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In a few very tangible ways, Latinas have it rougher than other folks. Not only do we often find ourselves in an ethnic/cultural/linguistic/racial minority, practically cueing others to pile on stereotypical expectations, but we’re also female, which means that often times we might be the only woman in the room,  and consequently bear the brunt of an entirely new set of stereotypical expectations.

I find this to be especially true when it comes to anger. It’s almost like, in our society, it appears that Latinas are not allowed to be angry. What happens if I get angry you ask? I not only get relegated to the “angry Latina” stereotype, but also the “overly emotional woman” stereotype. This creates a standardized and easy rationale for people, mostly men, to ignore anything I say, and write me off by either selecting one of these stereotypes, or better yet, both.

Why is it “okay” for men to be angry, or blow off steam, but when women do it — especially Latinas — somehow, it’s too much?  Racism and sexism only go so far as to explain away these stereotypes, what’s really at issue is how we buy into them as a culture. A perfect example is the tired joke about how women must be having “that time of the month” to explain away any hint of being disagreeable. And the spicy Latina stereotype —  raised voice, emotional soliloquies in Spanish, out-of-control gesticulation. It’s really just not as funny in real life, when you’re being accused of it, as when we see someone like Sofia Vergara do it on TV.

And it’s not like I get angry all the time, either. It’s just that I feel, for fairness’ sake, if I have to try to understand a man’s curious chest-beating frustrations, why do I become the subject of ridicule because I might raise my voice just a little? It’s about fairness, equity, being able to be a person instead of a woman or minority, or stereotype. In this particular instance, I’ve learned to forgo anger and replace it with sternness, or better yet, silence (to let the chest-beating died down a bit). It doesn’t mean that I don’t feel anger, it just means that I’ve learned to manage it in a socially palpable manner.

I don’t know that I’ll ever see the day when women or Latina stereotypes disappear altogether. But I sure hope that by the time I’m having these conversations with the next generation of women, they might have had the chance to experience normal emotions without being drowned in stereotypical responses.

[Photo By freeparking]

I grew up watching too much TV. I loved watching sitcoms, so I became very well-acquainted with fictional families such as the Tanners and the Huxtables. In fact, I would often fantasize that I was their adopted Mexican cousin, with a “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” kind of vibe. I also loved Balki’s silly Eastern European antics and the all shenanigans of the “Saved by the Bell” characters — I once wrote the cast a letter asking everyone but Screech to be my friend.

But, growing up in a working class Mexican community, I was perpetually confused about the lifestyles of these fictional families. Did people in real life really have stairs inside their house? Wait, did these kids not have cockroaches in their toys? How was it that that little brat Michelle Tanner got horse riding lessons whilst I had to fashion a Lamb Chop out of an old sock like a young McGyver? How was it that those jerks on “Beverly Hills: 90210″ actually thought that Andrea Zuckerman was poor? The only family I could even vaguely relate to was Roseanne’s, since their problems seemed relevant: their mom was a scary and effective screamer, they argued about money, their jobs required physical labor. I can’t even think of any current TV shows that are even remotely like this.

All I knew was my working class Mexican community, where my friends’ parents worked in factories, our homes were small and sometimes run-down. I never saw my reality reflected or any other Latinos on TV save Luis and María from “Sesame Street,” mullet-boy Mario Lopez on “Saved by the Bell” (who was not even initially cast as a Latino character), and Desi Arnaz on “I Love Lucy” re-runs. It astounds me that a groundbreaking show about an interracial marriage which aired in 1951 still seems radical. I can’t think of any current shows with an interracial leads.

What happens when children never see reflections of themselves in the media? We grow up confused. Little brown girls grow up desiring blond hair, blue eyes, and light skin because that’s what we’re told is beautiful. Many of my peers dyed their hair hair alarming shades of blondish-orange and wore colored contacts — which made them look terrifying. We grow up utterly perplexed about our place in society. We feel like the world doesn’t acknowledge us. There are more of us on TV now, but the numbers are still paltry despite the fact that we make up 16.3% of the U.S. population. I love Aubrey Plaza’s character on “Parks and Recreation,” Sofia Vergara is hilarious on “Modern Family,” and “The George Lopez Show” was a hit, and continues to do well in syndication. (Please don’t even mention that new Rob Schneider show because I would like to punch that man in the face.)

