If you grew up with a Latino family, you are likely familiar with “El Chavo del Ocho,” a Mexican television series that reached enormous popularity in Latin America for several decades.
Since the show first aired in the 1970s, El Chavo del Ocho reached an approximate audience of 350 million across the Americas. The show is considered one of the most aired shows in television history and its characters are very beloved in the Latino culture.
Credit: Televisa
Yesterday when I noticed that El Chavo was on Netflix, I thought it was a great opportunity to share it for the first time with my seven-year-old daughter. I felt that sharing “El Chavo del Ocho” with my oldest daughter was like sharing my childhood with her.
Surprisingly, El Chavo raised more questions and concerns than enjoyment. She repeatedly asked:
“Why is that grown-up hitting the little boy?”
“Why is the woman hitting the man all the time?”
“Why they call mean names to each other?”
That seven-year-old was not impressed with the show and questioned why people found it funny. Her points were VERY valid. Although I was hoping to bond through El Chavo, I was proud of her for standing up for what she thinks.
I wonder how many children that were born outside Latin America would “get” this Latino classic.
El Chavo del Ocho Songs
My seven-year-old wasn’t impressed with the show, but she liked El Chavo del Ocho songs. They are fun and engaging. Here are some of my favorite ones:
¡Qué Bonita Vecindad!
“Que bonita vecindad, que bonita vecindad, es la vecindad del Chavo, no valdrá medio centavo, pero es linda de verdad.”
Churi Churin Fun Flai
“Hay unas palabras claves que significan quién sabe: Churi Churin Fun Flais. Por eso como respuesta la gran solución es ésta. Siempre responde: Churi Churin Fun Flais”
Óyelo, Escúchalo
“Óyelo, escúchalo, está buscando amigos,
óyelo, escúchalo, te esta buscando a ti.”
Homenaje a Crí Crí
“Ayer, soñé con un desfile militar, y vi, a las cinco vocales desfilar, y atrás, hormigas con paraguas, alzando las enaguas, para poder saltar;”
Peluchín
“Yo tengo un perrito que se llama Peluchin, chin, chin. Yo tengo un perrito que se llama Peluchin, chin, chin. Y cuando lo acaricio, el se pone muy feliz.”
Eso, Eso
“Dónde, dónde corazón responde, dime dónde se esconde, la razón de la alegría, te lo pido por favor, dilo, dilo, sin perder el hilo, dilo siempre tranquilo, la razón de la alegría, nada más es el amor.”
Joven Aún
“Si tu eres joven aún, joven aún, joven aún, mañana viejo serás, viejo serás, viejo serás, a menos que con afán, que con afán conserves, tus inquietudes y así nunca envejecerás.”
Quisiera Haber Sido Un Pastor
“Quisiera haber sido un pastor, de aquellos que en la noche buena, llegaron a ver a Jesús, siguiendo la luz de un estrella.”
Los Cursis
“Enamorándonos, hasta los tuétanos, fuimos queriéndonos, ¡Ay!, con tal pasión, que algunos pérfidos, sin más escrúpulos, nos llaman cándidos, ¡ay! sin dilación…”
Check Out These Bilingual Books about El Chavo del Ocho
Where Is? – Donde Esta? El Chavo: A Bilingual Hide-And-Seek Book: I love all the Lil Libros series. They are so great for helping my five-year-old learn about our culture. Of course, they also feature El Chavo.
This bilingual storybook series is a fun way to share the adventures of El Chavo with our kids.
El Chavo: Una aventura a lo grande / A Great Big Adventure
El Chavo: Estrella de fútbol / Soccer Star
El Chavo: Locos por la lucha libre / Crazy for Wrestling
La carrera de carros / The Car Race
El Diario de el Chavo del Ocho is a must-have book for all fans. You learned the background story of the characters. It is very sweet, because it is like hearing El Chavo talking.
And this book is also interesting! Resonances of El Chavo del Ocho in Latin American Childhood, Schooling, and Societies analyses the phenomenon of El Chavo, and its images of schooling and childhood, Latin American-ness, class and experience.
