Vato

When I was in high school class of '98, I remember most Avenues members being light-skinned Chicano types, none of which spoke an ounce of Spanish, save for Chicano slang like "vato" and "barrio." ❋ Unknown (2006)

It was the secret fantasy of every "vato" living in or out of the "pachucada" to put on the zoot suit and play the myth. ❋ Unknown (2003)

Yet each time they include me in the conversation, they refer to me as vato or loco or ese, terms used among Mexican Americans or their acculturated counterparts up and down California, both North and Baja. ❋ Daniel Hernandez (2011)

No, not with her blonde hair and blue eyes but George Lopez, look out vato! ❋ Unknown (2010)

October 26th, 2009 at 7: 47 pm andale vato gazomaz ❋ Unknown (2009)

By now I hear the George Lopez imitators saying as they go back to their internet shopping, "Geez vato, why you cryin'?" ❋ Vito De La Cruz (2011)

And so you listen to the first vato that comes along and whispers sweet nothings in your ear. ❋ ReShonda Tate Billingsley (2010)

Those who are actually “jumped in” to neighborhoods perform reconnaissance, stir things up, and often shame the males into fighting—“Are you going to let that vato just walk over there, across the street and NOT do anything about it?” ❋ Gregory Boyle (2010)

The bad news: you know the twenty-year-old vato, calling from jail... ❋ Gregory Boyle (2010)

The hard vato with his gangster pose has morphed into a thoughtful, measured man, aware of gifts and talents previously obscured by the unreasonable demands of his gang life. ❋ Gregory Boyle (2010)

“You are talking... to an employed vato right now.” ❋ Gregory Boyle (2010)

In contrast, very few white individuals seek to tap their inner vato. ❋ Unknown (2009)

Nebraska. down to Mission Bay, put the club on the wheel in case some vato was in the market for a snow-beat jeep, and donned my ❋ Unknown (2007)

The only words in this trailer are a lady screaming "Simón!" so at first I naturally thought she just meant "Fu#k yeah!" in vato slang. ❋ Unknown (2007)

You know, fake street cred. they'd be sayin to each other the whole next week, "Man, that Philboyd Stunge is one fast vato, he got a speeding ticket." ❋ BikeSnobNYC (2009)

Eventually I fell into a band with my drummer friend Dan and his vato grindcore fanatic friend Lee. ❋ Unknown (2009)

Lena is waiting for Tungi and their date, told the chubby vato to park on the street and honk. ❋ Unknown (2009)