I would love to see a sitcom about first generation working class Latinos, one that doesn’t make cheap, ethnic jokes about being a Mexicant (barf), one that isn’t filtered through a white-male perspective. I want to see story lines about problems such as poverty, racism, and deported family members, problems that so many of us can relate to. I don’t think a TV show will be a panacea for American xenophobia or our issues of invisibility, but shedding light on our realities and showing our humanity may alter perspectives.

The anti-Latino rhetoric in our country is overwhelming right now. It keeps spreading like an itchy and tenacious rash. I can’t help but think that some of it may be a result of our complete absence in popular media. All people see is our demonization by the political right. According to these portrayals, this vast group of people is solely composed of shifty criminals and sexy ladies. This needs to change. Seeing ourselves portrayed in positive light would also make us feel like the world acknowledges us and that our stories matter. I would love to be a part of that kind of project. Any takers?

[Screenshot Via NBCUniversal]

There is a lot of buzz about George Lucas’ recent statement on “The Daily Show” that he had trouble getting his new Tuskegee Airmen film, “Red Tails,” produced simply because the cast was all black. Some people were surprised, while others applauded Lucas for mentioning a sad reality of Hollywood: it tends to ignore the existence of anyone not white.

It’s no surprise that there is a huge difference between the racial identity in Hollywood and that of America. Hollywood is remarkably different from America already. Eating disorders, lavish parties celebrating its own culture, and little care for the law, along with the occasional production of far-reaching, globally influential films and music mark Hollywood as different from the life that you or I lead. Hollywood has never accurately reflected the reality of the world — despite it’s massive sway on the individual and collective Americans.

Millions of school children learn the hard reality of this every year when they find out that World War II actually didn’t begin with Pearl Harbor, or that dinosaurs don’t live in Costa Rica, then forget about this immediately after the test. But we all know the media skews reality in important ways when it comes to minorities.

We Latinos have at the very least one alternative to the fantasyland of Hollywood. Networks like Univision bring in that strange, un-American sport that people call fútbol, the overly dramatic telenovelas, and of course news, where female newscasters are in a world which is always in short supply of clothes that don’t accentuate the body. That said, even an alternative to a Hollywood doesn’t necessarily represent reality for many of us.

Media in general, though, tends to be fake compared to reality, presenting a skewed image. Hollywood presents a bizarrely different world from our own. Hispanic media, and other minority media does this as well.

Where do you get your media? Do you watch “All My Children” or “La Reina Del Sur” usually? What celebrities do you gossip about, if any? Do you watch a mixed bag of media, or favor one more than the other? Why?

[Photo By Antonio Esponda]

By Julia Ahumada Grob and Jazmin Chavez, Latino Rebels

The 2010 Census revealed that with over 50 million Latinos in the United States, 1 out of every 6 people are of Hispanic or Latino origin; that same year, the National Latino Media Council (NLMC) issued their annual diversity report card, citing a decline in Latino diversity at every major network. Yet these same networks feel entitled to capture our attention for 4-6 hours a day.

Without Latino producers and writers calling the shots, we continue to experience an over saturation of drug dealers, gardeners, maids, prostitutes, and gang members on our TVs. Additionally, while our women are incredibly beautiful, present company included, the exotification of Latinas continues as demonstrated in the new CBS comedy, “¡Rob!” Beyond “Work It,” and “¡Rob!” there are currently Latino-based pilots being developed at NBC, ABC, and FOX, with non-Latino writers attached to all but one, it seems.

So what can we, the fastest-growing demographic group in the United States, do to stop this, beyond demanding apologies from networks who care little about our well being? We at “East WillyB” want to offer a challenge to the Latino community: Turn off your TV. Support independent television programming created for Latinos and by Latinos, delivered directly to your home via the web.

We at “East WillyB” understand the importance of capturing the multi-faceted Latino experience in the United States because we have lived it and experienced it. We are the new generation Latino, some American born, some born in America Latina, Spanglish speaking, ni de allí, ni de allá. Conceived in a coffee shop in Brooklyn, the series was created after our writers, actors, and producers grew tired and frankly sick to our stomachs of seeing the same BS perpetuated over and over again at the expense of our community. So instead, we took matters into our own hands, creating and distributing the series directly through the web to our community…you.

