‘La Chancla’: Flip Flops As A Tool of Discipline

*La Chancla is something we discuss with humor, and maybe a tinge of nostalgia. But, corporal punishment is not a punchline. 80 percent of Latino parents admitted to spanking their kids. The laughter may be a coping mechanism. Thoughts? VL

By Juan Vidal, NPR Code Switch

For Latinos who grew up under the reign of “La Chancla” (the flip flop), the idea of corporal punishment is not a foreign one. Many of us, from the moment we could speak in full sentences, already knew the sting of discipline and all it entailed. We knew that when we got out of line – be it at the grocery store, the post office, anywhere – a good pela was to be expected. Shoes, rulers, spatulas; these were the objects with which we were instructed to stop pestering our siblings and/or improve our grades in school.

On the issue of physical discipline, Hispanics are right in step with most other Americans. According to a Harris poll conducted last year, four in five Americans believe that it is sometimes appropriate for parents to spank their children. In a study examining 20,000 kindergartners and their parents, researchers found that 80 percent of Hispanic parents admitted to spanking their children. As for mothers being the disciplinarians of choice, research by Child Trends Data Bank found that Hispanics were the only group where more women than men felt that a “good hard spanking” was sometimes necessary for kids.

One of the most striking aspects of the debate within Latino culture is the casualness with which corporal punishment is discussed.

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[Screenshot courtesy of mun2tv]

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