Goin' Gangsta, Choosin' Cholita

Q.:Some teenagers dismiss gangsta and cholo styles as "affections." What does it mean

 

 to call something an "affection"? What are some examples of an "affection". Is the

 

word used positively or negatively? When we call something "exotic" what do

 

we mean? Is it a favorable or unfavorable comment? Where does the word

 

come from?

 

A.:

In “Goin’ Gangsta, Choosin’ Cholita: Claiming Identity,” Nell Bernstein argues that

some young people have claimed racial identities other than their own and this is not a bad thing.  Some young people are influenced by music and television, and then they begin to mimic the things they hear and see while other people claim to be races they are not because of association or they only claim part of their identity.  Bernstein explains that as time goes by the suburbs are becoming more diverse and people in the suburbs have become infatuated with the “city life”.  At the same time, others have found it too hard to be white or their own race, so they claim another ethnicity, or only part of theirs to fit in.  Bernstein believes that being who you want to be is what the 21^st century is all about.