‘El Libro de Caló: The Dictionary of Chicano Slang’
(Harry Polkinhorn, Ph.D Alfredo Velasco,
& Ph.D Malcom Lambert)
8/10 (B+)
Caló is a form of Chicano street slang that originated in the Southwestern United States, during the 1930s and ‘40s, with zoot suit pachuco culture. Containing a significant amount of translated words, ‘El Libro de Caló’ serves as an authoritative guide to understanding this unique dialect still being used in everyday speech by many Chicanos today.
With over 100 pages of Caló-to-English and English-to-Caló translations, this insightful dictionary is highly recommended for those interested in expanding their knowledge of Chicanismo and barrio culture in the U.S.
*Chicano Caló first emerged from the border towns (such as El Paso/Juárez, San Diego/Tijuana, and Calexico/Mexicali) and creatively uses a combination of modern and classic 15th-century Spanish with English words in ways that differentiate it from Spanglish or Tex-Mex.
Caló is a form of Chicano street slang that originated in the Southwestern United States, during the 1930s and ‘40s, with zoot suit pachuco culture. Containing a significant amount of translated words, ‘El Libro de Caló’ serves as an authoritative guide to understanding this unique dialect still being used in everyday speech by many Chicanos today.
With over 100 pages of Caló-to-English and English-to-Caló translations, this insightful dictionary is highly recommended for those interested in expanding their knowledge of Chicanismo and barrio culture in the U.S.
*Chicano Caló first emerged from the border towns (such as El Paso/Juárez, San Diego/Tijuana, and Calexico/Mexicali) and creatively uses a combination of modern and classic 15th-century Spanish with English words in ways that differentiate it from Spanglish or Tex-Mex.