
The Caló of El Paso was probably influenced by the wordplay common to the speech of residents of the Tepito
barrio
of Mexico City
. One such resident was the comic film actor Germán Valdés
, a native of Mexico City who grew up in Ciudad Juárez
(just across the US-Mexico border from El Paso), whose films did much to popularize the language in Mexico and the United States.
of the 1960s as Chicanos began to enter U.S. universities and become exposed to counterculture and psychedelia. Caló words and expressions became cultural symbols of the Chicano Movement
during the 1960s and 1970s, when they were used frequently in literature and poetry. Such language was sometimes known as floricanto. Caló enjoyed mainstream exposure when the character "Cheech", played by Cheech Marin
used Caló in the Cheech and Chong
movies of the 1970s.
By the 1970s, the term Pachuco was frequently shortened to "'Chuco". The Pachuco originated from El Paso
, Texas
, which was the root of the city's nickname, "Chuco Town". Pachucos usually dressed in zoot suits with wallet chains, round hats with feathers and were Chicanos.
Caló is not to be confused with Spanglish
, which is not limited to Mexican Spanish. It is similar to lunfardo
in that it has an eclectic and multilingual vocabulary.
. Unlike Spanglish, Caló uses rhyming and in some cases, a type of rhyming slang similar in Spanish to Cockney rhyming slang
or African American
Jive.
s pronounced similarly in Spanish: c/s, w/hu/gu, r/d, and b/v. It is common to see the word "Barrio" (Neighborhood) spelled as "Varrio", "Vato" (Dude) spelled as "Bato" or "Güero" (Blond person) spelled as "Huero" or even "Weddo". The translations should not be taken literally: in the examples below, one finds Spanish equivalents to English phrases like "See you later alligator.", "No way Jose.", etc..
¿Si ya sábanas, paquetes hilo? or Si ya Sabanas, pa' que cobijas : (literally "If already sheets, packages thread?/covers what for") ¿Si ya sabes, pa(ra) qué te digo? meaning "If you already know, then why am I telling you?"
Occasionally English is spoken with Spanish syntax. When speaking to a sibling or family member about parents, for example, a Caló speaker will refer to them as "My Mother" (Mi Mamá) instead of "Mom" or "Our mother". This is a similar phenomenon to the Yinglish
phrase "I want you should...".
Rhyming is sometimes used by itself and for emphasis.
Common phrases include:
¿Me comprendes, Méndez? : "Do you understand, Méndez?"
¿O te explico, Federico? : "Or do I explain it to you, Federico?"
Nel, pastel : literally "Nay, Cake", meaning "No way"
Al rato, vato : "later dude"; "al rato = later (lit. 'a while', from "al rato nos vemos" - see you in a while) / vato = friend or guy"
Me esperas, a comer peras? : literally "will you wait for me to eat pears?- "Will you wait for me?"
¿Qué te pasa, calabaza? : Whats going on? Literally, "What happens to you, squash?"
Nada Nada, Limonada : Not much. Literally, "Nothing, nothing, lemonade" (Answer to the above).
Argot
An Argot is a secret language used by various groups—including, but not limited to, thieves and other criminals—to prevent outsiders from understanding their conversations. The term argot is also used to refer to the informal specialized vocabulary from a particular field of study, hobby, job,...
or slang of Mexican Spanish
Mexican Spanish
Mexican Spanish is a version of the Spanish language, as spoken in Mexico and in various places of Canada and the United States of America, where there are communities of Mexican origin....
which originated during the first half of the 20th century in the Southwestern United States
Southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...
. It is the product of zoot-suit
Zoot suit
A zoot suit is a suit with high-waisted, wide-legged, tight-cuffed, pegged trousers, and a long coat with wide lapels and wide padded shoulders. This style of clothing was popularized by African Americans, Mexican-Americans, and Italian Americans during the late 1930s and the 1940s...
pachuco
Pachuco
Pachucos are Chicano youths who developed their own subculture during the 1930s and 1940s in the Southwestern United States. They wore distinctive clothing and spoke their own dialect of Mexican Spanish, called Caló or Pachuco...
culture.
Origin
According to Chicano artist and writer José Antonio BurciagaJosé Antonio Burciaga
José Antonio "Tony" Burciaga was a Chicano artist, poet, and writer who explored issues of Chicano identity and American society.-Early life:...
