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Home Tattoos 101 Best Cholo Tattoo Ideas That Will Blow Your Mind!

101 Best Cholo Tattoo Ideas That Will Blow Your Mind!

by Jamie Wilson
Cholo Tattoo

Are you looking for some of the best Chicana or Chicano tattoos? Here is a curated selection of the really popular cholo tattoo designs that will blow you away!

Cholo Tattoo
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The cholo tattoo, also popularly known as Chicana or Chicano, has deep-rooted Mexican history and a back story that remains relevant even after decades.

Its meaning evolved from the Chicana movement in California. Therefore, it should not be considered a universal term.

One should conduct thorough research before getting it tattooed on their body parts. In modern terminology, ‘cholo’ can be defined as a Mexican-American person, typically a female, who is either a part of or associates herself with gang members. Some commonly used adjectives you might come across are Chicana or Chicano, meaning ‘a person from Mexican origin’. The ‘cholo’ meaning also stems from the Mexican history with Aztec culture. Aztecan culture would represent the picture of a female warrior with tattoos on her arm and face and was a way to show superiority and connection.

A cholo tattoo can be used both as a temporary and permanent tattoo. However, it is ideal to get a permanent one to respect its history. One bonus tip is to get a cholo tattoo done on specific body parts like the lower back, face, neck, and arms to pay respect to the Chicano community. Historically, a cholo tattoo represents women who express themselves through their body art and have given the art of tattooing a positive impact in history.

Enigmatic Cholo Tattoo

Enigmatic Cholo Tattoo
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A cholo tattoo symbolizes strength, respect, and esteem. Typically famous amongst women who desire to be perceived as warriors in their own community, the cholo tattoo rings with historical relevance related to Aztec culture.

This monochromatic cholo tattoo is a depiction of a bold woman donning clown makeup, symbolizing socio-typical views of Chicana feminism that abhorred the traditional roles that Mexican-American women of the “household” portrayed. The masking effect of the tattoo adds more to the relevance of the picture because it portrays the stereotypical roles played by the ‘women of the house’ are all farcical. Hidden behind the mask is a whole new persona, and to signify a meaningful image behind your tattoo, this particular one is an ideal choice for your skin.

Woman With Guns Cholo Forearm Tattoo

Woman With Guns Cholo Forearm Tattoo
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This Cholo tattoo is one of the best tattoos to go for if you are from or are enthusiastic about Chicana culture. Not only does it signify the strong yet, seductive power that women from the Chicana movement portrayed, but also their inclination towards guns and gang culture.

It might be a lot to cover on your skin when it comes to tattooing and will require you to conduct thorough research to look for a good tattoo artist in your area, but it is worth going through the grueling process. Not only will you pay respect to the badass Chicano women who decided to rebel against the misogynist social system, but you will also be proof that you have full support for them and what they stand for. This tattoo is also a great choice to cover up pre-existing tattoos and portraits you want to remove from your skin via tattooing.

Cholo Gangster Woman Of Power Tattoo

Cholo Gangster Woman Of Power Tattoo
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A Cholo woman can be your best dream and your worst nightmare. This is what these detailed cholo tattoos portray. You can opt for either one of the three or even get all of them tattooed at once. Each one of them can have its own significance attached.

The first one portrays a seductive and attractive woman with the letters L, I, V, and E inked on her fingers, symbolizing the power struggle that women have lived through. The second one is more symbolic because it portrays a smiling woman taking off a mask with the initials C, R, and Y. The third one is significantly more attractive when it comes to the design aspects. What makes it really feature out is the implementation of the year, which can be customized as per historical relevance or personal preference.

Monochromatic Cholo Clown With Rose Tattoo

Monochromatic Cholo Clown With Rose Tattoo
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The importance of clowns in Chicana or Mexican culture is significantly expansive. It represents their id and the importance they give to humor no matter how dark and dreary reality can get. This tattoo of a cholo woman donning the clown visage and wearing a seductive look on her face symbolizes that itself. What makes it unique is its detail as well as the absolute artistic beauty that it is inked in monochrome. This tattoo represents a femme fatale image that the women of the Chicana movement stood for. With a rose to complete the entire intricate design, the tattoo is an example of the exemplary body art that female warriors of Aztecan culture donned.

Intriguing Female Cholo Tattoo With Cholo Font

Intriguing Female Cholo Tattoo With Cholo Font
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A cholo font tattoo should ring with historical relevance associated with feminine power and strength that emanated from the Chicana movement. This cholo tattoo comes with great detail and artistic perfection.

What makes it a standout amongst others is its attention to detail and shading, as well as the addition of the cholo font. You can choose to add any other cholo element like a gun or gangster paraphernalia and customize the font as per your own preference. This tattoo design is far too intricate and requires skilled hands that have years of tattooing experience. Therefore, it is always preferable to do your research before you make your final decision to get inked.

