La Raza
Chicano Slang in Old-School Hip-Hop: The Words Kid Frost, Cypress Hill and Mellow Man Ace Put on the Radio
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Add a word/Sounds like "LAH" (as in "lava") + "MEE" (as in "me") + "grah" (as in "grant")/
Meaning
The Chicano name for US immigration enforcement, especially ICE and Border Patrol. It is one of the most emotionally loaded words in the Chicano vocabulary, tied to deportation history and real, present fear. Hearing "viene la migra" in a neighborhood can freeze an entire block in place.
Examples
“ICE raided the market this morning.”
“If you see immigration officers, don't go out until they leave.”
Regional synonyms
Community
Your word isn't here yet
Join Hablaaa and add the expression no one else has documented.
/Sounds like "LAH" (as in "lava") + "MEE" (as in "me") + "grah" (as in "grant")/
Meaning
The Chicano name for US immigration enforcement, especially ICE and Border Patrol. It is one of the most emotionally loaded words in the Chicano vocabulary, tied to deportation history and real, present fear. Hearing "viene la migra" in a neighborhood can freeze an entire block in place.
Examples
“ICE raided the market this morning.”
“If you see immigration officers, don't go out until they leave.”
Regional synonyms
Articles featuring this word
Seña
In Bolivia, an improvised bus stop where you flag down a micro or trufi with your hand to make it pull over. Asking for "la seña" is the everyday way to get off at your spot.