:
"Caló originally defined the SpanishSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
gypsy dialect. But Chicano Caló is the combination of a few basic influences: Hispanicized EnglishEnglish languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
; Anglicized SpanishSpanish languageSpanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
; and the use of archaic 15th-century Spanish words such as truje for traje (brought, past tense of verb 'to bring'), or haiga, for haya (from haber, to have). These words were left in isolated pockets of Northern New Mexico and the Southwest, especially New MexicoNew MexicoNew Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, by conquistadores españoles."
He goes on to describe the speech of his father, a native El Pasoan
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
:
"My father had a vocabulary of Spanish words that to this day are not found in popular Spanish language dictionaries. He was born into a poor, migrant farm working family in a community of people that still used ancient words that some found improper and backwards but are to be found in Miguel CervantezMiguel de CervantesMiguel de Cervantes Saavedra was a Spanish novelist, poet, and playwright. His magnum opus, Don Quixote, considered the first modern novel, is a classic of Western literature, and is regarded amongst the best works of fiction ever written...
's [sic] classic Don Quixote. My father commonly used words such as minjurne for mixture, or cachibaches (also used in Cuban Spanish) for junk. I would hear them without knowing their definition but I knew exactly what he meant when talking within a specific context. Some words were archaic, others were a combination of English and Spanish. And though he knew "standard" Spanish of "educated" people, he also worked, lived, laughed and cried with words that were more expressive and indigenous to the border than standard Spanish."
The Caló of El Paso was probably influenced by the wordplay common to the speech of residents of the Tepito
Tepito
Tepito is a barrio located in Colonia Morelos in the Cuauhtémoc borough of Mexico City bordered by Avenida del Trabajo, Paseo de la Reforma, Eje 1 and Eje 2. Most of the neighborhood is taken up by the colorful tianguis or open-air market. Tepito’s economy has been linked to tianguis or traditional...
barrio
Barrio
Barrio is a Spanish word meaning district or neighborhood.-Usage:In its formal usage in English, barrios are generally considered cohesive places, sharing, for example, a church and traditions such as feast days...
of Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
. One such resident was the comic film actor Germán Valdés
Germán Valdés
Germán Genaro Cipriano Gomez Valdés Castillo , better known as Tin-Tan, was an actor, singer and comedian who was born in Mexico City but was raised and began his career in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua. He often displayed the pachuco dress and employed pachuco slang in many of his movies, some with his...
, a native of Mexico City who grew up in Ciudad Juárez
Ciudad Juárez
Ciudad Juárez , officially known today as Heroica Ciudad Juárez, but abbreviated Juárez and formerly known as El Paso del Norte, is a city and seat of the municipality of Juárez in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. Juárez's estimated population is 1.5 million people. The city lies on the Rio Grande...
(just across the US-Mexico border from El Paso), whose films did much to popularize the language in Mexico and the United States.
Development
Caló has evolved in every decade since the 1940-1950s. It underwent much change during the Chicano MovementChicano Movement
The Chicano Movement of the 1960s, also called the Chicano Civil Rights Movement, also known as El Movimiento, is an extension of the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement which began in the 1940s with the stated goal of achieving Mexican American empowerment.-Origins:The Chicano Movement...
of the 1960s as Chicanos began to enter U.S. universities and become exposed to counterculture and psychedelia. Caló words and expressions became cultural symbols of the Chicano Movement
Chicano Movement
The Chicano Movement of the 1960s, also called the Chicano Civil Rights Movement, also known as El Movimiento, is an extension of the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement which began in the 1940s with the stated goal of achieving Mexican American empowerment.-Origins:The Chicano Movement...
during the 1960s and 1970s, when they were used frequently in literature and poetry. Such language was sometimes known as floricanto. Caló enjoyed mainstream exposure when the character "Cheech", played by Cheech Marin
Cheech Marin
Richard Anthony "Cheech" Marin is an American comedian, actor and writer who gained recognition as part of the comedy act Cheech & Chong during the 1970s and early 1980s, and as Don Johnson's partner, Insp. Joe Dominguez on Nash Bridges...
used Caló in the Cheech and Chong
Cheech and Chong
Cheech & Chong are a comedy duo consisting of Richard "Cheech" Marin and Tommy Chong, who found a wide audience in the 1970s and 1980s for their films and stand-up routines, which were based on the hippie and free love era, and especially drug culture movements, most notably their love for...
movies of the 1970s.
