Stop the Presses! Second/Layer Comes Out with High Fashion Line of Ersatz, Synthetic, Mock, Simulated Cholo-wear! ¡¡¡Holy Pachuco Fake News, Batman!!!

Thanks to Professor Eliza Rodriguez Y Gibson who pointed my now-scalded eyes, my scarred Mexican-American soul, to this fantabulous atrocity! 

Haute couture non-mexican "cholos"!!!! Holy Baudrillard meets Eddie J. Olmos's Pachuco--who would be rolling over in his grave if he weren't still thriving in Hollywood!

ack! agggggggghhhhhhhh!!!  

Allow me to quote from the photo-notice from Women's Wear Daily, aka WWD, the bible of fashion: 

"Josh Willis and Anthony de Padovane. Second/Layer mixes influences from cholos, surfers, skaters, pachucos and Giorgio Armani to create a relaxed yet elevated style." 

Check out the entire new line and dress like your favorite barrio cholo here: https://shop.secondlayer.us

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$300 for the ensembles--it's not your usual fee for donning authentic barrio cholo garb, but in the age of Donald Trump and the Alt-Right, maybe haute couture outlets want to cash in on the very endangered species they dream of eliminating.  But no worry fans--real Cholos (and even their cool Japanese devotees) are here to stay! Where Japan revels in a cultural counter-culture that embraces the Cholo way of being, what Heidegger called Dasein, Second/Layer is more like a mercenary primitive mockery.

I can't finish without leaving 

a new #mextasy poster...

¿Otra Vez? Sorority Marks Retreat a la Chola Sterotype

When five sorority sisters from California State San Marcos dressed up like Latina gang members, one hopes they were unaware the costumes were offensive. Pictures of the students dressed in plaid shirts and bandanas made the rounds on Instagram and Facebook but have now been taken down. The Alpha Chi Omega sorority sisters aren't talking about why they decided to be the latest campus organization to borrow from a stereotype cartoon for the purpose of bonding and celebration. Remember Baylor? No? Here's a reminder:

From Latino Rebels: "These public images show five young women dressed in sombreros, sarapes, mustaches, displaying "Green Card" signs, wearing what appears to be black shoe polish on their faces, and scaling a "border fence." The pictures were public images available on both social networking sites, before they were taken down ..."

Back in California, Megan Koelln, the Alpha Chi Omega president has apologized, saying they meant no harm when sorority sisters wore the costumes at a retreat. Apparently, no disciplinary action will be taken against the students but the university will provide diversity training to its students. Cal State will "also deploy a 'bias incident network' this fall to respond to future incidents of hate and bias." I don't think that is going to fly. Duke had the right idea when they suspended the fraternity that threw this party: 

 

Some other places are running the CSU's Cholagate story using this photo from Getty Images

I prefer to leave you with Celia Hodes (Elizabeth Perkins) from Weeds during her character's time up the river.

Cholas! Queens of Style

Guanabee, that purveyor of Latinadom, philtered (sic) through Manhattan, is out with a shortlist of stylin' Latinas--who knew that fountain of soft-porny prose Anaïs Nin was Latina--a Cubana!!?

Most surprising and noteworthy honorable mention member of the list? Cholas! órale!