El Chuco is simply a shortened form of El Pachuco, the name the city earned during one of the most electrifying cultural movements in Southwest history. Courtesy of Christian Churches Photography Courtesy of Christian Churches PhotographyThe young men and women who made up this movement, known as Pachucos and Pachucas, were not interested in blending in. Theory Four: Pa' El Chuco, Heading North on the Southern PacificSome historians offer a simpler reading of the pa' prefix. If El Paso already carried the informal nickname El Chuco, then migrants and travelers heading to the city would naturally say they were going "pa' El Chuco." Getty Images Getty ImagesWhat is not disputed is this: El Chuco is not just a nickname.