“East WillyB” is an original series which follows Puerto Rican sport bar owner Willie Reyes Jr. as he and his community fight to keep their neighborhood bar open in the face of the hipster invasion of their Brooklyn neighborhood. A gentrification comedy, “East WillyB” tells the story of the many faces that make up the Latino community of Brooklyn, and the ways in which their lives interconnect to create the extended family so integral to its character. With a 6 episode pilot season already online, 2012 will see the launch of a 13 episode, 91 minute season of “East WillyB,” with great Latino guest stars already attached to join to the team.

We are not alone in this new movement. Other great series include “Los Americans,” written by Dennis Leoni (“Resurrection Blvd.”) and starring Esai Morales. A drama, “Los Americans” focuses on a multi-generation, middle-income, Latino family living in Los Angeles and the issues they face, including alcoholism, unemployment and cultural identity. “Ylse”  is a dramedy about ambitious, single, thirty-something Latina as she juggles career, a not-so-successful love life and a family who doesn’t understand her progressive American ways (think: Bridget Jones with a bicultural twist). Undocumented and Awkward is a series created for and by undocumented youth. The series, written by four college graduates, with four different experiences of being undocumented in America, finds humor in the immigration experience, from the voices of those actually experiencing it. All of these independent programs provide an honest & unique voice, creative platform and venue to showcase Latino stories, with Latinos behind and in front of the cameras.

However, without the production and marketing budgets of television, these independent series can only continue to grow if our community supports and promotes them. So instead of griping about the lack of representation on television while you watch your latest ABC show, this evening, when you come home from work, try turning off your TV and watching these independent Latino series instead. If you like them, blog about them, find them on Facebook or Twitter, tell a friend, host a viewing party & spread the word. We can only grow together.

Julia Ahumada Grob is the creator/Executive Producer of East WillyB.

[Courtesy Photo]

Mun2 TV created a very compelling video filled with interviews from afro-Latinos discussing their trials and tribulations with living in a world that tries to force them to “choose” between being Latino or black.

The 10-minute video includes interviews with: Tatyana Ali (“Fresh Prince of Bel Air”), Gina Torres (“Suits, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys”) and Judy Reyes (“Scrubs”), musicians Christina Milian (“Dip it Low”) and Kat DeLuna (“Whine Up”), and journalist Soledad O’Brien (CNN).

Most interviewees said the same thing: they had no problem with their identity — it seems to be everyone else who does. The video is definitely worth a watch and there’s bound to be a chance for you either to relate or learn something new.

Click on the photo or here to see the video in its entirety, plus extras.

It’s no secret that El Guapo hates undocumented immigrants.

He spent most of the holidays on his roof, throwing used cell phones and rusty 9-volt batteries at his undocumented family members as they arrived for holiday gatherings. (Tía Lupe should be out of the hospital any day now, and you better believe that ICE will be waiting to cart her away from her children.)

El Guapo’s hatred for the undocumented is normally on a controlled boil. However, after viewing the viral YouTube video made by a couple of astute Arizona Ph.D. cadidates, his hatred flared to new levels. (Note: video NSFW)

These classy and thoughtful young ladies made El Guapo realize that there is much more to hate about undocumented immigrants, especially the fact that they’re always walking around carrying burritos lecherously. Zing! You really nailed them on that one ladies.

How stupid are undocumented immigrants? Well, they can’t even freeload properly. Everyone knows that the undocumented are a drain on federal and state funds and are driving this country to ruin, but it appears they can’t even get that right.

Apparently undocumented immigrants contribute billions into Social Security and Medicare, even though they are unable to claim benefits from these programs.

The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office clarified that “over the past two decades, most efforts to estimate the fiscal impact of immigration in the United States have concluded that, in aggregate and over the long term, tax revenues of all types generated by immigrants — both legal and unauthorized — exceed the costs of the services they use.”

That’s just God awful freeloading. It doesn’t make sense. What’s wrong with the undocumented?  That’s like breaking into someone’s home to clean it and leave a flat screen TV.  Have the burritos gone to their heads?

Your handsome and humble servant —

El Guapo

[Photo By CarbonNYC]

Recently, I came across a clip of the new ABC sitcom called “Work It” that disparages Latinos, Puerto Ricans in particular by associating them with drug dealing. That’s not even a subtle stereotype, and the joke in the clip wasn’t even funny, as the canned audience laughter even felt forced.

The show appears to be a “Bosom Buddies” imitation, except instead of pretending to be women in order to live in affordable housing, the show makes it seem like women have better work opportunities, so men must pretend to be them in order to earn more. This is laughable in and of itself, considering that men earn more than women for the same work, $1 compared to 78 cents.