By the 1970s, the term Pachuco was frequently shortened to "'Chuco". The Pachuco originated from El Paso
El Paso
El Paso, a city in the U.S. state of Texas, on the border with Mexico.El Paso may also refer to:-Geography:Colombia:* El Paso, CesarSpain:*El Paso, Santa Cruz de TenerifeUnited States:...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, which was the root of the city's nickname, "Chuco Town". Pachucos usually dressed in zoot suits with wallet chains, round hats with feathers and were Chicanos.
Caló is not to be confused with Spanglish
Spanglish
.Spanglish refers to the blend of Spanish and English, in the speech of people who speak parts of two languages, or whose normal language is different from that of the country where they live. The Hispanic population of the United States and the British population in Argentina use varieties of...
, which is not limited to Mexican Spanish. It is similar to lunfardo
Lunfardo
Lunfardo is a dialect originated and developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in the lower classes in Buenos Aires and the surrounding Gran Buenos Aires, and from there spread to other cities nearby, such as Rosario and Montevideo, cities with similar socio-cultural situations...
in that it has an eclectic and multilingual vocabulary.
Features
Caló, like Spanglish, makes heavy use of Code-switchingCode-switching
In linguistics, code-switching is the concurrent use of more than one language, or language variety, in conversation. Multilinguals—people who speak more than one language—sometimes use elements of multiple languages in conversing with each other...
. Unlike Spanglish, Caló uses rhyming and in some cases, a type of rhyming slang similar in Spanish to Cockney rhyming slang
Cockney rhyming slang
Rhyming slang is a form of phrase construction in the English language and is especially prevalent in dialectal British English from the East End of London; hence the alternative name, Cockney rhyming slang...
or African American
African American Vernacular English
African American Vernacular English —also called African American English; less precisely Black English, Black Vernacular, Black English Vernacular , or Black Vernacular English —is an African American variety of American English...
Jive.
Examples
Since Caló is primarily spoken by individuals with varying formal knowledge of Spanish or English, variations occur in words, especially of phonemePhoneme
In a language or dialect, a phoneme is the smallest segmental unit of sound employed to form meaningful contrasts between utterances....
s pronounced similarly in Spanish: c/s, w/hu/gu, r/d, and b/v. It is common to see the word "Barrio" (Neighborhood) spelled as "Varrio", "Vato" (Dude) spelled as "Bato" or "Güero" (Blond person) spelled as "Huero" or even "Weddo". The translations should not be taken literally: in the examples below, one finds Spanish equivalents to English phrases like "See you later alligator.", "No way Jose.", etc..
Usage
¿Qué Pasiones? : (literally "What Passions") ¿Qué Pasa? meaning "What is going on?"¿Si ya sábanas, paquetes hilo? or Si ya Sabanas, pa' que cobijas : (literally "If already sheets, packages thread?/covers what for") ¿Si ya sabes, pa(ra) qué te digo? meaning "If you already know, then why am I telling you?"
Occasionally English is spoken with Spanish syntax. When speaking to a sibling or family member about parents, for example, a Caló speaker will refer to them as "My Mother" (Mi Mamá) instead of "Mom" or "Our mother". This is a similar phenomenon to the Yinglish
Yinglish
Yinglish words are neologisms created by speakers of Yiddish in English-speaking countries, sometimes to describe things that were uncommon in the old country...
phrase "I want you should...".
Rhyming is sometimes used by itself and for emphasis.
Common phrases include:
¿Me comprendes, Méndez? : "Do you understand, Méndez?"
¿O te explico, Federico? : "Or do I explain it to you, Federico?"
Nel, pastel : literally "Nay, Cake", meaning "No way"
Al rato, vato : "later dude"; "al rato = later (lit. 'a while', from "al rato nos vemos" - see you in a while) / vato = friend or guy"
Me esperas, a comer peras? : literally "will you wait for me to eat pears?- "Will you wait for me?"
¿Qué te pasa, calabaza? : Whats going on? Literally, "What happens to you, squash?"
Nada Nada, Limonada : Not much. Literally, "Nothing, nothing, lemonade" (Answer to the above).
Caló in popular culture
- American MeAmerican MeAmerican Me is a 1992 biographical crime drama film produced and directed by Edward James Olmos, his first film as a director, and written by Floyd Mutrux and Desmond Nakano. Olmos also stars as the film's protagonist, Montoya Santana...
