Tags: high school cliques
05/14/08
Some of you may know because you're parents and some of you may remember from your own educational experience that all students play together through grammar school, i.e., if Osama bin Laden had met George Bush in grammar school, they’d have traded puddings during lunch and then have played a game of "Crusaders and Jihadis" during recess. In middle school (Jr. High for the mature set), things change and kids break up into different cliques or groups. The process continues until retirement when once again they all play together again in Vegas or Branson.
This post describes the different groups or cliques from my beloved place of employment, Huntington Park High School. Now, as I describe these groups, some of you may become alarmed, but it’s not my intention to cause parents or culture-watchers concern, and while some consternation may be warranted, much will be excessive, for the vast majority of students outgrow their strangeness. Even many of those who hold on to their faux-rebellion and bourgeoisie-bashing go on to lead lucrative if not productive lives as graduate students or college professors. The only immediate threat is the gang-member, although even he is loved or at least "understood" by the aforementioned graduate students and college professors. I don't pretend that this list is comprehensive, but I think it should give an overview of the groups or cliques at HPHS in 2007 (none of the pictures are of actual HPHS students):
Normal
The vast majority of students are what I'd call "normal" in that they don't do anything most adults would find strange. These students are presently happy for the most part and future contributors to your social security.
Pretty Boys
Distinguishing marks: Star earrings on or even inside both ears and well-kept appearance.
Hair: Neat, short.
Clothes: Fashionable in the least offensive hip-hop style; shirts outside of pants.
Music- Reggaeton and other mainstream music preferred by Hispanics.
Movies: Mainstream.
Heroes: ?
Philosophy: Sort of the Hispanic equivalent of the mainstream metrosexual, they nonetheless reject the near-homosexual vibe put out by the metrosexual. They profess no political ideology or advocate any dangerous behavior except the normal underage drinking and partying. Note that actual physical “Prettiness” is not a requirement. They like Cadillac Escalades and “pimp-my-ride” type cars.
Behavior: Skirt-chasing.
Example of Pretty Boy earrings.
Greasers
Distinguishing marks: None.
Hair: Fifties-style duck tails for boys and Bettie Page pin-up style for the girls.
Clothes: Both wear jeans with the hems folded over and other fifties inspired clothing. Girls don’t wear skirts, however.
Music: Fifties Doo-Wop and early Rock and Roll, Stray Cats from the eighties, and some genres called "neo-rockabilly" and "punkabilly."
Movies: Grease.
Heroes: Elvis Presley
Philosophy: Nothing special that I can detect.
Behavior: Normal
Somethin' Else: The Fine Lookin' Hits of Eddie Cochran
Gangsters/ Cholos
Distinguishing marks: Gang-related tattoos; heavy, dark, make-up with thin, penciled eyebrows for girls.
Hair: Hairnets for those with long, slicked-back hair; shaved head for most, however. Girls have long, strait, hair often “feathered” back.
Clothes: Baggy pants and black Raider-colored polo shirts; over-sized Dickies work pants; belts have friction-slide buckles; athletic wear consists of same except that the Dickies pants are cut off to the ankles; girls wear black clothing.
Music: Oldies; Doo-wop and early Motown (Martha Wells is a favorite).
Movies: Blood In Blood Out; American Me.
Heroes: Tony Montana of Scarface. Don Corleone.
Hobbies: Many cholos like pencil drawing. I remember purchasing some from a juvenile offender when I worked at the California Youth Authority. Some collect Li'l Homies, below.
Philosophy: Brown/Chicano Pride (a moderate site compared to some), extreme masculinity, criminality, and drugs.
Behavior: Belligerent and criminal, but their behavior is mediated somewhat by a code of honor.
Taggers
Same as above, but only commit graffiti-type crimes; probably do not have tattoos.
Again, with the proud anti-antiestablishmentarianism.
