Love in the hood? He’s only 41 miles away and comes equipped with sombrero, maracas and is a big fan of soft-shell tacos. TGIF from all the Pochodores and good luck.
Wyatt Cenac : Sorry, brown-skinned actors can’t be Hobbits (video)
The Daily Show’s Wyatt Cenac reveals a dark (skinned) secret about the casting of background extras for the Hobbit movies.
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Mas…Wyatt Cenac : Sorry, brown-skinned actors can’t be Hobbits (video)
Chemistry Cat presents ‘Guacamole for Science Nerds’
Chemistry Cat knows how to make good guac. Add to his knowledge base here.
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Subcommandante Marcos retires, will work on restaurant
(PNS reporting from CHIAPAS, MX) Subcommandante Marcos, leader of the Zapatista rebels (EZLN) in southern Mexico, has announced that he is leaving the group’s leadership.
He said he no longer spoke on behalf of EZLN but will instead focus on his restaurant empire in Chicago.
In Havana, Cuba, SK8Rz gonna SK8 (video)
Yojani Pérez Rivera aka Mamerto and his 23yG crew are on the skating edge of the new Cuba. This just-released documentary short is part of a fundraising effort to get the kids some gear and upgrade the skate park in Havana. [Video via Cuba Skate.]
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Study shows brown skin, tattoos will cost you money on Craigslist
A year-long study has shown that potential buyers were less likely to contact Craigslist sellers with brown skin and/or tattoos.
And when contact was made, according to the research, the prices offered for identical items were less.
Sociological Images has the story:
Mas…Study shows brown skin, tattoos will cost you money on Craigslist
Where do immigrants come from? These days, the answer is ‘Mexico’
These days in Aztlan — and across lots of the United Estates — most immigrants come from Mexico, but it wasn’t always that way. A hundred years ago or so they were from Germany.
The Pew Research Center reports:
Mas…Where do immigrants come from? These days, the answer is ‘Mexico’
Outlaw on the run? You’ve got ‘Compadres in the Sierra Madre’ (video)
Like many American songs ostensibly about Old Mexico, this song is really about America. San Francisco’s eclectic The Waybacks, like all smart outlaws, cross the Rio Grande to hook up with like-minded Compadres in the Sierra Madre. Swinging arrangement, cowboy lyrics? Could this be Western Swing?
Here are the lyrics and chords in case you want to swing along:
Mas…Outlaw on the run? You’ve got ‘Compadres in the Sierra Madre’ (video)
American Jews: Maybe your grandparents were ‘illegals’ too (audio)

In my family, they say that Abuelo Abraham Saenz, wearing his WWI U.S. Army uniform, “smuggled” one of his sisters (photo, above) into the country via the Port of Philadelphia, wrapping the girl up in a fur coat so she looked like a rich lady.
The scheme was “dress to impress” so the MIGRA wouldn’t think to question her bonafides. She was illiterate, the story goes, and that wasn’t kosher for poor Jewish would-be immigrants from Ukraine in the early 1900s. The rich bitch trick worked, my great aunt got through immigration and everyone lived happily ever after.
Our family story, it turns out, isn’t unique. There were poor Jews who sneaked across the Mexican border near El Paso, and families smuggled in the cargo holds of ships packed with illegal Cuban rum during Prohibition.
Mas…American Jews: Maybe your grandparents were ‘illegals’ too (audio)
That Chipotle thing? America loves beans but hates beaners (video)
You know that thing about Chipotle Mexican Grill and how they couldn’t find any Mexican or Latino writers to decorate their bags?
POCHO amigo Gustavo ¡Ask A Mexican! Arellano explains:
Americans love Mexican foods, he says, but hate Mexicans. In other words, they love the beans but hate the beaners.
George Lopez helps Sandra Bullock be ‘more Latina’ (video)
She only has one wish, Sandra Bullock told George Lopez in 2009: She wants to be “more Latina.” Sympathetic Lopez gets Bullock a chola makeover.
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Mas…George Lopez helps Sandra Bullock be ‘more Latina’ (video)
Exposed! Mexican Bigfoot is a hairy human who hops trains (video)
Holy Spaghetti Monster! The cryptozoological mystery of the elusive Mexican Bigfoot has been solved at last, courtesy Mark Anders.
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Mas…Exposed! Mexican Bigfoot is a hairy human who hops trains (video)
Johnny Sanchez on George Lopez: Yup, I’m Mexican (video)
Being brown, growing old, living as a short person — Johnny Sanchez shares TMI about the intimate secrets of Mexican-American men.
You won’t believe how much your favorite music act costs
How much would it cost to hire your favorite act for a show?
How much for Los Lobos (photographed at their Greek Theatre Cinco de Mayo show)?
How much for Christina Aguilera? For Shakira? Justin Bieber? Selena Gomez? Snoop? Los Lonely Boys? Ozomatli?
