Why is Oxnard nicknamed lil chicago and city of chiques?
CHIQUES means OXNARD. All the Varrios in Oxnard use it in their name and placasos. La COLONIA is a section of town on the east side, and COLONIA CHIQUES is only one Varrio within the city of Oxnard, therefore COLONIA does not equal CHIQUES. COLONIA CHIQUES is a Varrio within the boundaries of the city of Oxnard, as well as a defined community of the city. Nevertheless, COLONIA CHIQUES has cliques all over the town. They are like the 18 Street of Oxnard. In the 1930’s and 1940’s the drug trade and crime grew. People began making references about Colonia to the city of Chicago. This seemed to be rooted in several theories. One was the expanding drug trade and a growing belief that Oxnard was a major drug distribution point for southern California that stretched to the city of Chicago. There was also some migration of families who had arrived here from Chicago. Finally, there was also a proud belief by Oxnard’s underworld that their criminal activity paralleled Chicago, including the gang
