Meaning
Pelús—or pelú/pelúa in the singular—is a colloquial and often pejorative label for long-haired people, especially left-leaning university students.
One UPR writer describes the stereotype as a leftist student who protests, holds anarchist ideas, and has a hipster style. The name invokes the dreadlocks, afros, or long hair associated with some activists. Conservatives may use it to belittle students who challenge authority; activists themselves may reclaim it as the image of a fighter defending public education and future generations.1
Origin
The term comes from peludo/a, literally “hairy” or “long-haired.” Long hair has historically been associated with counterculture, hippies, and the political left.
Usage
As a pejorative
Ahí vienen los pelúes de la Iupi a protestar. — Here come the pelúes from la Iupi to protest.
Conservative speakers may use it to dismiss student activists or leftists.
Neutrally or affectionately
Leftist circles sometimes reclaim it with pride:
Soy pelú, ¿y qué? — I’m a pelú—so what?
Pelús de la Iupi
The full phrase combines the long-haired stereotype with the political reputation of UPR Río Piedras. It can dismiss someone’s politics based on appearance and university affiliation.
The phrase appears in Puerto Rican urban music and political debate, frequently as a way to invalidate social criticism from university or intellectual circles.
Closest English equivalent
Similar to “hippie” or the pejorative “long-hair” in United States political discourse of the 1960s and 1970s.
Variants
- Pelú — masculine singular.
- Pelúa — feminine singular.
- Pelús / pelúes — plural.
- Los peluses de la Iupi — an alternate plural phrase.
See also
- Iupi
- [[en/Controversias/¿Cúal recinto es la iupi?|Which campus is la Iupi?]]