A think i notice about Mexican Americans in El Paso in comparison to other Mexican Americans in other cities (Dallas: rent, houses)

[Almeida93]

This is just my observation from traveling Cali,NM, Arizona, Colorado


This might be a little controversial but i wanted to share this with other El Pasoans


I notice Mexican Americans from other cities tend to have have more "Cholos", tend to look at themselves as second class citizens, and look like they have lower self esteem in comparison to El Pasoans.


I think this is because they are a minority in other cites, while in El Paso Mexican Americans make it over 80%. We also retain are Spanish language and mexican culture for obvious reasons...but we are also more mainstream american than the more Chicano cities.


Like we are more Mexican and more mainstream American but at the same time less Chicano, while other Mexican American in other cities are more Chicano.

Also i noticw we dont really think about other races until we actually see Whites and Blacks, we are so uses to seeingpeople of Mexican descent that we see each other as Americans. You know what i am saying?


Where did all the cholos in El Paso go? But we see an increase in the preppy Mexican culture, in more Spanish speaking. We dont have the slang up chicano speaking way, but even though we still speak english with an accent, are vocabulary is more mainstream.


We see Mexican Americans all the time that wee see each other as just Americans


This is just something i recently noticed

[Violet West]

I think Mexican Americans . . . or other ethic/Americans are "just Americans."

I get what you're saying -- Mexican Americans are not marginalized here. Maybe it's a border town thing?

[hellpaso]

I agree, Almeida93. Part of why I love El Paso. We moved to the RGV, thinking it would be similar, but it was completely different, and not in a good way.

[XChucoresident]

Maybe it is because some of us have been here for generations...our parents were working Chicanos..that worked in Chuco and helped build the city..and make it what it has become today..several of us continue to live here in Chucoland..I left but continue to return whenever I can...I know what you mean about the accent..my paisanos tend to speak English with a Spanish accent..I notice that..having lived in Dallas for so long..I used to ask my mother..a life long El Pasoan if she heard it..but she would reply...NO!...when I go home and speak English and say..that I was born and grew up here..alot of people dont believe me..they say..My English is too good..I still love my city..and always will....!

[LEVOW]

El pasoans are more "americanized", we have preppy, hip hop, rocker, biker, some hipster mexicans, were very much americans, but we dont forget where we came from. We're hybrids, in other citys that i been to, they have their "mexican section" and they all just extensions of mexico, you see the bright colored stores, the pinata stores, the mexican restaurants, the signs are in spanish, the youth for the most part are cholos, or mexican cowboys, here we rarely see this, people that cross the border are trying for the most part to get away from that and become more american.

[NewTexico76]

The old "cholo" scene is definitely around in south El Paso and in the outskirts, in places like Chaparral, Anthony, Fabens, etc. I think higher rents and property taxes have displaced the poor to outlying areas where there are trailer parks and low rent houses.

[TexasCCW]

Actually Las Cruces has higher incidents of gang violence. Don't know why that is.

[skilo]

Originally Posted by TexasCCW

Actually Las Cruces has higher incidents of gang violence. Don't know why that is.

There will always be a poor, "lower class" people in all cities. Gangs are seen as a way to get drugs, money, girls easily, why wouldn't a mis-guided 13 year old boy be interested in that? Happens in all cities. Gasp, even white people are poor and in gangs.

[joqua]

Ramon Renteria in his "adios" column in today's El Paso Times:

By the time you read this I will be on permanent vacation after 39 years of reporting and writing for the El Paso Times...

Sadly, the most racist people I encountered in El Paso were Mexicans or Mexican-Americans, sometimes well-educated people uncomfortable in their own skin.

[Rogarven]

That comment from Renteria also surprised me ^^^^