Projecting gender

Photo by: Ana Chavez

This "zoot suit bato" was inspired by the BATO CON KHAKIS by Jacinto Jesus Cardona.His poem describes what being a Chicano growing up in south Texas was in those times. They couldn't show that they wanted to better themselves with education they needed to only be street smart and protect their reps.They wore these khakis and vests to create this identity themselves as true batos.

Cardona portrays the khakis as a costume for these guys something they needed to wear sort of speak to be Chicano men in south Texas.The batos which means guys in slang needed to hide behind this disguise to act tuff and to not be book smart. "Could I be a bookish bato?" Cardona asks implying if you can be smart and tough with out someone calling you out for it.

This poem inspired me to put this picture of of a guy in a disguise pretending to be a zoot suit wearing bato.He clearly is posing to look tough but would he look tough if he was wearing casual clothes, maybe not. That doesn't necessarily mean he isn't as tough as others it just means he doesn't dress the part.He doesn't fit the stereo type of a tough bato.But with that pose, suit and a clenched fist he could have anybody fooled.