In Mexican society, pelado is "a term said to have been invented to describe a certain class of urban 'bum' in Mexico in the 1920s."[1] It was used, however, much earlier. Lewis Garrard used it in his book, "Wah-to-yah and the Taos Trail," his first-hand account of crossing the Plains to Taos, published in 1850. He wrote: "This hos has feelin's hyar," slapping his breast, "for poor human natur in any fix, but for these palous (pelados) he doesn't care a cuss."
- ^ Monsiváis, Carlos (1999). Hershfield, Joanne; Maciel, David R. (eds.). Mexico's Cinema: A Century of Film and Filmmakers (Chapter 4). Wilmington, Delaware: Scholarly Resources, Inc. ISBN 9780842026819.