Urban countercultures have penetrated the mainstream throughout history. The hip-hop aesthetic, gothic clothing, and skater grunge are all examples of this phenomenon. Like a new form of gentrification, style elements change quality according to context. Recently, one particular Los Angeles fashion figure has shown up to the trend party: the chola.

We grew up in and around the LA area, and went through our chola phases. I’d like to promise you that those days have passed, but to be completely honest, we still have chola tendencies.

What is the chola aesthetic? The chola is the counterpart to the cholo: she wears hoops, dark lip liner, has thin lined eyebrows (often tattooed), and sometimes scrunches her hair. She can wear anything from loose plaid button-ups and wife-beaters, to tight stretchy no-pocket jeans. Traditionally, she rocks her signature teardrop cheek tattoo. Oh yeah, and she loves eyeliner.

A makeup tutorial went viral a few years ago, breaking down the beauty routine of the chola. This took her from regionally to internationally known…or so we thought.

One Halloween, I dressed as a chola. I went to a party here in LA attended by international students and some from other parts of the U.S. When I walked in, they were confused and unamused.

“What are you?” they asked.

“I’m a chola!” They stared blankly.

One guy broke the silence, “That means prostitute in Miami.” They all laughed.

Now I was unamused. How dare they insult my beloved chola, the goddess of Chicano LA?! I was a bit surprised at myself when I realized how offended I was. It truly felt like an attack on my city. I thought to myself if these assholes live in LA and can’t recognize what I am then they really don’t know the roots of the city they now call home.

There are socioeconomic and racial undertones to this figure, as with hip-hop culture. She began impoverished; she is a woman of color. She has an unfortunately mixed association with certain groups, one that is “less-than” or unequal. In her glory and truth, she is the representation of a people continuing their native culture while building something new in an American city. These people identified with the community they built through decided aesthetics in order to hold steadfast to the feeling of belonging. In the streets of gang-ridden and race-divided LA, it was a survival technique. And it worked. The culture they created survived, and still thrives in 2015. In fact, the Chicano/Chicana foundation on which Los Angeles was founded is precisely what gives the city its unique identity.

Bolivia has a group of native women known as cholitas. They have a totally different style and culture from those in LA, but there is a connection. Once subjugated like gypsies, these resilient women have now become fashion icons in their own right.

Trend evolution doesn’t just alter fashion; it affects the social reputations of isolated communities. Much like the gentrification of formerly ignored neighborhoods, fresh generations arrive and rediscover those existing subcultures, celebrating them and giving them a new meaning and context. That is to say the cholas and cholitas of the world never changed or apologized for who they are, with time the society around them simply opened up and embraced their culture.

The chola aesthetic has even infiltrated haute couture. The Blonds Spring/Summer 2015 collection is our favorite example of this crossover. Bamboo gold earrings, defined lips, inconveniently long nails—it is pure magic. Another recent highbrow example of the style fusion is Givenchy’s “Victorian Chola” Fall 2015 collection. Popstars like Lady Gaga, Rihanna, and Beyonce have even used the style in their music videos and photoshoots.

Mexican iconography has set trends far beyond Los Angeles. The Chicana story, in all its forms, has impacted even the most unlikely worlds. The chola, like the goddess Guadalupe, inspires the urban woman existing inside many of us. The strength and boldness of her unapologetic style have struck a chord around the world. Who wouldn’t want to channel all that she represents? She’s stuck around this long and held her own.

As the chola infiltrates other worlds, worlds that were once out of reach, her elements may shift meaning. But, in Los Angeles, and in all of us hoop-wearing women, her story will stay bright and true. You can’t deny it: on city streets and sidewalks, whether you love it or hate it, chola chic is here to stay. And we can’t get enough.