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Chonga is a Spanish-derived term used especially in
South Florida
South Florida is the southernmost region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is one of Florida's three most commonly referred to directional regions; the other two are Central Florida and North Florida. South Florida is the southernmost part of th ...
, often to indicate a working-class, sexually liberated, very sassy, and emotionally expressive young woman.
Chongas are also a distinct
subculture
A subculture is a group of people within a culture that differentiates itself from the parent culture to which it belongs, often maintaining some of its founding principles. Subcultures develop their own norms and values regarding cultural, poli ...
, believed to have developed in
Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
in the late 20th century. Members are typically young, working-class Hispanic women. In South Florida the term is usually considered a pejorative, though some young women are proud to identify themselves as such. While feminist scholarship on chongas is limited, early work by
gender studies
Gender studies is an interdisciplinary academic field devoted to analysing gender identity and gendered representation. Gender studies originated in the field of women's studies, concerning women, feminism, gender, and politics. The field ...
scholar Jillian Hernandez has suggested that the chonga identity is an "emerging
icon
An icon () is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, in the cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Catholic churches. They are not simply artworks; "an icon is a sacred image used in religious devotion". The most ...
", and that it can be empowering for working-class women.
Etymology and meaning
The intended meaning of the term "chonga" varies depending on the context in which it is used. The most specific meaning of the term denotes a member of the chonga subculture—young, usually working class and Latina women—who dress and often act in a sexualized, brash, sometimes aggressive manner. The term also has three looser meanings: as a synonym for prostitute; to refer to a woman who acts "gangsta" or in a thug like manner; and among female friends, as a jovial way to greet each other, as an alternative to "girlfriend!"
[Hernandez 68.][Lush 2007.]
Usage of the term to refer to young women is believed to have arisen in
Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
, and only became prominent in the early 21st century. The same word has long been used in Latin American countries such as
Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal
, national_motto = "Fi ...
and
Ecuador
Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...
to refer to a brothel; the modern US usage of the word may be related to this, or might have arisen independently among Floridian Cuban-Americans.
"Chonga" has lexical similarities with several other Spanish terms, some of which have been in use for centuries.
These include:
* ''
chola
The Chola dynasty was a Tamils, Tamil thalassocratic Tamil Dynasties, empire of southern India and one of the longest-ruling dynasties in the history of the world. The earliest datable references to the Chola are from inscriptions dated ...
'' - used in the
Southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States, also known as the American Southwest or simply the Southwest, is a geographic and cultural region of the United States that generally includes Arizona, New Mexico, and adjacent portions of California, Colorado, Ne ...
for women of
Mexican
Mexican may refer to:
Mexico and its culture
*Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America
** People
*** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants
*** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...
or
Mexican-American
Mexican Americans ( es, mexicano-estadounidenses, , or ) are Americans of full or partial Mexican heritage. In 2019, Mexican Americans comprised 11.3% of the US population and 61.5% of all Hispanic and Latino Americans. In 2019, 71% of Mexica ...
descent, sometimes with the added meaning that they are a "homegirl" or someone from the streets.
* ''chula'' - which denotes a cute or sexy young woman, whereas chulo is the male equivalent.
* ''chusma'' - literally meaning snitch or gossiper, but can also denote a woman of low standing. That is to say, a Chusma or a Chula can be nouns to describe a chonga, but the three are not the same nor opposites. Example: "That chonga is such a chusma, she called the cops on Papi Chulo."
*"choni" is used in Spain (European Spanish) and refers (usually) to a young woman or man attempting to appear elegant and fashionable, but seen as vulgar or common.
Chonga subculture
According to the journalist Tamara Lush, Chonga subculture may have first appeared in
Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
during the 1980s. Early chongas were usually Cuban teenagers whose parents had recently immigrated to the US. In the 1990s, chongas often wore white shorts with a colored thong underneath, basketball jerseys, and fake gold jewelry. Over the years the style evolved, with for instance tight jeans becoming more popular than shorts.
Chonga characteristics
21st-century chongas will often exhibit at least some of the following characteristics:
*Cheap but sexy clothing, which often includes "Brazilian jeans"
[Pocketless ]Skinny jeans
Slim-fit pants or skinny jeans (when made of denim) are tight trousers that have a snug fit through the legs and end in a small leg opening that can be anywhere from 9" to 20" in circumference, depending on size. Other names for this style includ ...
that usually have an accentuating effect on the bottom. and revealing tops, a preference for gelled hair, visible thong showing, synthetic nails and gaudy jewelry, often including fake gold, bangles and earring hoops.
