They decorated their bodies in tattoos that represented their spiritual beliefs which usually was a mix between Catholicism and Native spirituality. In the 20s and 30s the city became known as “El Pachuco,” outlaws and smugglers were common there and became known as “pachucos.” They had their own subculture, working in the underground they were feared by many but took pride in who they were. El Paso, Texas borders Juarez, Mexico and has always been a crossing ground for Mexican immigrants. The history of Mexican Americans and the story of Freddie Negrete, the grandfather of photo realism tattooing and a child of Chicano culture, tells us how this design came together. The Smile Now, Cry Later tattoo design consists of two masks, one expressing comedy, and the other tragedy and is classically paired with “Smile Now, Cry Later” lettering. This month I want to highlight the significant role that Chicanos have played in American tattooing by discussing one of the most timeless tattoo designs, and one that anyone can connect to Smile Now, Cry Later. We would spend our nights riding lowrider bikes through downtown, shooting dice, talking to the neighborhood people who would pop in, sending tattoo designs to friends in the pen, writing graffiti, and roasting each other. There I learned the fundamentals in lettering, finer lines, black and gray realism, smooth shading, and how to make a customized tattoo that catered to the person getting it and the story that they had to tell. These early times in my tattoo career were some of the most memorable for me and have shaped the way I approach tattooing to this day. Lucky’s gave some of the best black and grey artists in Texas their roots. Lucky’s was the Chicano tattoo shop to go to when Deep Ellum had a tattoo boom in the early 2000s. I began tattooing in 2012 at Lucky’s in Dallas, TX which was located in Deep Ellum off of Main Street in the old Pair-O-Dice tattoo shop that was once owned by Richard Stell. He is famous for his production flash, black and grey tattoos, and wood cutouts. The shading was modeled after a Texas tattoo that was done by Lil’ Chris, who is a member of a prominent Chicano tattoo family, the Lunas, in Dallas, TX. My very first tattoo was a black and gray rose with Texas and a wing spread across my ribs. Chicano culture has always had a major influence on me throughout my tattoo career.
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