"Cholo es vocablo de las islas Barlovento; quiere decir perro, no de los castizos, sino de los muy bellacos gozcones; y los españoles usan dél por infamia y vituperio"
(Extracted from the book "Los comentarios reales del Inca Garcilazo de la Vega" a mestizo writer from Peru, published in 1609 and 1616)
The word CHOLO ia a mixed breed DOG, one of a
very bad look. The Spaniards used that word also to call Indigenous people and those mixed with them. You see, the
Hispanics were Racist from long time ago, that is why I hate when someone calls me Hispanic.
In Mexico and Southwestern USA (former Mexico) that word is used to describe a Latino man (mostly of Mexican and Central American origin) who is involved on street-gang activities or a street fashioned life-style.
In Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Argentina, Chile and Colombia the word CHOLO is both an insult and a
compliment, but mostly a way to describe a person of Indigenous heritage.
In most of those Andean countries people are Indigenous or mixed with them, especially Quechua, Moche, Aymara, Guarani and other Amazon peoples. Anyone who "looks" or "acts" as an Indigenous person is called a CHOLO by
RACIST people who believe they are white/European as
supposed to be superior.
Racism in those countries is vicious and virulent, worse than in the US. The elites there have Indigenous people as their servants and they keep them under poverty on purpose. It is very common to insult an Indian just because of their race and make fun of them on public or in TV. It's a very
disgusting way of racism that most Andean people would take as a normal
expression of their culture, because they aspire to become like their invaders, the Spaniards.
"Ese cholo de mierda es tan indio, no lo dejes entrar a mi casa" ("that
fucking cholo, don't let him in")
"Ese tipo se le ve tan cholo" ( "
that dude looks very cholo")
"No te vistas asi, pareces un cholo" ("don't wear that,
you look like a cholo")