Here’s the clip:

The offensive line was, “But I’m Puerto Rican, I’ll be great at selling drugs.”

I don’t know about you, but what I would really like to see on TV instead of stereotyped, dimwitted, and unrealistic portrayals of Latinos is a more real-world version of us. What about teachers? My entire family, practically, are teachers. What about nurses? What about insurance salespeople? What about bloggers?

Most of the Latinos I know don’t act like sidekicks, but rather like normal Americans. I wish when I got home from my normal, American job, and turned on the TV that I bought with my hard earned money, I could see portrayals of myself and other Latinos that didn’t make me feel like I didn’t deserve as much respect as other groups on TV.

Thanks to Latino Rebels for the tip!

[Video By Latino Rebels, Photo By jbcurio]

More than 2,200 films were nominated this year for induction into the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry. Two of those films starred or were directed by Latinos. Robert Rodriguez’s “El Mariachi” and  the classic inspirational film “Stand and Deliver” were among the 25 films selected for the National Film Registry this year.

Let me tell you why this is a big deal: there are just not that many Latino–oriented, or Latino–starring films on this list, which has been going since 1989. Here are a few more that I found, although several of them are stretching it, and simply just deal with Latinos, not necessarily revolve around them.

• El Norte (1983)
• I Am Joaquin (1969)
• Revenge of Pancho Villa, The (1930-36)
• Salt of the Earth (1954)
• Touch of Evil (1958)
• West Side Story

Films selected for this list are chosen because they are, “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant films.” To be eligible for nomination, the movies must be at least 10 years old, but they don’t have to be a feature-length movie or have been released into theaters. Check out the list, and you’ll see that there really aren’t that many Latino, Native American, or African-American films on it.

Which goes back to my original point, this is a big deal.

To nominate a film for 2012, click here. Thanks to Beto for the tip!

[Photo By Wikipedia]

By Juan Ramón Palomo

On December 27, CBS will broadcast the Kennedy Center Honors, which were held December 4 with President and Mrs. Obama in the audience. Viewers will see five great artists who deserve to be recognized for their talent and their contribution to the arts. What they will not see is a single Latino being honored.

The day after the event, The Washington Post gushed about it: “You want eclectic? You got eclectic, and then some …” A couple of paragraphs later, The Post continued: “there was, as usual, something, and someone, for the entire family.” Well, no, not quite. Not nuestra familia. In announcing its list of honorees last week, the Kennedy Center again told the nation’s Latino community that when it comes to the arts, we – and our art – may as well not exist. (A version of this column was submitted to The Post’s op-ed page. An editor replied, in an email, that the paper “passes,” without any explanation behind the decision. In a follow-up email, I asked for such an explanation but she never responded.)

This year’s honorees include three whites, one Asian American and one African American. All are immensely worthy of the honor. Their lives and careers are testaments to how artists can enrich a nation’s soul. However, when the awards presentation is televised nationwide later in the year, Latinos tuning in will see no brown faces among those being honored, for the eighth year in a row.

In fact, since 1978, when the first awards were presented, only three Latinos – Chita Rivera, Edward Villella and Plácido Domingo – have been honored. Three – out of a total of 172! I’ll spare you the task of doing the math: that’s less than 2% – in a nation where Latinos are now the largest minority group.

As we used to say in Texas, nos tiraron a loco. For those of you unfamiliar with that expression, loosely translated, it means that they treat us as if we’re the crazy old uncle who’s locked up in the attic – out of sight, out of mind. It describes how many of us feel each time the Kennedy Center Honors are announced and, again, no Latinos are included.This is not unusual, and the Kennedy Center is not alone. It happens often when it comes to recognizing Latino artists. The National Medal of Arts, whose honorees are chosen by the White House, has only a slightly better record than the Kennedy Center Honors. And whenever national arts organizations do honor a Latino, it is just that: a Latino. Never more than one. 

Even worse, for Mexican Americans, is that when a Latino is honored, it is almost always an East Coast Latino artist. The Kennedy Center has never honored a Mexican American artist. I suppose they could claim Plácido Domingo, a Mexican, qualifies, but he doesn’t exactly represent a Latino music genre.

