Question: Why "El Chuco"? (El Paso: credit, neighborhoods, gangs)

[EnjoyEP]

Hey all -

Quick question...I have always heard El Paso called "El Chuco" and I know one of the regulars here even uses that as a screen name, but here is a stupid question - WHY?

Anyone know why EP is called El Chuco? I know that is probably a dumb question, but I have never found the answer really.

I did see this quote BELOW from holmes in an old thread, but I still am not sure of the actual story behind it.

Thanks!

[EnjoyEP]

Originally Posted by holmes

From wikipedia:

The Pachuco style originated in El Paso, Texas and moved westward..

The word "pachuco" originated as the local Mexican Spanish slang term for a resident of the city of El Paso, probably early in the 20th century. Even today, El Paso is still called "el chuco" or "chucotown" by some.

Pachuco - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is the one I was talking about.

[Muhnay]

el chuco = the disgusting one. Pretty self explanatory.

[HIGH!Lonesome]

I recall not very long ago, hardly anyone had any clue El Paso was called El Chuco, the word was pretty dormant, sounds pretty "MACHO" it is, yet I once brought up the subject in the old El Paso Times forum and now several people have adopted the name as their own, not bad.
Then again with a name like El Chuco, it will attract stereotypes and the negative objectors, then if someone else from another culture would have called El Paso something like the Little Apple or something like that it would be ok I guess, there are people that will actually rag on this one word, El Chuco.

In the Mexican and Mexican/American community El Paso is known as El Chuco, and Mexican people tend to call their neighborhoods nicknames names like barrios de los Indios, neighborhood of the Indians or La Calavera "the Skull", barrio del Diablo, neighborhood of the Devil, you'll find neighborhoods with names like this in El Paso, so from the pachuco's came the word El Chuco meaning El Paso's nickname in the modern day Chicano culture.

[Holaeptx]

Wiki and Muhnay both have it wrong....

"El Chuco" is a derivative of "Pachuco".

"What distinguishes them, I think, is their furtive, restless air: they act like persons who are wearing disguises, who are afraid of a stranger's look because it could strip them and leave them stark naked.... This spiritual condition or lack of a spirit, has given birth to a type known as the pachuco. The pachucos are youths, for the most part of Mexican origin, who form gangs in southern cities; they can be identified by their language and behaviour as well as by the clothing they affect. They are instinctive rebels, and North American racism has vented its wrath on them more than once. But the pachucos do not attempt to vindicate their race or the nationality of their forebears. Their attitude reveals an obstinate, almost fanatical will-to-be, but this will affirms nothing specific except their determination . . . not to be like those around them."
Octavio Paz The Labyrinth of Solitude London 1967 pp 5-6

Mr. Paz's description might not have anything to do in and of it's self with why El Paso is nicknamed "El Chuco" but it points us to a possibility.....

The Pachuco style of dress is taken from the zootsuiters - the zoot-suit, duck-tail hair, suspenders, long watch chain, skinny, pointed shoes and the flat - wide brimmed hat. BTW...back in the day, zoot-suits were common to different racial groups...African-Americans are credited with inventing the zoot-suit. It's not just a Hispanic thing....

During WWII the War Board outlawed the manufacture of "Zoot Suits" in these United States , for among other things, to make more wool available for uniforms. It is possible that zoot suits became available thru Juarez to outside markets by entrepreneuring "Pachuco" connections. If you wanted a zoot-suit you talked to "El Chuco";the one(s) from El Paso.

Thereafter, El Paso became known by "El Chuco" and it has remained so in the "Pachuco" community making it's way into assimilated use. It's only negative is that it's origin is from the "gang" culture and not accepted by the "respected" segments of society.

[Muhnay]

They did not ask what Pachuco was.. they asked what El Chuco was. And from the translation it means "The Disgusting one." so I am not wrong.. but you have a interesting story. If the Wiki is wrong I suggest you correct it.

Pachuco = Fancy Dresser

El Chuco = The Disgusting One.

[HIGH!Lonesome]

Like I said, words like El Chuco attract stereotypes, El Chuco most certainly does not mean The Disgusting One, I did'nt see it on wiki, unless someone want to correct me, do it.

[Muhnay]

It most certainly does. Chuco = Disgusting.. visit a translator website and try it for your self.

Here try this one.. http://ets.freetranslation.com/

Instead of arguing.. here is a link I found that has some info on El Chuco..

Que Onda Homeboy (http://www.epcc.edu/nwlibrary/borderlands/11_que_onda_homeboy.htm - broken link)

And this supports the story above.. but gives more detail..

pachuco: Definition and Much More from Answers.com ( cool read )

Another good read..

LatinoLA - ?Expr?sate! - Ideas, Thought & Expression

[peggydavis]

This is an interesting question. I checked several online translator websites and all but one had no Spanish word chuco listed.

I gathered from my reading that chuco is a shortened form of pachuco and is a slang term.

[Muhnay]

Hey Welcome PeggyDavis to the El Paso TX forum.. are you going to be our new hall monitor?