Your one-stop shop for all things Latin/Hispanic/Mexican
Reddit user IranRoman in Guanajuato, Mexico, captured this image showing two unsuspecting victims of COVID-19: Retro arcade games.
The sign literally says “Out of order because COVID-19,” which in Spanish sounds like they are not working because they “got” the virus, and not that they’re not available because of the virus.
Regardless, this is yet one more excuse for this blogger to exclaim… Mexicans: How can anyone not like us?
Photo Via Reddit
Football legend Diego Maradona has died at the age of 60, multiple media reported on Wednesday, November 25.
This blogger was hoping the reports were false but at the time of this writing it looked like it had been confirmed. There is not much to say right now, except he was quite the character and among this blogger’s favorite moments was when he called Donal Trump “El Peluca” and snapped at him for not giving him a U.S. visa.
Maradona was so beloved in his native Argentina that there is even a “Maradonian Church,” with it’s own version of The Lord’s Prayer and the Hail Mary.
This post would be updated as anecdotes (and of course memes) start to trickle in. In the meantime, Buen Viaje, D10s!
I’ve spent many, MANY, years on this blog trying to explain “Latin things” or “Mexican things” to a mostly monolingual, crowd and I believe I’ve been pretty good at it.
Until now.
The above cover by a Mexican tabloid perfectly captured (prematurely, mind you) what happened on November 7, 2020, when the presidential election was finally called for Joe Biden, making Trump one of the few incumbents to lose a bid for reelection (thank God!) It also makes it harder to explain, so I will let the wonderful people from Urban Dictionary to take it from here.
Thanks, perro!
Via: Zazzle.com
If you have been paying attention, you’ll know by now that Latinos understand things better if they come in the form of music, whether it is to inform us about the perils of coronavirus; to let us know how great things would be under Bernie Sanders or how disappointed my people are with Donald Trump.
And so in keeping with the tradition, the Biden campaign has released the Todos con Biden salsa, a 3:30 minute long Spanish-language song with some “inspirational” words to help pitch the message of abuelito Joe among my people (i.e. The Latinos). Performed by Ander DeFrank (aka El Negro que Canta) the song kicks off by telling us that a Biden presidency will restore the nation by doing several things, including extending access to education and put an end to detention centers at the border, among many others.
For the monolingual, the chorus goes kind of like this…
Biden, Biden is the safe road
Let’s walk together, hand in hand
All for one, one and for all
Biden, Biden
Biden is a serious, honest and trustworthy man…
You get the drill. Now WATCH (if you can endure the 3-plus minutes of this thing; I’m off to make myself a drink.)
Remember that nonsensical trend of putting “eñes” where they don’t belong just to make something look –and sound– more authentically “Latino?”
Well, it looks like salsa makers and Hispanic journalists organizations are not alone in this thing. The latest to jump on the nonsensical “eñe wagon” (or should I say “wagoñ?”) is The Hispanic Star, a non-for-profit organization that seeks to “raise awareness of the contributions of the Hispanic community to the United States.”
According to its latest mailer, the Hispanic Star wants us to SAVE THE DATE and celebrate the 2020 Hipanic Heritage… Mñnth [SIC] which I believe it’s nonsense English for the word “month”.
I get it. As we approach the dreaded Hispanic Heritage Month, corporations, politicians and NGOs want to sound all cute and Latin in order to properly pander to my people, but how about learning first to put the “eñe” where it DOES belong? Like in “jalapeño?” for example?
Oh, and don’t get me started on #ItsPoblanoNotPoblaño
A Spanish-language pro-Trump TV ad running airing in Florida, has been highly criticized by democrats for its intent on “dividing Black and Latino communities over Joe Biden’s possible pick of a Black running mate.” What many have yet to see is that the Spanish copy in this thing is… a train wreck, with prepositions missing and made up words (Unidoes, Populacion, etc.)
In a new Spanish-language ad from the Committee to Defend the President, airing in FL, attacks JoeBiden for not considering a Latino VP, while inaccurately, per subtitle, saying he promised an African-American VP. pic.twitter.com/dZwGWvBuvV
— Shane Goldmacher (@ShaneGoldmacher) July 31, 2020
I get it. I’m pretty sure the people behind the spot, namely the Committee to Defend the President, had a hard time finding an actual Spanish speaker to proofread their disastrous copy, but had they turned to Google Translate, I’m sure it would have done a much better job.
Ventura County explaining how much distance is needed to maintain social distancing. English = Skis; Spanish =3 crates of produce, because –as everyone knows– whites ski, while Hispanics do the “picking thing.”
Hat tip: Ray Estrada
As every Mexican knows, in any good Lucha Libre match, the one who loses their mask pretty much loses the fight.
