Chinola

Chinola is a Mexican slang word used to define some specific individuals from the Mexican state of Sinaloa. It's used as a derogative term to refer to the immigrants from the State of Sinaloa, both in the United States and other States of the Mexican Republic who glorify drug culture and machismo.

The stereotype of the Chinola individual, according to non-sinaloa Mexicans, is that of a person of very low education, who usually works in the drug trafficking trade, prone to violence and of a poor aestethic.

Chinola culture

Chalino Sanchez, the Mexican singer who was shot and murdered in 1992 is very representative, both aestethically and ideologically of the Chinola drug sub-culture.

Jesus Malverde, the folklore hero and first 'narco-saint' is also intrinsically linked to Chinola sub-culture.

Chinolas sometimes are indistinctly called Chakas or Chalinillos (as a reference to the Chinola's infatuation with Chalino Sanchez' Music).

The Chinola style of dressing and acting has extended to other states of Mexico, including, but not only, Baja California, Sonora, Nayarit, Chihuahua. Young men in these states look up to some of these Chinola men as heroes because of widespread narcocorridos have begun to embrace the whole Chinola lifestyle and philosophy.

Chinola attire

The Chinola garment is very distinctive and makes the Chinola individuals quite easy to identify.

The Sombrero is an essential part of the Chinola attire. The more expensive, and the higher the number of "equis" (quality) in the hat's label, the better.

The shirt is usually a short-sleeve checkered shirt, but the wealthiest Chinola will wear custom-made silk shirts with unique designs like The Marijuana Plant or La Virgen de Gudalupe on the back of his shirt.

The Chinola usually wears Levi's jeans supported by a Cinto Pitiado (a tawny-colored leather belt embroidered with creamy white threads obtained from the Agave plant.)

It's not unusual for the Chinola to wear several mobile phone and Nextel radios around his belt, as part of his, sometimes nebulous, 'businesses'. In the early 1990s, pagers were also widely used among the Chinola community.

Regarding footwear, the Chinola will usually use either leather huaraches (sandals), or if he's wealthier, exotic leather boots.

References in pop culture

The Nortec Collective has borrowed several elements of the Chinola sub-culture ever-present in Tijuana and have used them both in their songs (Narcoteque, Almada) and in their visuals and album covers.