Naco Pocho from mun2

A Short On Naco and Pocho

http://www.mun2.tv/watch/shorts/naco-pocho
From the accompanying information on the video:
"

In the last generation, the size of the Mexican middle class and the number of Mexicans raised in the United States have grown dramatically. These demographic shifts are transforming Mexican culture on both sides of the border. The changing use of terms like “naco” (“low class”) and “pocho” (“Americanized”) reflect that evolution.

Popularized in the late 1970s by the comedian Luis de Alba, the term “naco” is commonly used to mean “low class” but to a younger generation, it can also mean “tacky cool” in a fashion similar to the U.S. hipster appropriation of trucker hats and Pabst Blue Ribbon beer. Similarly, the term “pocho”, which was traditionally used in Mexico as a put-down against Americans of Mexican descent, has become a point of pride to a growing number of Mexican-Americans.

The piece went live this afternoon, it is just over 12 minutes, and it  features interviews with Lalo Alcaraz (writer and cartoonist, Pocho,La Cucaracha), Xavier El Eléctrico (dancer), Gustavo Arellano (writer and editor, Ask a Mexican, Taco USA), Penelope Menchaca (TV host, 12 Corazones), Alacranes Musical (musical group), Alex Rivera (music artist), Luis de Alba (actor and comedian, El Pirruris), Edoardo Chavarin (designer, NaCo), La Bronca (radio host), Larry Hernandez (music artist), 3ball MTY (musical group), Gloria Trevi (music artist), Daniel Hernandez (writer and journalist, Down and Delirious in Mexico City), Gerardo Ortiz (music artist), Los Tucanes de Tijuana (musical group), Edward James Olmos (actor and director,Stand and Deliver, American Me, Selena, Battlestar Galactica), Montez de Durango (grupo musical), Jenni Rivera (music artist), Duelo (musical group)."

The Fresa Naco Divide

The Fresa-Naco Divide

On my Academia de Cruz Medina blog, Enrique Reynoso posted on the fresa-phenomenon that he situates as a response to the pejorative use of pocho against Americanized Mexican Americans.

I found this interesting 2009 popular article about youth culture in the Guadalajara Reporter that defines fresas in comparison to nacos:

"Naco, naca: classless, pretentious, obtrusive, the Mexican version of white trash.
Fresa: superficial youngsters many of whom come from a high class family."

The reporter goes on to point out the differences as centering around low vs. high culture, where low culture tends to be more related to "real" Mexican culture:

"More likely to be fans of cheap tequila, banda or mariachi music, lucha libre, street tacos and soccer, nacos are in touch with the grass roots of Mexican culture whereas fresas tend to look north, peppering their speech with English phrases. “Happy,” “sorry,” “fresh,” “que cool,” “super” and equally infuriating Spanish phrases like “que oso,” “o sea” and “vales mil” are the hallmarks of the fresa vernacular."

To bring it back to the context of the U.S. and without being fully familiar with the essence of the naco social construction, I'd speculate that nacos sound a bit like those who self-identify with the "patriotic"(bordering on nationalistic), "redneck" or "country" as is done in the U.S. The assertion that nacos maintain a sort of pretentious quality about them makes me wonder what a "redneck" crossbred with a hipster would look like?

Read the rest of Tom Marshall's article at:
http://guadalajarareporter.com/features-mainmenu-95/908-features/24877-youth-culture-101-nacos-a-fresas.html

There is a good amount of Naco material online. Here's an interesting image I found on photobucket from fatimitha19: