Of Cholos and Surfers

Post World War II, the baby boomer populations are pretty much indulged and spoiled. With those newly introduced privileges, they were able to popularize many variety of entertainments that we called cultural artifacts that shaped their generation and generations after. In particular, Jack Lopez’s “of Cholos and Surfers” centralized his early adolescence on worshiping a magazine that he had rare occasions to owning and dreamed of being a surfer despite never been to the beach. Though there were no descriptions as to  how surfing rose to mainstream during the 1960’s, but Surfing Quarterly, a monthly issue magazine, became the secondary cultural artifact that dominated the standards of dress wears,  hair styles, vernaculars, gestures, etc among the teenage boys. Because the author was young and had little understanding of the hardship his parents labored to provide for 4 children in times of bad economy, it was easy for him to get assimilated into another culture. It was minor but mentioned, they were watching 77 Sunset Strip as a Friday night family ritual. What a typical middle class suburban thing to do (back in the day).

“Surfing was far more interesting for me as a twelve-year-old than larger issues of race.” This brings back personal memories. But had Jack Lopez realized the importance of color, would his life lead to the “opposite direction” as a hoodlum called the Cholos, Mexican gangsters. Or if he no longer has the desire to assimilate like his friend Lenny. Or if he had ethnic pride like his father, whom want to share a common bond with strangers of the same race. The turning point in which he understood his identity (though I’m not buying it) was his confrontation with a Cholo with a typical malice towards white surfers. He blurted a phrase “I’m Mexican” and confused his adversary into leaving him alone. Many events later, Jack Lopez had a clear perception of the cultural myths like melting pot, the reason why his family moved to los Angeles and assimilated to the values under the American Dream. I suppose he understood the media that forged his identity and learned that he is not powerless to stay where he is at.