[Chongas sometimes like to have their names written on the hoops.]
*Sexual availability, often along with a preference to be surrounded by men.
*Hostility to other young women, unless they are fellow members of the same chonga crew.
*Loud, emotionally expressive and aggressive behavior.
Not all chongas live up to these stereotypes; for example, sometimes women whose conduct is the most overtly sexualized will in fact be among the least interested in actual heterosexual encounters—in some cases chonga behavior is perhaps best understood as a kind of bonding between female friends.
Depictions in the media
Until 2007, chongas have rarely appeared in the media, despite their high visibility in real life. One of the rare exceptions was the ''Cheerleaders'' (2000) set of art photographs by
Luis Gispert
Luis Gispert (born Jersey City, New Jersey, United States, 1972) is an American sculptor and photographer, living and working in Brooklyn, New York. Gispert earned an MFA at Yale University in 2001, a BFA in Film from Art Institute of Chicago i ...
. In popular culture, the few exceptions include
Bratz
Bratz is an American fashion doll and media franchise created by former Mattel employee Carter Bryant for MGA Entertainment which debuted in 2001.
The four original 10-inch (25 cm) dolls were released on May 21, 2001 — Yasmin, Cloe, Jade ...
dolls which have a chonga-like appearance; the chonga-like characters Lydia and Melina in the television comedy
MADtv
''Mad TV'' (stylized as ''MADtv'') is an American sketch comedy television series originally inspired by '' Mad'' magazine. In its initial run, it aired on Fox from 1995 to 2009. After a one-off reunion show in 2015 to celebrate the twentiet ...
; and the chonga-like character Tina in the movie ''
Do the Right Thing
''Do the Right Thing'' is a 1989 American comedy-drama film produced, written, and directed by Spike Lee. It stars Lee, Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Richard Edson, Giancarlo Esposito, Bill Nunn, John Turturro, and Samuel L. Jackson, a ...
''.
Chongas became considerably more common in popular culture after the 2007 release of
Chongalicious Chongalicious is a 2007 homemade music video performed by Laura DiLorenzo and Mimi Davila (both born in 1990), who were drama students at Dr. Michael M. Krop High School in Unincorporated north Miami-Dade County. The song is a parody of Fergie's 2 ...
, a YouTube
viral video
A viral video is a video that becomes popular through a viral process of Internet sharing, typically through video sharing websites such as YouTube as well as social media and email.Lu Jiang, Yajie Miao, Yi Yang, ZhenZhong Lan, Alexander Haupt ...
. Hernandez noted that the only depiction she's aware of that accurately showed chongas in their social context was the 2007 "Bratz girls" exhibition by the ''GisMo Collective'' (Jessica Gispert and Crystal Molinary).
Since 2012, reggaeton and trap artist
La Goony Chonga
Kasey Avalos (born March 19, 1992), known professionally as La Goony Chonga, is a Cuban-American rapper. While in college, she posted videos of her Freestyle rap, freestyling on YouTube and began recording music. She released her first two stud ...
has drawn added attention to the subculture by openly and proudly identifying as a chonga.
In cultural and gender studies
According to a 2009 article by gender studies scholar Jillian Hernandez, feminist literature covering chongas remains sparse, even after their profile was raised by the ''Chongalicious'' video. Hernandez contrasts this with the extensive body of work on
Chicana feminism
Chicana feminism is a sociopolitical movement in the United States that scrutinizes the historical, cultural, spiritual, educational, and economic intersections impacting Chicana identities. Chicana feminism is empowering and demands women within ...
, which explores the ''chola'' and ''chusma'' phenomena. Hernandez argues the chonga image has become iconic in Miami, and states that the aesthetic appeal of the chonga can be considerable, which in her opinion partly explains why the ''cheerleaders'' set of photographs was successful in launching Gispert's international career.
Since 2012, reggaeton and trap artist
La Goony Chonga
Kasey Avalos (born March 19, 1992), known professionally as La Goony Chonga, is a Cuban-American rapper. While in college, she posted videos of her Freestyle rap, freestyling on YouTube and began recording music. She released her first two stud ...
has drawn added attention to the subculture by openly and proudly identifying as a chonga.