According to the Kennedy Center’s website, the honors have “upheld a tradition of recognizing the lifelong accomplishments and extraordinary talents of our nation’s most prestigious artists.” Apparently, there is no prestige in the arts that are near and dear to millions of Mexican Americans.

There are a lot of very talented Americans of Cuban, Puerto Rican and Dominican descent, but are they the only talented Latinos? As great as Celia Cruz, Chita Rivera and other East Coast Latino artists are or were, I doubt they have sold more records or performed before more adoring fans than have, or did, Flaco Jiménez, Little Joe Hernández, Esteban Jordan, Lydia Mendoza, La Mafia, Selena and others.

Mexican Americans represent 66% of the nation’s Latino population, and while many of us love salsa and other Caribbean-influenced music, it is the sound of norteño/tejano tunes that stirs our souls and packs the thousands of dance halls and clubs across the country every weekend. Unfortunately, those sounds are excluded from the Kennedy Center year after year.

In her heyday, the late Lydia Mendoza was an international sensation, touring all over the United States, Mexico and even South America. She inspired hundreds of other artists. Yet, Lydia Mendoza went to her grave four years ago without ever having been honored by the Kennedy Center. Likewise, Jiménez has performed all over the world and has even done a number of crossover recordings and live performances. But he too doesn’t exist, as far as the East Coast Anointers-of-All-That-is-Great are concerned.

This year’s awards have already been announced so there’s nothing that can be done about that. But let’s hope that by next year, the Kennedy Center will have awakened to the fact that artists come in more than black and white, and that they come from every section of the country. If you want to nudge them in that direction, go the Honors’ webpage, scroll to the bottom to the “Submit Feedback” link and give them your thoughts.

Juan Ramón Palomo is a former Houston Post columnist who works for a national trade association in Washington.

El Guapo is a creature of habit. Thursdays he likes to do laundry as he watches novelas. And because he is trying to go green, he pulls up the hamper and uses his washboard abs as — well — a washboard. Although, truth be told, if he’s not incredibly careful, a whole basket of laundry can be ruined and shredded to ribbons by his symmetrical, jagged abdomen.

Just as your Guapo was getting into his novela (and mind you it was getting good – at this juncture some scantily clad woman was smacking a burly man who wore a prominent 80’s porno mustache and threw sinister looks at the camera), the doorbell rang. El Guapo’s pudgy neighbor, Pancho Sanza, arrived with the irate, befuddled look that is permanently etched onto his face, like one of those huge Olmec heads, like he’s angrily trying to determine the origin of a fart.

Apparently, Pancho, an aspiring thespian, had gone to a commercial audition for a role described as “the guy next door” and actually being the guy next door, he figured he had it in the bag. At the gate however, a leathery blonde woman with a clipboard eyed him up and down like he had stepped in something foul and refused him admittance. To El Guapo, this underscored the dire need for some cultural code cracking.  For the benefit of all here are just a few words or phrases that you should know the code for:

Boy/Guy/Girl Next Door Or “All-American”

• Not you. Unless, of course, you are blonde and look like you stepped out of an Abercrombie and Fitch ad.
• Example: “Reese Witherspoon, the pre-eminent girl next door (or all-American girl), has just wrapped her latest film, co-starring the spicy firecracker, Salma Hayek.”

Urban

• Having to do with areas, activities, and other related issues connected to people of any collective hue darker than the beige crayon in the box.
• Example: “Due to the fact that he went to an urban high school, little Antonio is illiterate and enjoys stabbing others with rusty blades.”

Diverse

• There’s a black or brown person present, or referred to.
• Example: “This party is diverse as hell. Look, there’s Maria, she’s ½ Guatemalan and ½ Kenyan. Sweet, it’s like the UN in here.”

Cultural Sensitivity/Awareness

• Demonstrating (or at least feigning) an appreciation or inclusion of interests in other cultures.
• Example: “Bro, I love tacos. They make me culturally aware…and they taste dandy.”

If perchance El Guapo overlooked something, please bring it to his attention.

Your handsome and humble servant,

— El Guapo

[Photo By jbcurio]

I am not the national spokeswoman for all Latinos. In fact, I have never claimed in any even ambiguous way to represent Latinos at all. As a matter of fact, I have gone out of my way to note that I represent only my own experience and constantly seek input from our readers about theirs. Yet, that does not seem to stop people from asking me to “translate” all Latinos or “Latino issues” for them.

For example.

