Latino VoicesLatino Politicscowboyslv-life

How We Know The American Cowboy Is A Latino Invention

How We Know The American Cowboy Is A Latino Invention
Roque Planas
By 

National Reporter, HuffPost

Few images scream "America" more loudly than that of the southwestern cowboy. The United States can thank its Mexican heritage for creating this mythic figure. In a country where many continue to view Hispanics as foreign, a look back at the language of the Wild West serves as a reminder that Latinos taught Anglo immigrants in the Southwest how to be cowboys.

1
Mustang
Flickr:durdaneta
The word meaning that inspired one of America's most famous cars is a corruption of the Spanish "mesteño," meaning a "wild, untamed horse."
2
Lasso
Getty Images
Actually comes from the Spanish word "lazo," meaning "knotted rope," as well as more figurative terms like "tie" or "bond."
3
Sombrero
Flickr:pds209
Unsurprisingly, this is actually a Spanish word.
4
Ranch
Flickr:FAVPIXS
From the Spanish "rancho."
5
Buckaroo
Flickr:joansorolla
This is a corruption of the Spanish "vaquero," or "cowboy."
6
Stampede
WikiMedia:
From the Spanish "estampida."
7
Rodeo
Flickr:Base Camp Baker
The name for this American cowboy tradition is actually a Spanish word meaning "round up."
8
Lariat
Getty Images
Another word for lasso, this one derived from the Spanish "la riata."
9
Chaps
WikiMedia:
The leather coverings cowboys use for their legs were picked up from Latinos who called them "chaparreras."
10
Bronco
WikiMedia:
Cowboys borrowed this term for a wild horse from Spanish.
|
Submit a tip
Close

What's Hot