With this premise in mind, advertising agency d’expósito & Partners has launched “Lucha vs. El Virus,” a PSA campaign aiming to engage Hispanics to protect themselves against COVID-19 and comply with public health practices during the pandemic, which has severely hit the Latino community in the U.S.
“We played with the double meaning of the Spanish word lucha,” Paco Olavarrieta, CCO at d expósito & Partners, told ADWEEK. “On one hand, lucha means to fight or to struggle and is used figuratively to express that one is working hard or continuing in the fight. On the other hand, lucha is embedded in the name lucha libre, where luchadores wear masks to hide their true identity.”
A Spanish-language PSA has been running on Univision, Telemundo and CNN en Español, while an accented English version of the video just got picked up by NBC and CNN.
The same spot is also available in an accented English version, which you can watch below:
Via: ADWEEK
Speaking of my homecountry –and awesome translations– I give you this CDMX pesero, whose owner has earned a spot on this blog for being exactly what he claims to be: The More Dick –presumably “El más verga.” Go ahead and find me a better translation. I’ll wait.
Image via Reddit
Did you buy all the Inglés sin Barreras audiobooks or downloaded apps like Duolingo but nothing helps to improve your English skills?
Worry not! In this practical manual for the good use of the English language, the Lord himself comes to the rescue… and he even gives you some tips on how to pass the U.S. citizenship test. And it’s only $8.99!
Via: Amazon
The above candle is being sold as a “mystic product” and it promises to protect us from the evils of coronavirus. In fact, according to the owner of this establishment in Tabasco, all you have to do is light it up and move it around your body while you say the special prayer printed on the glass.
I’m going to be honest here: I’m not sure it works, but it’s only $40 pesos (which is like less than $2 USD at today’s exchange) so why not give it a try? Now if I only can get to Tabasco….
Via: xevt.com
Picture this. A two-piece comfy sofa; a soothing image of a lake and a small, deserted beach on the background; a pitcher of delicious ice-tea and then your lovely mom … sucking someone –or being sucked by someone– for some reason.
That is pretty much the takeaway for so many Spanish-speakers out there who could not help but notice the gaffe in Kmart’s latest Mother’s Day campaign. The problem here lies in the choice of the word Mamaste, which –apparently– is supposed to be a play on words between Mom & Namasté, inviting mothers to Find their happy place and relax on Mothers Day. But while Namasté might be a term well-known among the yoga community, Kmart would be well advised to consider what “Mamaste” actually means in Spanish.
OK, I get it. They don’t want to spend money on hiring pesky bilingual copywriters, but they could have just turned to Google Translate instead. I mean. It’s FREE! it’s easy; it’s right… there. How lazy are they?
And this is only the tip of the iceberg. As my friend J.C. Maya discovered, there’s even a book (on sale in Target) with the same title: Mamaste: Discover a More Authentic, Balance, and Joyful Motherhood from Within,
Now if y’all excuse me: HA HA HA HA HA HA (or as we say in good Spanish: JA JA JA JA)
Oh and did I mention these t-shirts?
welp pic.twitter.com/h0kVeroOWR
— Laura Martínez® (@miblogestublog) May 6, 2020
In these times of pandemia, we all now know what social distancing (also called “physical distancing,”) means keeping space between yourself and other people outside of your home. To practice social or physical distancing, the CDC recommends to stay at least 6 feet (about two arms’ lenght) from other people and to avoid gathering in groups.
So far so good, but I’d rather follow the guidance of this chicken shop in Mexico, which basically states:
KEEP YOUR DISTANCE AS IF YOUR EX WAS IN LINE WITH THEIR NEW PARTNER
Mexicans: How can anyone not like us?
Photo vía Reddit
Ever wondered what The Star-Spangled Banner sounds like in Spanish? Well, look no further than El Pendón Estrellado, the “only official Spanish-language translation” of the national anthem allowed to be sung, according to The Smithsonian.
The translation into Spanish of the National Anthem was done by Clotilde Arias, a Peruvian immigrant, during the Roosevelt administration, but is now being repurpused as part of a new campaign to honor Hispanic workers fighting COVID-19 across the United States.
The version you’re about to see is performed by Jeidimar Rijos, the 2019 winner of La Voz competition, and was commissioned by We Are All Human Foundation’s Hispanic Star, a non-for-profit organization that seeks to “raise awareness of the contributions of the Hispanic community to the United States.”
The campaign comes at a time when Hispanics –and other minorities– are being hit particularly hard by the epidemic. Only in New York City, for example, data shows that 34% of fatalities as of April 8 were within the Hispanic community, despite their making up only 29% of the city’s population. Nationwide, says Time magazine, Hispanic and Latinx Americans are also the largest uninsured group.
Via: Time.com
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