Paisas
Nearly all of the students at Huntington Park high school are Hispanic with the overwhelming majority of those coming from Mexico. "Paisas" are those students who especially enjoy Mexican culture-specifically, Northern Mexican culture where vaqueros or cowboys are in style. Think Texas.
Distinguishing marks: None.
Hair: Normal
Clothes: Some may wear cowboy boots, but they dress normally for the most part.
Music: Mexican Norteno, Banda; Chalino Sanchez I and II.
Movies: Mainstream.
Heroes: Chalino Sanchez.
Philosophy: May not be as assimilationist as other recent immigrants, but not officially anti-assimilation. This may be a transition phase shile they choose one of the other groups.
Behavior: Normal
Tucanes de Tijuana are one of the more popular groups.
Heavy Metal
Distinguishing Marks: None.
Hair: Long, in the style of 1986 Bon Jovi and 2007 Tommy Lee.
Clothes: Van Halen, Metalica T-shirts, Levis. I've also seen Stradivarius.
Music: Heavy Metal. Some enthusiastically opposed to poseur-rock and “Hair-band” heavy metal and make a point of distancing themselves from such music. Don't call them "Emos."
Heroes: People who produce many metal albums, but don't "sell out" (Produce a rock ballad.).
Philosophy: No deviation from norm.
Behavior: Nothing out of ordinary. Mild anti-authority.
Randy Rhoads
Skaters
Distinguishing marks: None
Clothes: Vans, Levis.
Hair: Varied, but usually longer.
Music: I forgot to ask, but I’m thinking its alternative rock.
Movies: Various skating videos, Jackass, and Bumbfights.
Philosophy: Varies from skating is fun to Skateboarding is not a crime pretentiousness and grievance.
Fresas (Or, now, "Pretty Girls" for non-Spanish speakers)
Fresa is a Mexican term for somebody from a privileged background. American equivalents would be Yuppie for adults and Valley girl or Preppy for adolescents. It seems strange that such a term would be used in what is a lower middle-class neighborhood, but these things are relative.
Hair: Normal and nice, very feminine and sometimes elaborate for the girls.
Clothes, Clean, normal, fashionable in the mainstream sense.
Philosophy: Positive. Many are eager to take advantage of America’s opportunities.
Behavior: Non-offensive. Adhere to what most would consider positive American values.
Fey by Varios Natalia Lafourcade Genitallica Elefante Zoe Fey Volovan Pulpo Ximena
Jocks
Present at every high school, Huntington Park is no exception.
Clothes: Normal with athletic attire and letterman jackets mixed-in.
Hair: Mainstream.
Music: Mainstream
Movies: Mainstream. Possibly more action-oriented.
Heroes: Various athletes.
Philosophy: Positive, can-do, performance-based judgment as opposed to idea-based. For some reason, athletes are more receptive to conservatism.
Behavior: I’ve observed mostly positive behavior.
Machorras
These young ladies are part of a movement which I’ll call "Lesbian chic." At Huntington Park and, I would imagine, other high schools, lesbianism and homosexuality are not frowned upon by the general population. In fact, they're somewhat fashionable. The origin of its popularity has many possible causes which I’ll explore at a later time. I suspect it’s a phase for the majority of the girls. Of course, there are openly homosexual boys, but I can't categorize them as a group with a uniform style other than to say that they act more feminine and mostly have girls as friends. Male homosexual students are never openly affectionate with each other while Machorras are- very.
Hair: Long, straight, and in a pony tail.
Clothes: Masculine-looking attire reigns here; polo shirts and baggy, unflattering denim.
Music: Mainstream
Movies: Mainstream
Heroes: ?
Philosophy: Like many of the groups, Machorras seem to enjoy their counterculturalness.
Behavior: Mainstream.
Nerds
Students interested in academics and/or smart students. Many nerds also belong to one of the other groups. They may be, for example, Heavy Metal or Yu Gi Oh nerds.
Clothes: Nothing special.
Hair: Varied.