Recently, I was asked to explain our country’s immigration conundrum by a white gentleman for whom I had respect and even liked. He reached out because of my affiliation with NewsTaco, he said, and wanted me to explain why illegal immigration happens, noting that he loves immigration, but hates illegal immigration. I shared my opinion that it was a complex issue colored by racism (Chinese Exclusion Act, Operation Wetback, etc.) and the fact that our immigration laws do not reflect our current globalized world. This issue could only come close to resolution via comprehensive immigration reform, which isn’t going to begin to happen until the recession is well over, I told him.

What I thought was a pretty balanced answer was not enough, and I began to feel like I was being asked, “Could you explain those people  to me?” I do not think the gentleman in question meant to communicate this, but I’ve found that white men are rarely aware of all the privileges they are bestowed in our society, or the arrogance that pairs with it. I hate that I have been asked once — let alone multiple times by various people — to serve as some sort of unpaid, duty-bound liaison for Latinos.

What the heck? He didn’t ask for my opinion, he asked for an explanation.

It amuses me to think of parallels to my experiences, so as to illustrate the ludicrous nature of these interrogations.  But, the funny thing is, when you try to ask broad questions about any other ethnic group, they begin to sound, well, racist. So, while I know that i’m often the harbinger of racialized thinking, if we take my experiences and apply them to any other group, it’s almost like racism: Why are whites like that? Can you explain African-Americans to me? What about those Asians?

None of it makes any sense.

I will admit, though, that life would be a heck of a lot easier in the U.S. if we had a spokesperson who could explain things to us about different people with little inconvenience to us (even if it’s an Internet search). The thing is, if we had this here, it wouldn’t seem very much like the United States at all. I’m sympathetic to curiosity, but I have no patience for this idea of making all people in one group so much the same that we can all speak for each other.

So while I may not be the spokeswoman for millions of people, next time, I will more than gladly share my own thoughts with you.

By Antonio Martinez

Courtesy of www.OurTiempo.com

It is a week before Halloween and your friend has invited you to the ultimate house party. You want to look good, stand out, enough to get attention, but the right kind of attention. Here are our tips on putting together that perfect outfit.

DON’T

• Look gross – fake blood, scabs, or anything that looks like it was done by the makeup artist of Saw is just plain ugly. “La Llorona” costume may be all the rage, but you’re an adult, Halloween isn’t about scaring people, it’s about having fun. Wonder why no one talked with you more than 5 minutes last year with that fake hatchet in your head, bingo.
• Wear masks that cover your whole face – again, it’s just creepy. A mask that covers your eyes is okay (think Robin). Masquerade masks on sticks are always cool. Never go for the full on “Chupacabra” costume. It will be hot and as soon as you take off the mask all your white friends will think your trying to be Chewbacca.

DO

• Pick a costume that starts conversations – you’re there to be social, so get in character and say hello.
• Accessorize – If you’re a rock star, bring a corded microphone and sling it over your shoulder. Large items don’t work, but small ones rock. Anything you can hold with your mojito or put down and not forget.
• Use your Spanish accent – if you have one great, if you don’t, now’s your time.  Let’s face it, things just sound sexier. We say embrace what we’ve been given.

Ideas for Hombres:

• Scarface – get your girlfriend to be Elvie
•  Zoro – a classic
• Fidel Castro – all you need is military fatigues, beard and a cigar
• Pitbull – be committed, shave your head
• Pancho Villa – get a fake mustache a poncho and some hats
• Mariachi – we all want an excuse to wear those outfits
• Machete – just keep those knives fake bro

Ideas for Mujeres:

• Dora the Explorer – teaching an entire generation of white kids Spanish
• Bandoleras – show your pride, but go for the fake guns
• Flamingo Dance – a classic
• Frida – you rock that mono-brow girl with pride
• Sonia Sotomayor – get a robe and be that “Wise Latina”
• La Chilindrina – forgo the buck teeth, though

Anna Maria Lopez De Leon’s first book, The Tortilla Children, is a powerfully evocative work that delves into her family’s history which spans centuries, continents, both old world  and new, and even more significantly explores the innermost workings of her heart, soul, memories, hopes, dreams and realizations.  Lopez De Leon writes of her experiences the way she lived them, minces no words and spares no emotion in revealing her journey from scared brown child unapologetic artist, writer, and Latino woman.  Her own personal journey takes the reader on a luminescent journey through Texas, Mexico, New York and through many rooms of her heart.  Lopez De Leon, also an artist, created the cover for this important memoir. The following is an excerpt:

There is a primal need inside each of us to belong. If we are not born into a place that we feel a part of we search it out looking for that comfort zone, that connection as to who we are. Until then we are merely fooling ourselves into believing that we are fine or just denying the ache. We need that nest.