Detailed Grey Mesmerizing Cholo Tattoo For Chest

Detailed Grey Mesmerizing Cholo Tattoo For Chest
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Getting a chest tattoo requires a significant amount of mental mettle as well as pain tolerance. Since cholo tattoos are significantly large, you must be emotionally prepared to get it done on your chest. This one is a major example of an expansive Cholo tattoo. The attention to detail is massively extravagant as the relevance to the Mexican feminist movement rings well with the design. This tattoo is more like a snippet of the history behind the movement and the persona of the Mexican household women who rebelled against staunch misogynist societal norms and asserted independence. They resorted to taking up arms literally against the patriarchal society that ran the society at large for their rights to freedom. If you do not want such a massive tattoo, you can also have some of the elements from it. Another option would be to get a temporary tattoo or resort to similar technologies just to don a one-time wonder on your skin.

Clown Cholo Gangster Tattoo

Clown Cholo Gangster Tattoo
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The clown is an important and recurring image in Mexican culture. This cholo tattoo consists of two very artistically drawn avant-garde portraits of two gangster clowns with bared jarring teeth.

This tattoo is also associated with the gangster culture combined with Chicano feminism. The detailed design, the clown outlook, and the gangster paraphernalia are seemingly disturbing but add more enigma to the gangster image that the Chicano women portrayed during the movement.

Realistic Cholo Style Clown Tattoo

Realistic Cholo Style Clown Tattoo
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The clown symbol is highly important to Mexicans because of the importance it gives to humor even in the darkest of times. This realistic cholo tattoo of a woman donning clown makeup portrays exactly that.

The most significant thing to keep in mind is attention to detail. Make sure that you conduct enough research on the tattoo artist you want to get this from. A realistic tattoo like this needs skilled hands to bring this design to life with ink. You can optionally get this design tattoed on your chest as well because of its beauty and elegance.

Cool Cholo Font Tattoo

Cool Cholo Font Tattoo
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Cholo fonts are a rage amongst Mexicans and tattoo enthusiasts because they look attractive and eye-catching. They can be inked on not only the neck.

It is a versatile tattoo idea that can be implemented on any part of your body, be it your chest, forearm, calves, or even on your face if you feel pretty bold. What makes this cholo font tattoo unique is its detailed style as well as the fact that it is customizable. You can even opt for a temporary tattoo option if you don’t want a permanent one and like changing tattoos.

Gun Girl Cholo Style Tattoo

Gun Girl Cholo Style Tattoo
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Guns, symbolically, have great significance in Cholo and Chicano culture. It signifies power and gangster hood that the Chicano women indulged in to rebel against the pre-existing discriminatory societal norms that saw Mexican-American women in a condescending light.

This cholo tattoo reminds us of everything that the femme fatale of the Chicano movement stood for. This detailed exceptionally good tattoo is ideal for a tattoo sleeve or a full leg tattoo if you are looking for one.

Cholo tattoos are an exceptionally unique choice of tattoos if you are into the tattoo culture. If you want to go for tattoos that have historical significance, you can opt for this particular type of tattoo, but you need to have significant knowledge about it.

Some more suggestions for related tattoos are given below.

Feature Image from Pinterest

What is the meaning of a cholo tattoo?

A cholo tattoo is a form of body art that originated in Southern California during the late 1960s and early 1970s. It was popularized by Mexican American gangs and is characterized by dark, bold lines with simple imagery. Common designs feature iconic symbols such as crosses, skulls, roses, dice, playing cards, initials, lightning bolts and hearts. These tattoos often have a deep personal meaning and are used to represent the lifestyle of the person wearing them. They are also seen as a source of pride for many Mexican Americans, representing their culture and heritage. Moreover, some cholo tattoos may feature religious imagery such as Jesus Christ or various saints. The meaning of these tattoos can vary greatly from person to person, but most often reflect their love for their culture and their loyalty to the gang lifestyle. Thus, a cholo tattoo carries both spiritual and cultural significance for many individuals.

How do I choose a cholo tattoo?

Choosing a cholo tattoo is an important decision and should be given careful thought. Start by getting inspired by researching the various designs that are common in cholo tattoos, such as crosses, skulls, roses and playing cards. Think about what meaning you want your tattoo to have and find a design that reflects this. You may also want to choose a tattoo artist who is experienced in creating cholo tattoos and understands the cultural significance behind them. It’s also important to think about where you want your tattoo placed, as some locations are more painful than others. Finally, make sure that you are taking proper care of your cholo tattoo to ensure that it lasts for years to come.

How much does a cholo tattoo cost?

The cost of a cholo tattoo will depend on the size and complexity of the design, as well as where it is placed. Generally speaking, these tattoos tend to be more expensive than other types of tattoos due to their intricate designs and cultural significance. The average cost for a small cholo tattoo can range anywhere from $50 to $200, while larger pieces may cost $500 or more. Additionally, some tattoo artists may charge extra for any special requests or custom designs. Finally, it’s important to remember that the quality of the artwork is just as important as the cost, so make sure you find an experienced and reputable artist to create your cholo tattoo.

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