Blog #1 Jack Lopez's Of Cholos and Surfers

The essay “Of Cholos and Surfers” by Jack Lopez, was mainly about Lopez’s past. It showed how he was able to grow up in Los Angeles. Lopez had to go through many situations growing up as a teen in Los Angeles. Many families in the early 1960’s had been trying to avoid gangs, as told by this essay. Lopez was a Mexican growing up. He had wanted to become a surfer. Surfing is one of the many activities which is still excessively done today, especially with the movie lately released, “Soul Surfer” which was about a girl who wanted to continue her surfing after a horrible accident while surfing.

There were many symbols which signify a person of being a surfer. Being a surfer meant that a person has to have an edition of Surfer Quarterly, now known as Surfer Magazine, and also wearing baggy shorts, large Penney’s Towncraft T-shirts, and walking barefoot. To Jack Lopez, these weren’t enough to become a surfer. He had begun to do many chores around his home to gain money to buy a surfboard from his neighbor Lenny Muelich, who has no use for surfing anymore.

Lenny Muelich was a neighborhood friend from right across the street. He was two years older than Lopez. Lopez had learned a lot about life from Muelich. Muelich was a surfer before he had joined a gang in school. Muelich still looks out for Lopez. Lopez looks at Muelich as a type of role model. Currently Lopez is trying to buy Muelich’s surfboard, Velzy-Jacobs. Velzy-Jacobs later were purchased by Lopez and he used it to surf after moving with his family to Huntington Beach.

Having an issue of Surfer Magazine had also signified a person of being a surfer. Many surfers would learn new things of surfing from the magazine. To Lopez, the magazine was somewhat of a “spiritual value” (Lopez 686).  The magazine was a cultural artifact to Lopez, especially since he skipped his family’s Friday Tradition of watching 77 Sunset Strip.

Having worn the baggy shorts, large Penney’s Towncraft T-shirt, and walking barefoot was a symbol of being a surfer. Many cholo’s have been looking at this to see that some people are surfers. Cholo’s are street gangsters which look down on Mexican Americans being surfers. Whenever a person was seen wearing these clothes by a cholo they would ask if they were a surfer just like Lopez was asked.

Being a Mexican is also a symbol in this essay of Lopez’s past. He “got the best of both worlds” (Lopez 688). He was able to be both a Mexican and a surfer. He loved surfing. He was also able to learn about his heritage, especially when he visited his grandparents in holidays. Being a Mexican also prevented him from getting into a fight with the cholo he met on the street on his way to meet his two friends. His decision was also accepted by the Cholos.

A cultural artifact is not only being a surfer, it was also about his heritage. He was able to be both a surfer yet be Mexican. He had dodged a bullet as well. Being both a Mexican and a surfer may have been hard for Lopez at first but it slowly turned into something worthwhile for him since he enjoyed both of it.