Philosophy: Many nerds profess a left world view. Why this is the case falls beyond the purview of this article, but is, nonetheless the case, generally. I'll discuss at a later time.
Actions: Many students involve themselves with school and its activities.
Wannabees
Clothes, hair, and philosophy: Like gangster above, but don't commit crime.
Rebelde
Recent immigrant children devoted to Mexican-youth trends such as the super-popular youth-oriented novella (soap opera), Rebelde.
Clothes: Tend to follow Mexican trends. Generally normal, but with trendy flashes such as Rebelde-style high school uniform ties or t-shirts.
Hair: Mexican trendy.
Philosophy: Generally, these students are happy, innocent, and cooperative.
Rebelde pushed the envelope by tackling such themes as teenage pregnancy and, of course, homosexuality. Mexicans now have little cultural advantage over the U.S.
Toy Taggers
The equivalent of Wannabees. These students parrot the philosophy and style of taggers, but don’t destroy property. They mostly tag in their notebooks.
Yu Gi Oh
High school students who haven’t outgrown things associated with younger adolescents such as the popular Japanese playing-card game, Yu Gi Oh. They're boys, have no distaff equivalent, and I don't see many girls flocking to them soon.
Hair and clothes: Because of a retarded interest in the opposite sex, hair and clothes are afterthoughts and therefore, generally sloppy and un-trendy.
Philosophy: These students are concerned with leveling up their characters. They have little interest in the operation of the real world.
Behavior: Nice; and quite animated when talking about their particular interest.
Skin Heads
Strange in a Mexican-American neighborhood, yet real.
Distinguishing marks: Tattoos.
Hair: Shaved heads, of course.
Clothes: Boots, chains.
Philosophy: Curiously, this group appropriates the style of a notorious racist group in order to promote anti-racism. As if they enjoy being asked whether they’re racists only to stridently point out that they’re not that kind of skinhead.
Behavior: ?
Punk Rockers
Distinguishing marks: Piercings, tattoos.
Hair: Unnaturally colored.
Clothes: Denim in various states of defilement.
Music: Punk, of course.
Philosophy: Officially anti-social.
Behavior: Indistinguishable from any other group.
Emos
"Emo" is a type of music that emphasizes negative emotions. This is the group other students love to hate.
Hair: Not quite punk rock style weird, but unconventional.
Clothes: Again, not quite punk-rock, but definitely not what one would wear on a job interview. Boys wear make up.
Music: Chemical Romance.
I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love
Philosophy: "Emo" is short for "emotional." Although they may deny it or even be unaware of the philosophy pertaining to this trend, Emos enjoy being depressed or, at least, acting depressed, and profess a nihilistic view of society. Their philosophy implies an interest in dark subjects, suicide, and self-mutilation.
Behavior: To me, their actual behavior is indistinguishable from normal students. It seems more like a pose.
Satanists
I don't know if this is the official name. They may go by something else.
Distinguishing marks: Punk-style mutilations.
Hair: Punk or Heavy Metal.
Clothes: Punk or Heavy Metal, but with an emphasis on pentagrams and upside-down crosses.
Music: Heavy Metal with dark, Satanic verses; Marilyn Manson.
Philosophy: Rulers of Hell rahter than servers in Heaven (or parents, specifically). Future fervent Christians, probably.
New! Christians
Seeing a few girls wearing long, denim skirts, my inner-sociologist prompted me to ask asked one of my students, "why." She replied that it was because they were Christians and that they "had" to. Suspicious, I asked one of the girls who wore the skirt and she admitted that it was more of a self-imposed rule, and that they did it out of "respect."
Of course, some students have always been drawn together by their religion, but this is the first time that I've noticed an actual style associated with it. In other words, Christian girls, for the first time I remember, want to stand out.
Style: I picked a skirt from the internet that approximated the style. Otherwise conservative and normal.
Philosophy: I'm guessing protestant as most Hispanic Catholics take their faith for granted.
Tags: c, groups in high school, high school cliques, high school clubs, high school divisions
