What is Chollo?
1.
Chollo: In New Mexico/the Southwest, Chollo refers to a male of hispanic descent, it can mean he is a gangsta/homey, but it is broader than that. It does not mean he is a horrible drug user, murderer, rapist, as was posted before. It has cultural heritage, hispanic pride, and regional pride connotations. It is also used for the idea of a 'real man' type thing, like if a woman refers to her boyfriend as Chollo, it can imply that he is a real man, he takes care of her, etc. Within the same group, a woman would be called 'Cholla". Maybe in South America it has strictly negative meanings, but in the southwest, it can be used as a term of affection. It is not pronounced as in typical spanish, it's not cho-yo, it's cho-low, or for the ladies, cho-la.
" I love my Chollo, he treats me right. "
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2.
In modern Mexico and the U.S., "cholo" is a term implying a working-class Mexican or Chicano, not necessarily a gangster, though cholos are often assumed to be gang members. A cholo is stereotypically depicted as wearing baggy chinos (khaki pants) or khaki shorts with white knee-high socks, dark washed jeans as prisoners wear, so-called "wifebeater" undershirts or white sleeveless t-shirts, flannel shirts buttoned all the way to the top or unbuttoned except for the top button, and charlie brown shirts. A stereotypical chola is depicted as having multiple children by multiple gang member fathers, and often with penciled in eyebrows.
Cholos often wear military belts. Cholos in the 1990s and 2000s usually have a shaved head due to Sureño affiliation, though some continue to have the more traditional slicked-back hair, sometimes held in place by a hair net or a bandana. A bandana may also be worn in the rear pants pocket, and can identify gang affiliation, sexual orientation or simply be an accessory.
Footwear may include traditional athletic shoes, such as Converse, Nike Cortez, Stacy Adams or Adidas sneakers or Huaraches. Cholos may wear guayabera shirts, or embroidered white or pale blue short sleeve, collared shirts. Popular "cholo" brands include Dickies, Ben Davis, Joker, Lowrider, and Bighouse. Some cholos, particularly older cholos, or cholos wishing to adopt a more refined look, wear formal wear inspired by zoot suit fashion, including dress shirts with suspenders, and fedora hats, but may still retain cholo elements such as a bandana or hair net. Cholos in rural areas, as well as many in northern Mexico may also wear some elements of cowboy or "ranchero" wear, and may even may alternate between the two styles.
"Those chollos are pretty cool but they have no idea what counterculture is."
"They're chollos, not gangsters!"
"Those chollos beat up those old farm workers"
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3.
A chollo is a crazy dangerous user dealer criminal robber, in South American countries it is a terrorist or guerilla who is drug lord connected who is also crazy from drug abuse and use. This is one of the worst insults one can call a decent Hispanic person.
The Chollos attacked the village raping women, murdering babies and abducting men for ransom or induction into their guerrilla gang warfare group.
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