Column: What does Caló mean to me

As a Mexican born and raised in Mexico City, I can’t separate the word Caló from the pop rap group named the same that assured us “no todo el rap es para reirse,” that not all rap is for laughs. It was an early attempt in the 90s to bring rap to the masses in Mexico. 

But Caló in Southern California means a lot more, or it did. To the Chicano movement, it was a way to reclaim its own language, not English or Spanish but a whole new way to express the culture. 

Today, Caló may not have the same significance to newer generations but what I have learned from this first month of working at CALÓ News is that we have a chance to redefine what Caló means. And what it means to me is that our history, our backgrounds, our ancestors … they all play a part in our present and our future. 

I have lived in Los Angeles and its surrounding communities since I moved here from Mexico City to go to college. But I have visited since my father moved here in the 80s and it has always been a part of me. To me, both cities have shaped me into the person I am today. 

As Latinos living in the U.S, some of us first generation immigrants, some of us born here, we navigate the different worlds, in English or Spanish, with cultural traditions that defy understanding from people looking in and we are unapologetically ourselves. We are Caló. We carry the blood of our indigenous ancestors, mixed with European, African, or Asian blood and more.

I hope that CALÓ News can provide a space for all of us to explore what it means to live in what was once home to the Ventureño Chumash, Fernandeño Tataviam, and Gabrielino Tongva peoples, that later became El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles de Porciúncula, to what is now the City of Angels. And not just to live but to thrive here, in between a river that for now is almost overflowing, separating the East from the West. 

Now it’s your turn to say what does Caló mean to you? Can’t wait to hear your answers.