By SHARK SCxCH A ST LS
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VARRIO SCALON CALLE A from CHIQUES
INITIALS “SC” and "SCxCH"
The SCALON name started out as “ESCALON” meaning a “STEP”, but in time La Raza morphed the name into SCALON.
It originally meant a “STEP” away from La COLONIA de CHIQUES
CHIQUES is a Pachuco Raza term of endearment for OXNARD. All the Varrios in Oxnard can use it in their varrio name and placasos.
But La COLONIA is only a section of Oxnard on the east side of town, and COLONIA CHIQUES is only just one of the many Varrios within the city limits, so don't get it confused because COLONIA does not equal all of CHIQUES.
How did Oxnard get its moniker of Chiques?
In the 1930’s and 1940’s the drug trade and crime grew in Oxnard, and people began making references about Oxnard's Colonia comparing it to the gangland city of Chicago. This seemed to be rooted in several theories. One was the expanding drug trade and a growing belief that Oxnard was a major drug distribution point for southern California that stretched to the city of Chicago. There was also some migration of families who had arrived here from Chicago. Finally, there was also a proud belief by Oxnard’s underworld that their criminal activity paralleled Chicago, including the gangster culture made famous by Al Capone. People from Colonia began unofficially referring to their neighborhood as “Little Chicago”. “Little Chicago” morphed immediately into the Spanish Calo version “CHIQUES” which means Little Chicago.
Over time Chiques became a reference to not just La Colonia but to the whole city of Oxnard. Some even tattooed “Little Chicago” on their body. Chiques ultimately became attached to most of Oxnard’s Varrios.
La COLONIA is where it is said to have all started in regards to the Chiques Varrio gangs; that’s where all the Mexicans lived back in the days, in that Colonia neighborhood on the east side of town. Colonia kind of looks like a little East L.A. and even La Colonia’s Felisha Courts projects look like the the Aliso Village projects of East Los.
When Little Chicago was changed to Chiques, La Raza didn’t say Colonia Chiques, they just said Chiques; they in no way referred to themselves as Colonia. When the first chicanos moved out of there to Hueneme or to the south side of town, they referred to themselves as from Escalon, meaning a Step away from Colonia; that's when those living on the old east side of Oxnard started referencing themselves as from La Colonia Chiques, but those from Hueneme and the south side, also known as Escalon started to claim Chiques in their name before La Colonia ever did. Nevertheless, La Colonia goes back to the 1940s, possibly even the 1930s.
Scalon goes back to the early 1960s, maybe even the 50s.
Scalon was born in the Port Hueneme housing projects.
Scalon Chiques formed over a series of events almost as old as COLONIA CHIQUES.
They did not have any car clubs associated with the forming of Scalon, nor did they organize in as a definitive manner.
Members of Scalon Chiques referred to their different generations as “chapters”.
Chapter One, the founding clique was the generation, which existed in the 1960s. These are the older Homeboys who are in their fifties and are considered the roots of Scalon Chiques. Many from Chapter 1 are torcidos, while others are now Resting In Peace.
In the 1960’s Chapter One lived predominantly in the area they named the Hueneme Projects. This was low rent housing that existed in the area of Hueneme Road and Ventura Road in Port Hueneme. The families existed on income produced from working as field laborers and in civil service. Adjacent to the area is the Port of Hueneme and the Naval Air Station. Near these projects was a park known as “Moranda Park” where handball courts became a popular hang out. These handball courts were later torn down.
Families slowly moved from the area of the “projects” into Oxnard. They settled in areas near Community Park, A Street, Bryce Canyon Avenue and West Spruce Street.
In the late 1970s, Scalon Chiques lost its unique single identification to two new developing clikas in the south area of Oxnard; Calle A, and Calle Paula. Up to this point in time there had been only raza who claimed El Escalon, and everyone else was from La Colonia.
Varrio members who live west of Saviers Road became known as Scalon Chiques Calle A, and east of Saviers Road became known as Scalon Chiques Calle Paula.
The Chapter Two homeboys existed and held up the varrio during the 1970s.
The original SCALON Chapter Two hung out at the Spruce Street Alley which ran all the way west to Ventura Road. This same alley became home grounds for CALLE A, which in both their placasos and name; they continued to reference themselves as SCALON.
In 1980, most of Chapter Two CALLE A, moved to Charles Street and the area of Perkins Road. Older gente from Chapter One remained in the area of A Street and Bryce Canyon Road, mostly behind the Liquor Cellar located at Channel Islands Blvd. and Saviers Rd.
The birth of SCALON CALLE A, took place in 1978 at a party in which raza who lived on A Street responded with a shout out of “A STREET” in response to a shout out by some gente from “COLONIA”. This party which occurred on Patterson and Island Boulevard marked the birth of CALLE A.
Paula Street varrio formed around 1977. A clique of raza attended Channel Islands High School and lived in the Blackstock north neighborhood. They were always kicking it around the Island Plaza shopping mall. They became known as the MAYFAIR BOYS so named after a store in the mall.
In 1979, they took on the name of Paula Street after a residential street where many of them lived. Paula Street vatos were jocks from Channel Islands High School who did not sport tacas but always had the shaved heads. They appeared to have been the first group of raza to have shaved heads in Oxnard while most other raza from the streets kept long hair. PAULA STREET was constantly having pleitos with people from the nearby Cal/Gisler neighborhood. In 1979 COLONIA placed a “green light” on PAULA STREET.
In 1983, PAULA STREET approached CALLE A with a peace proposition to go up together against COLONIA CHIQUES. CALLE A declined, and Paula Street then went to the vatos from EL RIO for the same reason, but the vatos from EL RIO declined as well. EL RIO eventually aligned with CALLE A to battle COLONIA CHIQUES.
