Cholo

Cholo (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈtʃolo]) is a loosely defined term that has had various meanings relating to the connotation of people of indigenous heritage, who in many cases have some Spanish blood (mestizos), or who have adopted elements of Spanish dress, language or culture. Its use has migrated from the initial negative ethnic designation as originated by Hispanic criollos in the 16th century. In sociological literature, it is one of castas, and refers to Mexican American gangsters (pandilleros) The precise usage of "cholo" has varied widely in different times and places. In modern American usage, it most often applies to the low-rider sub-culture manner of dress.

Historical usage

The term's use is first recorded in a Peruvian book published in 1609 and 1616, the Comentarios Reales de los Incas by Inca Garcilaso de la Vega. He writes (in Spanish) "The child of a Black male and an Indian female, or of an Indian male and Black female, they call mulato and mulata. The children of these they call cholo. Cholo is a word from the Windward Islands; it means dog, not of the purebred variety, but of very disreputable origin; and the Spaniards use it for insult and vituperation".

Cholo (disambiguation)

Cholo may refer to:

Cultures

People

Arts, entertainment, and media

Fictional entities

Games

Fauna

El Cholo

Carlos Soriano Mendoza, better known under the ring name El Cholo (Spanish for "the Half-breed"; born in 1973) is a Mexican luchador, or professional wrestler currently working for the Mexican professional wrestling promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) portraying a rudo ("bad guy") wrestling character. Up until 2015 El Cholo's real name was not a matter of public record, as was often the case with masked wrestlers in Mexico where their private lives are kept a secret from the wrestling fans. When he was unmasked he revealed his real name.

Professional wrestling career

The wrestler who would later be known under the ring name El Cholo made his professional wrestling debut in 1993 or 1994 at the age of 20. Since El Cholo is an enmascarado, or masked wrestler he has not revealed what ring name he used prior to adopting the name and mask of El Cholo in 2008. In Lucha Libre the real identity of masked wrestlers is kept secret and often not even alluded to the fact that they used to compete under a different name. The debut of El Cholo is listed as 1993 or 1994, but with no confirmation of what name he wrestled under, not even confirming if he wrestled as a masked wrestler before 2008 or not.