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Pocho (feminine: pocha) is slang in Spanish used in Mexico to refer to Mexican Americans and Mexican emigrants. [1] [2] It is often used pejoratively to describe a person of Mexican ancestry who lacks fluency in Spanish and knowledge of Mexican culture. [3] It derives from the Spanish word pocho, used to describe fruit that has become rotten or discolored. [4]
The term can refer to the following:
- A Mexican American or expat who speaks broken or no Spanish.
- A Mexican American who speaks Anglicized Spanish, colloquially known as Spanglish. [5]
- A Mexican that has emigrated from Mexico and settled or naturalized in another country.
- A Mexican that travels, works, or lives outside of Mexico for an extended period of time. e.g. Mexican students studying abroad.
- A Mexican that does not adhere to traditional Mexican culture, customs, and etiquette.
- A nickname in Argentina (Pocho or Pocha). For example, the popular Argentine president Juan Perón was called "El Pocho" as well as the Argentinian football players Ezequiel Lavezzi and Federico Insúa.
- A 1959 Chicano novel by José Antonio Villarreal.
Pochos are usually identified by their use of non-standard Spanish. Code-switching—and the use of loanwords—is common, as in many languages; however, it is the overall use of words and phrases popular in English-language/American culture translated into Spanish, sometimes quite literally, that may earn one the label of “pocho/a” from others. Code-switching often involves inserting English prepositions or objective nouns, such as saying "Voy a ir shopping ahora en el supermarket", or “I am going shopping now at the supermarket”.
Modified loanwords are referred to as "pochismos", and will usually sound quite similar to their English-language counterpart. Examples include:
- mopear instead of trapear (to mop)
- troque or troca instead of camion (truck)
- parquear instead of estacionar (to park)
- chequear or checar instead of mirar, revisar or verificar (to look, to check/inspect, or to verify)
- noquear instead of derribar (knock-down, or knock-over, for example in boxing when a boxer knocks out an opponent)
- rapear (to rap), instead of rimar (to rhyme)
A clear example of a popular American phrase that has been adopted, by people familiar with both cultures, would be Clint Eastwood's famous quote, “ Make my day”, which has been increasingly used in Spanish as "Hacer mi día."
Pocho is also a Hawaiian Pidgin English slang term used to describe an individual of Portuguese descent. [6]
See also
References
- ^ "The battle for the craziest michelada is on. But how much is too much?". Los Angeles Times. 11 August 2022. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
- ^ Kanellos, Nicolàs; Esteva-Fabregat, Claudia; Weaver, Thomas (1 January 1994). Handbook of Hispanic Cultures in the United States: Anthropology. Arte Publico Press. p. 182. ISBN 978-1-61192-161-8.
- ^ Romero, Abril (21 June 2018). "Hispanic, Latino, And Other Words You've Been Using Wrong Your Whole Life". culturacolectiva.com. Cultura Colectiva. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
- ^ "Pocho". SpanishDict. Curiosity Media, Inc. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
- ^ D'Amore, Anna Maria (2009). Translating Contemporary Mexican Texts: Fidelity to Alterity. New York: Peter Lang. p. 79. ISBN 978-1-4331-0499-2.
- ^ "Pidgin Dictionary". Pidgen English. e-Hawaii.com. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
External links
- Definition of pocho
- "A Note on 'Pochismo'" by William E. Wilson, The Modern Language Journal, Vol. 30, No. 6 (Oct. 1946), pp. 345–346 (Available online at JSTOR - membership required)