bajadero n.— «Since the black market abhors a vacuum, it was perhaps inevitable that the border would see the rise of the bajadero—loosely translated, a chicken-stealing member of the underworld, who makes money kidnapping illegal...
drop house n.— «Immigrants who are smuggled into the country typically are held at so-called drop houses until relatives pay their smuggling fees.» —“Many in ‘drop house’ headed East” by Maria T. Garcia Press...
cheddar n.— «Chicanos and immigrants use derisive terms for each other, including pocho (a term immigrants use for U.S.-born Latinos who don’t speak Spanish) and “cheddar” (for new arrivals who sprinkle cheese on their food or...
lipotourism n.— «Immigrants in New York City often develop and maintain commercial ties to their homelands. But this particular link, a dangerous version of what has come to be known as “lipotourism,” is one of the more...
migra n. the border patrol at the shared U.S. boundary with Mexico. Editorial Note: Used by Spanish-speaking undocumented immigrants as la migra. The border patrol, originally part of the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service, is now...
bull tailing n.— «The rodeo-like sport of bull tailing, or Toros Coleados, which Venezuelan immigrants have brought to South Florida, involves cowboys on horseback who grab a running bull by the tail and pull it down. There’s a similar...