The portrayal of chongas in the media can, however, be problematic, sometimes even repressive, as powerful negative images contribute to Latinas internalizing pressure to conform which originates from the dominant Anglo-American culture. Stereotypical representations of chongas can play a role in the United States' wider
culture wars
A culture war is a cultural conflict between social groups and the struggle for dominance of their values, beliefs, and practices. It commonly refers to topics on which there is general societal disagreement and polarization in societal value ...
, adding to concerns about the sexuality of some Latina women being "out of control" with their perceived high rate of reproduction. Citing earlier work by Isabel Molina Guzmán, Hernandez relates this to the
Elián González affair Elian or Elián (Spanish) or Élian (French) can refer to:
People
*Saint Elian (Syria) (died 284)
**Church of Saint Elian (Arabic: كنيسة مار اليان, Kaneesat Mar Elian) is a church in Homs, Syria
** Monastery of St. Elian a Syriac Catho ...
, where the media portrayal of Marisleysis González as having the chonga-like characteristic of emotional excess contributed to the degradation of the privileged, "model minority status" that
Cuban Americans
Cuban Americans ( es, cubanoestadounidenses or ''cubanoamericanos'') are Americans who trace their cultural heritage to Cuba regardless of phenotype or ethnic origin. The word may refer to someone born in the United States of Cuban descent or t ...
had previously enjoyed.
In her own research, Hernandez found that most people she questioned considered "chonga" a pejorative term. One respondent even went as far as to say the term sums up all the negative Latina stereotypes. A few asserted that while they know several chongas, they don't know any who self-identify as such. Sometimes Latina women will admit they went through a brief "chonga" phase in their early teens, but later came to view the style as uncool. Yet some chongas chose to retain the identity into their twenties. Hernandez also found that some young woman are proud to call themselves chongas. Several expressed pride in their sexual attractiveness. The creators of "Chongalicious", who are themselves middle class, found they had considerably more male attention while pretending to be chongas, one of them saying back in 2007 that "I think we would have boyfriends if we were real chongas."
Hernandez suggests that the chonga sub culture is in several ways a positive thing, representing women who are not shamed into invisibility by their low-class status or ethnic identity. She anticipates a broadening and deepening of feminist scholarship on chongas, to uncover the ways in which the chonga identity can be helpful to young women exploring their "bodies and pleasures".
[Hernandez notes that she is consciously echoing ]Michel Foucault
Paul-Michel Foucault (, ; ; 15 October 192625 June 1984) was a French philosopher, historian of ideas, writer, political activist, and literary critic. Foucault's theories primarily address the relationship between power and knowledge, and how ...
in using the term "bodies and pleasures", as she sees it as a more empowering alternative to "sexuality".[Hernandez ''passim'', esp. 86-87.]
See also
*
Chicano Movement
The Chicano Movement, also referred to as El Movimiento, was a social and political movement in the United States inspired by prior acts of resistance among people of Mexican descent, especially of Pachucos in the 1940s and 1950s, and the Black ...
*
Ghetto fabulous
''Ghetto fabulous'' is a lifestyle expression that originated among African American communities living in poor urban areas.
In the media
Ghetto fabulous is a fashion stereotype
In social psychology, a stereotype is a generalized belief ...
*
List of subcultures
This is a list of subcultures.
A
* Africanfuturism
* Afrofuturism
* Anarcho-punk
* Athlete
B
* BDSM
* Beat Generation, see beatnik
* Bent edge
* Bikers, see motorcycle clubs and outlaw motorcycle clubs
** Bōsōzoku
* Bills
* Biopunk
* Bird Wa ...
Footnotes
Citations
References
*
*
*
*
*
Further reading
*
*
*
*
*
*{{cite journal, journal=
Bitch Magazine: Feminist Response to Pop Culture, title=Chonga girls celebrity blog, first=Sara, last=Reihani, date=Winter 2009, issue=45, page=28, issn=1524-5314 , ref=none
External links
I love Chongas- Chonga appreciation song.
The Real Chonga okaaay- one of several YouTube videos gently making fun of Chongas.
Culture of Miami
Hispanic and Latino American culture in Florida
Hispanic and Latino American women
Hispanic and Latino American working class
Mexican-American culture in Florida
Cuban-American culture in Florida
Stereotypes of working-class women
Working-class culture in the United States
Subcultures in the United States
Women in Florida