Catchword: paisa

Filed Under: Spanish, United States

Part of Speech: n.

Quotation: There is a slang term that students in mostly Latino schools use to separate those who seem more connected to their Latino roots than to American culture: “paisas.” It comes from the word “paisano,” meaning peasants or countrymen. “It’s a softer way of saying “wetback,” “ said Joe Lechuga, 17, also known as “Buddha.” He and other Mexican American students who hang out in Senior Park say the term is affectionate, not malicious.…"Where’s Domingo? The paisa?” Buddha asked his friends one day during lunch. “Oh, he’s over there kissing some paisa girl,” another student replied.

Article or Document Title:
“Cultural Divide on Campus” (URL)

Author:
Erika Hayasaki

Article, Document, Publication, Web Site:
Los Angeles Times

Date of Publication:
Dec. 3, 2004

This catchword has yet to be researched.