Mambo Del Pachuco
April 12, 2017 4:33 AM   Subscribe

The history of the zoot suit is different from the history of pachuco culture, so is the history of caló, the tattoo of the cross, jive, swing music, and the other associations with pachuco culture. It just so happens that all these historical trajectories came together in a unique way in Los Angeles during World War II. Because of Sleepy Lagoon and the Zoot Suit Riots, this unique intersection of histories was photographed, written about, and popularized in a way that froze in time a culture that was actually evolving and expanding. Pachucos: Not Just Mexican-American Males or Juvenile Delinquents posted by timshel (2 comments total) 15 users marked this as a favorite
 
Great articles!
posted by Dip Flash at 5:50 AM on April 12, 2017


A fine piece. Gracias.
I was told by an octogenarian pachuco from Tepito (Mexico, D.F.) that the great Tin Tan originated the term "pachuco". According to my source, Tin Tan would end his live comedy act by exclaiming, "Me voy pal Chuco!" (I am going to el Chuco, Ciudad Juarez's nickname and Tin Tan's hometown) "Pal Chuco" became "pachuco" which was associated with Tin Tan's zoot suits and use of Mexican slang.
posted by abakua at 3:49 PM on April 12, 2017


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