''Pocho'' (feminine: ''pocha'') is

slang Slang is vocabulary (words, phrases, and linguistic usages) of an informal register, common in spoken conversation but avoided in formal writing. It also sometimes refers to the language generally exclusive to the members of particular in-gr ...

in Spanish used in Mexico to refer to

Mexican Americans Mexican Americans ( es, mexicano-estadounidenses, , or ) are Americans of full or partial Mexican heritage. In 2019, Mexican Americans comprised 11.3% of the US population and 61.5% of all Hispanic and Latino Americans. In 2019, 71% of Mexica ...

and Mexican emigrants. It is often used

pejorative A pejorative or slur is a word or grammatical form expressing a negative or a disrespectful connotation, a low opinion, or a lack of respect toward someone or something. It is also used to express criticism, hostility, or disregard. Sometimes, a ...

ly to describe a Mexican

expatriate An expatriate (often shortened to expat) is a person who resides outside their native country. In common usage, the term often refers to educated professionals, skilled workers, or artists taking positions outside their home country, either ...

or a person of Mexican ancestry who lacks fluency or the ability to speak in Spanish and knowledge of

Mexican culture Mexican culture is primarily influenced by its Indigenous inhabitants and the culture of Spain. Mexican culture is described as the 'child' of both western and native American civilizations. Other minor influences include those from other regi ...

. It derives from the Spanish word ''pocho'', used to describe fruit that has become rotten or discolored. 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 Spanglish (a portmanteau of the words "Spanish" and "English") is any language variety (such as a contact dialect, hybrid language, pidgin, or creole language) that results from conversationally combining Spanish and English. The term is m ...

. * A Mexican that has emigrated from Mexico and settled or

naturalized Naturalization (or naturalisation) is the legal act or process by which a non-citizen of a country may acquire citizenship or nationality of that country. It may be done automatically by a statute, i.e., without any effort on the part of the in ...

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 Juan Domingo Perón (, , ; 8 October 1895 – 1 July 1974) was an Argentine Army general and politician. After serving in several government positions, including Minister of Labour and Vice President of a military dictatorship, he was elected ...

was called "El Pocho" as well as the Argentinian football players

Ezequiel Lavezzi Ezequiel Iván Lavezzi (; born 3 May 1985) is an Argentine former professional footballer who played as a forward. During his career, his most important attributes were his pace, hardworking style of play, technique, creativity, and dribbling ab ...

and

Federico Insúa Federico Insúa (born January 3, 1980) is an Argentine retired footballer who played 14 times for the Argentina national team. Usually a playmaker, he is well known for his vision and technique. Club career Early years Nicknamed ''El Pocho'', ...

. * A 1959

Chicano Chicano or Chicana is a chosen identity for many Mexican Americans in the United States. The label ''Chicano'' is sometimes used interchangeably with ''Mexican American'', although the terms have different meanings. While Mexican-American ident ...

novel A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itself ...

José Antonio Villarreal José Antonio Villarreal (30 July 1924 – 13 January 2010) was an American Chicano novelist. Villarreal was born in 1924 in Los Angeles, California, to migrant Mexican farmworkers. Like Juan Manuel Rubio in ''Pocho,'' Villarreal's father fought ...

. Pochos are usually identified by their use of non-standard Spanish. Code switching and the use of

loanword A loanword (also loan word or loan-word) is a word at least partly assimilated from one language (the donor language) into another language. This is in contrast to cognates, which are words in two or more languages that are similar because ...

s is common as is the use of phrases popular in American culture translated to Spanish, sometimes literally. Code switching often involves inserting English preposition or objective nouns, such as, "''Voy a ir'' shopping ''ahora en el'' supermarket" (I am going shopping now at the supermarket). Modified loanwords are referred to as "pochismos". Examples include ''mopear'' for ''trapear'' (to mop), ''troque'' for ''camion'' (truck), ''parquear'' for ''estacionar'' (to park), or ''chequear'' for ''mirar'' or ''verificar'' (to check, to inspect or to verify). A clear example of a popular American phrase that has been adopted by people familiar with both cultures would be

Clint Eastwood Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western TV series '' Rawhide'', he rose to international fame with his role as the " Man with No Name" in Sergio Leone's "'' Do ...

's famous quote " Make my day", which has been increasingly used in Spanish as "Hacer mi día."

References

External links

{{Wiktionary, Pocho
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) Mexican culture Anti-Americanism Chicano Cultural assimilation Mexican slang Ethnic and religious slurs Pejorative demonyms

See also

References

External links