Meet Pancho Claus, Santa's Mexican cousin
STORY: This is 'Pancho Claus,' Santa's Mexican cousin
Location: Houston, Texas
The character dates back to the Chicano civil rights movement in the 1970s
and represents a celebration of Hispanic heritage for people living in the U.S. South
(Richard Reyes, Pancho Claus)
“Well, Pancho Claus…I created a play about 43 years ago, 42 years ago, and it was a take off about The Night Before Christmas. And then all of a sudden we started doing a parade and appearances. And then before I knew it, my community started believing that I was truly Pancho Claus. So, me and my friends, 40 years ago, started giving out presents to five families, ten families on Christmas Eve. And now it's grown into a monster. We're doing about 20,000 presents this year.”
Instead of a sleigh, Pancho roams the streets in a lowrider bicycle
handing out toys to children on Christmas Day
Reyes' non-profit raises thousands of dollars every year to donate gifts to the community
(Israel Gomez / Executive Director, Navidad en el Barrio)
“So Pancho Claus, to me, represents to our children, a role model. Somebody that even though he's wearing a zoot suit and perhaps, you know, the stereotype, for our children, they identify to him. And Richard, Pancho Claus, puts out a great message to our children. And if we listen to him, then, by all means, we need him out here with our community.”
