Locsters

Traveling Locsters

1 week before leaving for El Salvador I found my self scrambling to find my nephew a going away gift. My friend Louis and I walked down Market St. window shopping. We decided to enter Toys Co on Market St. I looked around and decided to purchase my nephew a set of "Locsters" toys, why not! I thought that it was not so much that I was giving into stereotype or condoning it to my nephew but more so about being proud of the Latino culture for what it is, in barrios of inner cities. The locsters figurines included "Big Chino"," Frankie Furious", Tattoo Tony","Player", "Officer Perez", and " Nabster". I was celebrating this culture that so many people misunderstand. I was a boxer just like "Frankie Furious" I play basketball like "Tony" and I am learning to become a tattoo artist like "Player". It was more about relating to these really chingon things you can do! I showed Louis the toys and he liked them.

I had run out of time in mailing my nephew his "Locsters". It was the day of my trip to Central America, about to board flight 87 to San Salvador, El Salvador. I thought well I could always mail this from El Salvador.

Two and a half weeks into my stay at the Hacienda Colima I find myself with my Cousin Camilo, Tio Samuel, Amanda Green and Matt swimming relaxing.. Camilo noticed my Locsters figurines sitting in my bed and asked me what they were. I put the toys in his face and he could not believe how amazing they were. I told him that some people had criticized me of supporting stereotypes. We both agreed that this figurines were not about stereotypes but about culture and celebrating it. I decided to give Camilo my Locsters hehe, I think he will enjoy them more.

Two weeks after this incident I have not been able to stop thinking about the Locsters figurines and how I took them to El Salvador and gave them to my cousin Camilo when I initially wanted to give them to my nephew. I thought of them as a truly American product in different ways. Product from the perspective that cultures in the US become a parodies of themselves after commercialization and packaging take over. Product from a import/export perspective. The figurines were after all exported to El Salvador just like how people that would be associated to "Big Chino" have been deported to El Salvador for being involved with gangs. I thought of them as American not only in the Anglo Saxon sense but Pan American or as I like to now say American-from north to South, including everyone, present and past. However, I was most intrigued by how my act was an echo of what a person during the Aztec period would have done, which is of traveling far away trading precious stones and imposing certain figurines celebrating a certain cultural icon.