- Aztlan UndergroundAztlan UndergroundAztlan Underground is a fusion band from Los Angeles. Since early 1989, Aztlan Underground has played Rapcore. Indigenous drums, flutes, and rattles are commonplace in its musical compositions....
- AkwidAkwidAkwid is an American hip hop group combining hip hop-style vocals with regional Mexican music. An earlier incarnation of the group was known as Juvenile Style...
- Cheech and ChongCheech and ChongCheech & Chong are a comedy duo consisting of Richard "Cheech" Marin and Tommy Chong, who found a wide audience in the 1970s and 1980s for their films and stand-up routines, which were based on the hippie and free love era, and especially drug culture movements, most notably their love for...
- Culture ClashCulture ClashCulture Clash may refer to:* Culture Clash , American performance troupe* Culture Clash , British band which plays Harare Jit music...
- Don TostiDon TostiDonTosti was an American musician and composer.Born in El Paso, Texas, Tosti forged a career spanning several decades and styles, from classical to jazz and rhythm and blues. He was best remembered for his Pachuco-style compositions like the hit "Pachuco Boogie"...
- Edward James OlmosEdward James OlmosEdward James Olmos is an American actor and director. Among his most memorable roles are William Adama in the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica, Lt...
- George Lopez (TV series)George Lopez (TV series)"The George Lopez Show" redirects here. For the late-night program hosted by the same comedian, see Lopez Tonight.George Lopez is an American sitcom starring comedian George Lopez...
- Harsh TimesHarsh TimesHarsh Times is a 2006 American crime film set in South Los Angeles. The film stars Christian Bale and Freddy Rodriguez, and was written and directed by David Ayer, who wrote the script for the Academy Award-winning film Training Day. The film was distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and...
- HomiesHomiesHomies are a series of 2-inch figurines loosely based upon Chicano characters in the life of artist David Gonzales. First created in 1998, these plastic figurines were initially sold via vending machines typically positioned in supermarkets, mainly in International marts. Homies have become a...
- Frost - Chicano rap artist whose song "La Raza" uses Caló
- Lalo GuerreroLalo GuerreroEduardo "Lalo" Guerrero , was a Mexican-American guitarist, singer and farm labor activist best known for his strong influence on today's Latin musical artists.-Life Summary:...
- Pachuco swing musician - Lowrider MagazineLowrider MagazineLowrider Magazine is a monthly magazine about cars, focusing almost exclusively on the style known as a lowrider. The magazine has also released a series of videos available on DVD. It was founded in 1977 with the first issue coming out of San Jose, California.- External links :*...
- Magu
- Mi Vida LocaMi Vida LocaMi Vida Loca is a 1993 American drama film directed and written by Allison Anders. This film includes Jason Lee's first performance as an actor in a small role alongside director Spike Jonze as a drug buyer....
- Robert RodriguezRobert RodriguezRobert Anthony Rodríguez is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer, editor and musician. He shoots and produces many of his films in his native Texas and Mexico. He has directed such films as Desperado, From Dusk till Dawn, The Faculty, Spy Kids, Sin City, Planet...
- SublimeSublime (band)Sublime was an American ska punk band from Long Beach, California, formed in 1988. The band's line-up, unchanged until their breakup, consisted of Bradley Nowell , Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh . Michael "Miguel" Happoldt also contributed on a few Sublime songs, such as "New Thrash." Lou Dog, Nowell's...
- Tin Tan - an actor from the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema who popularized Pachuco dress and talk.
- Zoot Suit (movie)
- "La Chilanga Banda", a song by Café Tacuba
- La MissionLa Mission (film)La Mission is a 2009 drama film starring Benjamin Bratt and Jeremy Ray Valdez. It is written and directed by Peter Bratt...
(2009 movie) - Blood In Blood OutBlood in Blood outBlood In Blood Out is a 1993 crime-drama film directed by Taylor Hackford. It follows the intertwining lives of the three Chicano relatives, Miklo , Cruz and Paco from 1972 to the mid 1980s...
(also known as Bound by Honor) is a 1993 crime-drama film directed by Taylor HackfordTaylor HackfordTaylor Edwin Hackford is an American film director, and the current president of the Directors Guild of America.-Early life:Hackford was born in Santa Barbara, California, the son of Mary , a waitress, and Joseph Hackford...