To be continued . . .
VARRIO SCALON CALLE A from CHIQUES
INITIALS “SC” and "SCxCH"
The SCALON name started out as “ESCALON” meaning a “STEP”, but in time La Raza morphed the name into SCALON.
It originally meant a “STEP” away from La COLONIA de CHIQUES
CHIQUES is a Pachuco Raza term of endearment for OXNARD. All the Varrios in Oxnard can use it in their varrio name and placasos.
But La COLONIA is only a section of Oxnard on the east side of town, and COLONIA CHIQUES is only just one of the many Varrios within the city limits, so don't get it confused because COLONIA does not equal all of CHIQUES.
How did Oxnard get its moniker of Chiques?
In the 1930’s and 1940’s the drug trade and crime grew in Oxnard, and people began making references about Oxnard's Colonia comparing it to the gangland city of Chicago. This seemed to be rooted in several theories. One was the expanding drug trade and a growing belief that Oxnard was a major drug distribution point for southern California that stretched to the city of Chicago. There was also some migration of families who had arrived here from Chicago. Finally, there was also a proud belief by Oxnard’s underworld that their criminal activity paralleled Chicago, including the gangster culture made famous by Al Capone. People from Colonia began unofficially referring to their neighborhood as “Little Chicago”. “Little Chicago” morphed immediately into the Spanish Calo version “CHIQUES” which means Little Chicago.
Over time Chiques became a reference to not just La Colonia but to the whole city of Oxnard. Some even tattooed “Little Chicago” on their body. Chiques ultimately became attached to most of Oxnard’s Varrios.
La COLONIA is where it is said to have all started in regards to the Chiques Varrio gangs; that’s where all the Mexicans lived back in the days, in that Colonia neighborhood on the east side of town. Colonia kind of looks like a little East L.A. and even La Colonia’s Felisha Courts projects look like the the Aliso Village projects of East Los.
When Little Chicago was changed to Chiques, La Raza didn’t say Colonia Chiques, they just said Chiques; they in no way referred to themselves as Colonia. When the first chicanos moved out of there to Hueneme or to the south side of town, they referred to themselves as from Escalon, meaning a Step away from Colonia; that's when those living on the old east side of Oxnard started referencing themselves as from La Colonia Chiques, but those from Hueneme and the south side, also known as Escalon started to claim Chiques in their name before La Colonia ever did. Nevertheless, La Colonia goes back to the 1940s, possibly even the 1930s.
Scalon goes back to the early 1960s, maybe even the 50s.
Scalon was born in the Port Hueneme housing projects.
Scalon Chiques formed over a series of events almost as old as COLONIA CHIQUES.
They did not have any car clubs associated with the forming of Scalon, nor did they organize in as a definitive manner.
Members of Scalon Chiques referred to their different generations as “chapters”.
Chapter One, the founding clique was the generation, which existed in the 1960s. These are the older Homeboys who are in their fifties and are considered the roots of Scalon Chiques. Many from Chapter 1 are torcidos, while others are now Resting In Peace.
In the 1960’s Chapter One lived predominantly in the area they named the Hueneme Projects. This was low rent housing that existed in the area of Hueneme Road and Ventura Road in Port Hueneme. The families existed on income produced from working as field laborers and in civil service. Adjacent to the area is the Port of Hueneme and the Naval Air Station. Near these projects was a park known as “Moranda Park” where handball courts became a popular hang out. These handball courts were later torn down.
Families slowly moved from the area of the “projects” into Oxnard. They settled in areas near Community Park, A Street, Bryce Canyon Avenue and West Spruce Street.
In the late 1970s, Scalon Chiques lost its unique single identification to two new developing clikas in the south area of Oxnard; Calle A, and Calle Paula. Up to this point in time there had been only raza who claimed El Escalon, and everyone else was from La Colonia.
Varrio members who live west of Saviers Road became known as Scalon Chiques Calle A, and east of Saviers Road became known as Scalon Chiques Calle Paula.
The Chapter Two homeboys existed and held up the varrio during the 1970s.
The original SCALON Chapter Two hung out at the Spruce Street Alley which ran all the way west to Ventura Road. This same alley became home grounds for CALLE A, which in both their placasos and name; they continued to reference themselves as SCALON.
In 1980, most of Chapter Two CALLE A, moved to Charles Street and the area of Perkins Road. Older gente from Chapter One remained in the area of A Street and Bryce Canyon Road, mostly behind the Liquor Cellar located at Channel Islands Blvd. and Saviers Rd.
The birth of SCALON CALLE A, took place in 1978 at a party in which raza who lived on A Street responded with a shout out of “A STREET” in response to a shout out by some gente from “COLONIA”. This party which occurred on Patterson and Island Boulevard marked the birth of CALLE A.
Paula Street varrio formed around 1977. A clique of raza attended Channel Islands High School and lived in the Blackstock north neighborhood. They were always kicking it around the Island Plaza shopping mall. They became known as the MAYFAIR BOYS so named after a store in the mall.
In 1979, they took on the name of Paula Street after a residential street where many of them lived. Paula Street vatos were jocks from Channel Islands High School who did not sport tacas but always had the shaved heads. They appeared to have been the first group of raza to have shaved heads in Oxnard while most other raza from the streets kept long hair. PAULA STREET was constantly having pleitos with people from the nearby Cal/Gisler neighborhood. In 1979 COLONIA placed a “green light” on PAULA STREET.
In 1983, PAULA STREET approached CALLE A with a peace proposition to go up together against COLONIA CHIQUES. CALLE A declined, and Paula Street then went to the vatos from EL RIO for the same reason, but the vatos from EL RIO declined as well. EL RIO eventually aligned with CALLE A to battle COLONIA CHIQUES.
To be continued . . .