It is hard to tell. There are many stories, but none can be confirmed. I have heard that just like the term "pariguayo", which means many things, among others: nerd, fool, everyone's idiot,knuckle head, etc. etc., came from the english "party watcher"( A party watcher was a person that would drop by parties without being invited and just stood there watching. We call them "paracaidistas" today(parachutists), the term chopa could have come from "Chopped meat".
If it isn't, it is not far from what a chopo is. The chopo is the chopped meat of society. It is a vulgar person with rudimentary skills and style, roug around the edges, foul in its language and with a propensity to speak thru slangs. Chopos have no manners and little concern for its enviroment. They throw garbage on the streets, urinate anywhere, read newspapers backwards(sports and lottery winnings first), they are loud, listen to merengue and bachata from early morning hours, love to play dominoes on sidewalks, hand-dry their clothes from balconies, sit on sidewalks to eat, etc..
The majority of chopos are black or mestizos, with kinky hair, fat lips and noses. In the old days they wore gold teeth(Just like Tyson, the ultimate American chopo). But now whites are joining the chopo ranks in droves. As chopo-like Europeans remain in DR, more white are now joining. Italians and Germans are prone to chopoism, something that is not hard for many who come from blue collar areas. Notice how Germans easily switch to drinking a Presidente "Big one" straight from the bottle, just like chopos do. Beer is the drink of the poor and the uneducated. It is a "bleacher bum" drink.(Ever seen American chopos drinking beer at Shea Stadium without shirts on showing their big fat belly?)
Sorry if I offended many. It is the truth.
TW