. It follows the intertwining lives of the three Chicano relatives, Miklo (Damian ChapaDamian ChapaDamian Robert Chapa is a Mexican-American actor, film director and film producer.Chapa was born in Dayton, Ohio, USA. He was briefly married to Natasha Henstridge. Among his earlier notable film roles are one of the leads in Taylor Hackford's Blood In Blood Out and the part of Ken in the film...
), Cruz (Jesse BorregoJesse BorregoJesse Borrego is an American actor. Better knownfor playing Cruz Candelaria in Blood in, Blood out and later guest starring as George King in Dexter. Borrego, a Mexican American, was born in San Antonio, Texas. He considered going into the US Air Force to become a pilot...
) and Paco (Benjamin BrattBenjamin BrattBenjamin Bratt is an American actor. He is most famous for his role as Rey Curtis on the TV series Law & Order; and his appearances in the movies Blood in Blood Out, Miss Congeniality, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Traffic, and Piñero.-Early life:Bratt was born in San Francisco, California,...
) from 1972 to the mid 1980s. They start out as members of the street gang Vatos Locos in East Los Angeles, and as dramatic incidents occur, their lives and friendships are forever changed. Blood in Blood Out was filmed throughout the Spanish-speaking areas of Los Angeles and inside California's San Quentin State PrisonSan Quentin State PrisonSan Quentin State Prison is a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation state prison for men in unincorporated San Quentin, Marin County, California, United States. Opened in July 1852, it is the oldest prison in the state. California's only death row for male inmates, the largest...
See also
- Dogtown
- East Los
- HomieHomieHomie or homey is a slang term in urban culture whose origins etymologists generally trace to African American language from the late 19th century. This was a time when many African Americans were migrating to cities in larger numbers, and "homeboy" meant a male friend from back home. It was...
- ÓraleÓraleÓrale is a common interjection in Mexican slang with varying connotations, including an affirmation that something is impressive, an agreement with a statement , or a simple greeting...
- PachucoPachucoPachucos are Chicano youths who developed their own subculture during the 1930s and 1940s in the Southwestern United States. They wore distinctive clothing and spoke their own dialect of Mexican Spanish, called Caló or Pachuco...
Sources
- Aguilar Melantzón, Ricardo. Glosario del caló de Cd. Juárez. (translated by Federico Ferro Gay ; edited by María Telles-McGeagh, Patricia A. Sullivan. Las Cruces, N.M.: Joint Border Research Institute, New Mexico State University, c1989.
- Burciaga, José Antonio. Drink Cultura: Chicanismo. Santa Barbara: Joshua Odell Editions, Capra Press, 1993. ISBN 1877741078
- Cummings, Laura. "The Pachuco Language Variety in Tucson." In Pachucas and Pachucos in Tucson: Situated Border Lives. University of Arizona Press, 2009. pp 95–131
- Fuentes, Dagoberto. Barrio language dictionary: first dictionary of Caló [by] Dagoberto Fuentes [and] José A. López. La Puente, California: El Barrio Publications, 1974.
- Galindo, D. Letticia. "Dispelling the Male-Only Myth: Chicanas and Calo." Bilingual Review 16: 1. 1992.
- Galindo, D. Letticia and María Dolores Gonzales, editors. Speaking Chicana : voice, power, and identity. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, c1999. ISBN 0816518149 and ISBN 0816518157 (paperback)
- Hallcom, Francine, Ph.D. "An Urban Ethnography of Latino Street Gangs in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties"
- Metcalf, Allan A. "The Study of California Chicano English". International Journal of the Sociology of Language. Volume 1974, Issue 2, Pages 53–58
- JL Orenstein-Galicia. "Totacho a Todo Dar: communicative functions of Chicano Caló along the US-Mexico border." La Linguistique (Paris. 1965)
- Ortega, Adolfo. Caló Orbis: semiotic aspects of a Chicano language variety New York: P. Lang, c1991. ISBN 0820415421
- Ortega, Adolfo. Caló tapestry. Berkeley: Editorial Justa Publications, 1977. ISBN 0915808218
- Polkinhorn, Harry, Alfredo Velasco, and Malcom Lambert. El Libro De Caló: The Dictionary of Chicano Slang. Mountain View, California: Floricanto Press, 1988. ISBN 0915745194 http://www.floricantopress.com/ellibro.htm
- Webb, John Terrance. A lexical study of Caló and non-standard Spanish in the Southwest. (dissertation), 1976.
- Manuel Cantú - Pachuco Dictionary ISBN 978-0-615-15944-7