Chilango
Encyclopedia
Chilango is a Mexican
slang
demonym
for a person born in Mexico City
suburbs or its surrounding areas and moved there. Sometimes it has a negative connotation when used principally by someone in one of the 31 sovereign States of Mexico
.
This "chilango pride" has also led the term "Chilangolandia" in reference to Mexico City. They also consider that any non-Chilango who uses the term does it in a derogatory fashion, and although widely used, it is considered pejorative since it's not uncommon of people not from Mexico City to view Mexico City dwellers as "different" from them: selfish, dishonest, corrupt, racist, manipulative
and treacherous. The embracing of this term also led to the publication of Chilango
, a monthly humorous magazine
, in November 2003 in which real events conform the majority of articles but trying to make fun of the city itself. It included within its pages the Time Out city guide, but this was retired in early 2007. The magazine defines Chilango in an article in December 2004:
There are many theories on the origin of the word "chilango". One of them is that it derives from the Nahuatl
word Ixachitlān, that actually refers to the whole of the American
continent. The word "shilango" has also been documented to have been used in the Veracruz
area to mean people from central Mexico, and coming from the Maya
"xilaan" meaning curly or frizzy haired. Yet another theory is that it comes from the Nahuatl
"chilan-co", meaning where the red ones are, and referring to the skin, reddened by the cold, and used to refer to Aztecs by the Nahua
people in the Gulf of Mexico
The Royal Spanish Academy and the Mexican Academy of Language agree on the definition
of the word as referring to something "belonging to Mexico City
", in particular referring to people native to the capital.
Two other terms used for a resident of Mexico City are Defeño (derived from D.F., Distrito Federal and not an official Spanish word) and Capitalino, which are also sometimes used both in a positive or a derogatory sense, although the latter is generally accepted as a neutral demonym.
There is a popular phrase
used by people outside Mexico City
that says: "Haz patria, mata un chilango" that means Make a fatherland, kill a chilango. It's not intended to be used literally but with a mocking tone instead. The phrase, coined in the state of Sinaloa
, reflects an attitude common in the northern states of disdain and rivalry against residents of Mexico City, that peaked in the 1980s.
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
slang
Slang
Slang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's language or dialect but are considered more acceptable when used socially. Slang is often to be found in areas of the lexicon that refer to things considered taboo...
demonym
Demonym
A demonym , also referred to as a gentilic, is a name for a resident of a locality. A demonym is usually – though not always – derived from the name of the locality; thus, the demonym for the people of England is English, and the demonym for the people of Italy is Italian, yet, in english, the one...
for a person born in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
suburbs or its surrounding areas and moved there. Sometimes it has a negative connotation when used principally by someone in one of the 31 sovereign States of Mexico
States of Mexico
The United Mexican States is a federal republic formed by 32 federal entities .According to the Constitution of 1917, the states of the federation are free and sovereign. Each state has their own congress and constitution, while the Federal District has only limited autonomy with a local Congress...
.
This "chilango pride" has also led the term "Chilangolandia" in reference to Mexico City. They also consider that any non-Chilango who uses the term does it in a derogatory fashion, and although widely used, it is considered pejorative since it's not uncommon of people not from Mexico City to view Mexico City dwellers as "different" from them: selfish, dishonest, corrupt, racist, manipulative
Psychological manipulation
Psychological manipulation is a type of social influence that aims to change the perception or behavior of others through underhanded, deceptive, or even abusive tactics. By advancing the interests of the manipulator, often at the other's expense, such methods could be considered exploitative,...
and treacherous. The embracing of this term also led to the publication of Chilango
Chilango (magazine)
Chilango is a Mexican monthly humouristic and entertainment magazine published by Grupo Expansión since November 2003 in Mexico City.-About the term Chilango:...
, a monthly humorous magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
, in November 2003 in which real events conform the majority of articles but trying to make fun of the city itself. It included within its pages the Time Out city guide, but this was retired in early 2007. The magazine defines Chilango in an article in December 2004:
There are many theories on the origin of the word "chilango". One of them is that it derives from the Nahuatl
Nahuatl
Nahuatl is thought to mean "a good, clear sound" This language name has several spellings, among them náhuatl , Naoatl, Nauatl, Nahuatl, Nawatl. In a back formation from the name of the language, the ethnic group of Nahuatl speakers are called Nahua...
word Ixachitlān, that actually refers to the whole of the American
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
continent. The word "shilango" has also been documented to have been used in the Veracruz
Veracruz
Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is...
area to mean people from central Mexico, and coming from the Maya
Mayan languages
The Mayan languages form a language family spoken in Mesoamerica and northern Central America. Mayan languages are spoken by at least 6 million indigenous Maya, primarily in Guatemala, Mexico, Belize and Honduras...
"xilaan" meaning curly or frizzy haired. Yet another theory is that it comes from the Nahuatl
Nahuatl
Nahuatl is thought to mean "a good, clear sound" This language name has several spellings, among them náhuatl , Naoatl, Nauatl, Nahuatl, Nawatl. In a back formation from the name of the language, the ethnic group of Nahuatl speakers are called Nahua...
"chilan-co", meaning where the red ones are, and referring to the skin, reddened by the cold, and used to refer to Aztecs by the Nahua
Nahua
The Nahuas are a group of indigenous peoples of Mexico. Their language of Uto-Aztecan affiliation is called Nahuatl and consists of many more dialects and variants, a number of which are mutually unintelligible...
people in the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
The Royal Spanish Academy and the Mexican Academy of Language agree on the definition
Definition
A definition is a passage that explains the meaning of a term , or a type of thing. The term to be defined is the definiendum. A term may have many different senses or meanings...
of the word as referring to something "belonging to Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
", in particular referring to people native to the capital.
Two other terms used for a resident of Mexico City are Defeño (derived from D.F., Distrito Federal and not an official Spanish word) and Capitalino, which are also sometimes used both in a positive or a derogatory sense, although the latter is generally accepted as a neutral demonym.
There is a popular phrase
Phrase
In everyday speech, a phrase may refer to any group of words. In linguistics, a phrase is a group of words which form a constituent and so function as a single unit in the syntax of a sentence. A phrase is lower on the grammatical hierarchy than a clause....
used by people outside Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
that says: "Haz patria, mata un chilango" that means Make a fatherland, kill a chilango. It's not intended to be used literally but with a mocking tone instead. The phrase, coined in the state of Sinaloa
Sinaloa
Sinaloa officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sinaloa is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 18 municipalities and its capital city is Culiacán Rosales....
, reflects an attitude common in the northern states of disdain and rivalry against residents of Mexico City, that peaked in the 1980s.
See also
- Mexican SpanishMexican SpanishMexican Spanish is a version of the Spanish language, as spoken in Mexico and in various places of Canada and the United States of America, where there are communities of Mexican origin....
- PeladoPeladoIn Mexican culture in society, pelado is "a term invented to describe a certain class of urban "bum" in Mexico in the 1920s."Mexico has a long tradition of urban poverty, beginning with the léperos, a segregated caste of Mestizos, Central American people, and illegitimate Criollos during the...
- ChicalonChicalonChicalon is a derogatory term for an unrefined Mexicali, Baja California Mexico resident. Mexicali is the capital of the Baja California state. Located at the northwestern corner of Mexico, which borders the state of California U.S.A. and the southern part of the "Baja" peninsula, the Baja...
- Chilango magazineChilango (magazine)Chilango is a Mexican monthly humouristic and entertainment magazine published by Grupo Expansión since November 2003 in Mexico City.-About the term Chilango:...