In reading The Tortilla Flats as a youth I felt that Steinbeck showed that the road to freedom and happiness is not the most complicated but merely accepting and turning back to whom we are, to the familiar our roots. And it might take swallowing our pride to get there but for some it is necessary.

I was drawn to my greatest love and friend like a magnet. As it turned out, though oceans apart, we had more in common than anyone would ever imagine. Our skin color may be on the opposite ends of the spectrum, but our souls and history are joined. We both have ancestors that built pyramids and ate unleavened bread. We both have Latin passions that burn in our eyes. We are opposite but not opposing.

We came together in this country that fights to keep us apart. Much is asked but more is given in the realization of a dream. Those that do not dream may remain safe from pain, but lose out in life. In these times, the journey to be one with our own and equal in our worth seems to be growing longer, but it is a journey that for some must be made. And like those that came before us, we go on before others. We have a dream that spans generations. Lest we lose our way, that dream must be in our every day, our every thought, our reason.

My dearest friend opened my eyes to this dream, eyes that were sad and hopelessly surrendered to the idea of “knowing my place.” She taught me that it is against my nature to give in. She gave me hope that a day would arrive when we would not be looked upon as ‘less than.’ My friend reminded me that we have a history that is beyond Taco Bell and sarapes. She taught me that humility is a beautiful attribute and strength. And that no matter how many changes are made and how much is altered for comfort and convenience “truth is the truth.”

By Christina Rodriguez

I am a 24 year-old voluptuous Latina who looks a little younger, which is to say, my body doesn’t look like the bodies “traditionally” defined as American. So depending on the style of dress I’m wearing, I can look like I’m 4 or 5 months pregnant. Add to the mix the fact that I don’t wear a ring on that special finger, and you get some very interesting reactions from other people.

While this is unfortunate for me as far as conforming to magazine models (don’t even get me started on that issue), I do love my body.
But depending on the company, people somehow feel it is okay to ask, “When are you due?” in conversation. I have answered this question in at least 5 ways, including:

1. “Oh, I’m actually not pregnant! Just carry my weight awkwardly,”
2. “I almost wish I were pregnant!”
3. “It is about that time, huh? But no, not yet!”
4. “I’m not due, but I am heavy,” and just smile broadly.
5. “I’m not.”

These last two are my favorite because they both put people in their place and elicit sincere apologies, while the first three sound like I’m apologizing for my weight. Usually an aunt or third cousin will get the more polite responses, but with strangers I let them know that they’re not dealing with someone fragile from pregnancy.

The last time this happened, I was eating pizza with a friend when the owner said, “I bet that baby’s doing flips with that pizza!” I was going to let it go, because my mouth was full and I was in a restaurant full of people, but my friend was at the counter and corrected him. His apology was, “Oh man, I’m an idiot, what do I know?!” I continued to eat my pizza happily (it was great pizza) and tried to get over it. The owner made this hard to do though, because every time he’d pass by, he’d glance over with an odd expression on his face. Nervous, apologetic, and as if he couldn’t wait for me to leave.

Unfortunately, this happens with all kinds of people. In these cases, the people were a black woman, a white man, my Mexican family. The interesting thing is that when I’ve encountered white women, I don’t get the inquiring look and a perky question. I get a pinched mouth, and an ugly face directed at my abdomen. Then, I get the same look up and down after they’ve checked my ring finger. Like they’re thinking, “Another unwed teenage Latina mother?”

I believe that all the people in this context are judging me for one thing or another, either for not having kids fast enough or for being fat, but this wordless gesture from the most privileged demographic is nastier. I’m not worth nosy questions, because they know what my background and history is, and they don’t care.

Minorities have a higher percentage of unwed mothers and unplanned pregnancies. But the fact that I’m a college educated Latina with no children and in a serious relationship for years makes me feel better. We made it without kids for this long! But maybe when the people in this country act like they care about education reforms for minorities, the number of unwed mothers will decrease and make these white women happy. Or they can just calm down and look after their own kids instead of worrying about anyone else’s.