A Priceonomics report crunched the numbers and here are a few of the uprising results.
Mas…You won’t believe how much your favorite music act costs
Your friendly, neighborhood Mexico City bakery (video)
Honey, please stop by the panaderia on your way home and pick up some pastries for dessert, OK? [Video by Diario.]
Hey, News Channel 8 dude: Where is the REAL news? (video)
On News Channel 8, right before the 5-Day Forecast, there was an impassioned plea for real news. Not that fake news about Miley Cyrus. Or Ñews. Call it an exploration of the through-the-looking-glass world of media making media mocking media, where everything you know is wrong. There’s a signpost up ahead, in the POCHO Zone.
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Mas…Hey, News Channel 8 dude: Where is the REAL news? (video)
Munchies in Oaxaca? This video tells you where to go!
Daniel Hernandez tells you where to go when you’re hungry in Oaxaca. [Video by Munchies TV]
The YouTube explains:
Food: It’s what’s for dinner, but what does the food think? (video)
Some crazy kids from CalArts 2014 created a stop-motion animated video starring food that talks about food and their teachers and parents and friends helped them. (Extra credit for eggplant love scene.)
Watch: Elise Roedenbeck reads ‘Dinosaur Porn’ (Yes, it’s a thing!)
POCHO amiga Elise Roedenbeck (who is sill on our masthead as NYC Bureau Chief Emeritus the fact of which we are periodically required to remind you of as a result of the settlement order, without admitting or denying guilt and/or culpability) explores the steamy sexy world of Dino Porn. These big hunks o’ meat are horny and your scent is just perfect. Elise is @buttronica on the Twitter. Don’t tell T-Rex we were sexting!
Johnny Sanchez Show: Auditions for ‘Latino X-Men’ (NSFW video)
Now that the reconquista is complete and Latinos actually run the Hollywood they’ve built, cleaned, gardened, babysat and fed all these the years, the Movie Mogulistas are prepping Latino X-Men. Johnny Sanchez, a reporter for The Flama, was at the auditions. [NSFW adult language.]
Christina Angelina paints massive mural in Downtown L.A. (video)
Venice, California artist Christina Angelina and friends recently painted a massive mural on an apartment building wall in downtown Los Angeles. Here’s how they did it.
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Mas…Christina Angelina paints massive mural in Downtown L.A. (video)
Pocho Ocho upworthy Latino quotes Chipotle should have used
As POCHO amigo Gustavo Arellano noted Friday, Chipotle Mexican Grill pulled a boner when it decided to put short stories from ten famous authors on its cups and bags but couldn’t find one Latino with words worthy enough to wrap its burritos.
There’s now a Facebook book group organizing around this issue and the Pochodores have been brainstorming inspirational packaging ideas as well.
First off all, short stories? Srsly? TL;DR, amiright?
Here are the Pocho Ocho more upworthy Latino quotes Chipotle should have used:
8. There’s a reason you separate the military and the police. One fights the enemies of the state, the other serves and protects the people. When the military becomes both, then the enemies of the state tend to become the people. (Commander William Adama.)
7. Repression….Recession. It’s all the same thing, man. (Cheech Marin.)
6. In a way, all of us has an El Guapo to face some day. For some, shyness might be their El Guapo. For others, a lack of education might be their El Guapo. For us, El Guapo is a big, dangerous guy who wants to kill us. But as sure as my name is Lucky Day, the people of Santa Poco can conquer their own personal El Guapo, who also happens to be the actual El Guapo. (Lucky Day.)
Mas…Pocho Ocho upworthy Latino quotes Chipotle should have used
Today’s Word: Pronunciation, definition of ‘chingadera’ (NSFW video)
Pat Cordes, one of the mujeres chingonas responsible for the Mexico Guru website, demonstrates the proper pronunciation of chingadera, and then she uses it correctly in a sentence. [NSFW adult language.]
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Mas…Today’s Word: Pronunciation, definition of ‘chingadera’ (NSFW video)
Shoutout to the Pinoys and Yo-Yos of Califas: You’re #3 (infographic)

Slate’s infographic mapping magic illustrates what we knew already — across most of the United Estates, Spanish is almost always the most commonly-spoken language besides English.
But after English and Spanish, what’s Numero Tres? Here in California, it’s Tagalog, first language of a quarter of all Filipinos and the second language of most. Pinoys, ruled by both Spain and the U.S., are the honorary (?) Latinos of Asia.
Tagalog? If you’ve got cooties, or play with a yo-yo, or live in the boondocks, you’re speaking Tagalog.
There are also unexpected results in Texas and Florida and New York and Illinois and…. Here’s the spoken language third place map:
Mas…Shoutout to the Pinoys and Yo-Yos of Califas: You’re #3 (infographic)







