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Glite Dictionary
pachuco

pachuco

1 9.9
A young Mexican-American in the 1940s who wore zoot suits and joined street gangs
  • noun
  • /pəˈtʃuːkoʊ/
  • Archaic
: pachuco
  • In the 1940s, a pachuco often wore flashy clothes and had a rebellious spirit.
  • pachuco and zoot

Examples

  • We were traveling around, and we were pretty obvious because we were pachucos de verdad, real pachucos...

    Academic text (1990)

  • He's a known pachuco gang leader.

    My Family (1995)

  • I don't want you playing with no pachuco!

    My Family (1995)

  • They were pachucos, zoot-suiters, and proud of it.

    American Me (1992)

  • This is the pachuco's dilemma, the bicultural being fully at home in neither world, but "literate" in both.

    Academic text (1990)

  • Called "pachucos," they were denied access to homes in many neighborhoods, made the object of the Zoot Suit Riots of 1943, and thought to be inferior beings.

    Academic text (2002)

  • Many pachucos were known for their distinct zoot suits and street style.

  • The pachuco subculture was a unique expression of identity for Mexican-Americans.

Surface Forms

pachuco singular
pachucos plural

Etymology

Pachuco probably comes from Mexican Spanish used in border towns; some people link it to the town Pachuca or the nickname Pacho, and it described young men who 'stood out' for their dress and attitude. That's why pachuco came to mean the 1940s Mexican‑American youth known for bright zoot suits and a bold, rebellious style.