We Are Not Spanish
“So what is your favorite part of being Puerto Rican?” I read the interviewer ask a mainstream musician, half Puerto Rican and half Haitian. Intrigued, I read on. They responded, ‘That I can be as crazy as I want to be.’ Expecting the eclectic singer/songwriter to say anything but that, I thought of all the things that cause me to become the typical hyper-Latina who I’m always leery of. Their favorite part about being Latino is having the green light to be erratic. Like with all my pet peeves, I can sit back and watch it or I can sit back and blog it.
If you walk away with anything from this piece, walk away with this: Latinos are NOT Spanish. It may seem crazy to believe because it’s used so frequently, but believe it. I hear it more than I read it, but every time it’s like the strong jolt of a sudden eye twitch. I should clarify that this is not a personal preference. The use of the word is completely incorrect when referring to Latinos/Hispanics. Some may have Spanish ancestry, among other European influences, but Spanish is our language, not our race. Spaniards have their own language, culture, music and traditions. I know Spanish may flow off the tongue easier, but spare your convenience for our cultural correctness. The terms ‘Latino’ and ‘Hispanic’ can be used interchangeably (and actually those words can also be picked apart and their differences revealed but I won’t take it that far). It’s not offensive because as Latinos we could be called worse. So despite popular belief, you’re ‘Spanish’ friend is probably not Spanish at all.
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We see the token Latinos in the media. They entertain us, we laugh and we tune in. We love the Lopezs; Jennifer and George. Media and advertising has its’ own agenda and the priority of ratings, which is their hustle and I get it. The audience won’t grasp the idea the character is Latino, unless they are over-the-top.
But it’s the overkill of the uber-Latino turns me off. I’m worried for our image. The everyday Latino may not be what you think, which makes us seem less of who we are. I can do without the image of a hot chili pepper and the idea that I’m here to spice things up. I’m not an inanimate ingredient used for flavor. I’m not going to randomly throw out words like caliente and livin the vida loca. It’s kind of like the smart blonde, who loves her hair color but hates the reputation. And it’s very much like any imitation of the black man that starts with ‘Yo!’ and ends with sagging pants to the knees. It is insulting and borderline ignorant. All of this is a prime example of don’t believe the hype – with a little adobo of course.
With Arizona’s attempt at immigration reform head lining the news, for now, the use of “illegal immigrants” seem to be showing up everywhere. We should ask ourselves if someone can be illegal? Is legality or illegality part of our existence? Immigrants can travel illegally, but as people they are not illegal. It’s disturbing when creditable sources entertain the thought, instead of properly using “undocumented immigrant”. And then it goes even further when “alien” is used to describe these unwanted foreigners. Neither term should be applied to any immigrant, not just the Latinos traveling outside their borders. Again, this is not a reflection of my personal opinion on immigration in the United States. This is an issue of accuracy.
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No one wants their own culture to be downgraded, but they enable the demise of our societal
