Your one-stop shop for all things Latin/Hispanic/Mexican
… unlike racist New York lawyer Aaron Schlossberg, who once claimed to be “fluent in Spanish” but then went batshit crazy and threatened to call ICE on people speaking the language at his local deli.
Shame on you, Señor Schlossberg. You should learn from the fine lawyers of Spanish Harlem, who I’m sure are much more attuned to the sensibilities of a multicultural, multiethnic city –and the need for [true] bilingual professionals.
Photo: Laura Martínez, NYC 2018
It’s no secret that my people (i.e. The Mexicans) are busy trying to pick one president out of a pathetic choice of four candidates, so we haven’t really thought about that other little pendiente of ours: Saving up to pay for Donald Trump’s border wall.
But it looks like this will not be our problem anymore. Rep. Diane Black (R-Tenn) has introduced the Border Wall Trust Fund Act, which would “allow the secretary of the Treasury to accept public donations to fund the construction of a barrier on the border between the United States and Mexico, and for other purposes.” Think of something like a Kickstarter for haters.
Black (who is running for governor of Tennessee) recently told Fox News that she would like to see Mexico pay for “the structure,” but at least for now, crowdfunding will have to do.
So, grassy ass, señorita Black! Tacos are on me!
Via: The Hill
Being Hispanic in the U.S. has become a sort of act of resistance for many of us. Not only because we have to deal with a president who launched his candidacy by calling Mexicans a bunch of rapists and criminals, but because that same presidency seems to be enabling all kinds of racist behavior towards “these people” (i.e. Latinos, Hispanics, Beaners or whatever you want to call “my people.”)
In one of the most recent of these episodes, a video went viral this week showing New York attorney Aaron Schlossberg verbally attacking deli employees for –wait for it– speaking Spanish. In Manhattan. At a deli. Imagine that!
In the video (which was first reported by Latino Rebels), we can see Schlossberg complaining aggressively to the deli’s management, saying “your staff is speaking Spanish to clients when they should be speaking English. Every person I listen to: he spoke it, he spoke it, she’s speaking it,” he says, pointing angrily at several people in the place.
The incident spread quickly across social media and made it eventually to the main media outlets, causing hilarious scenes where reporters were trying to interview Schlossberg just to see him running away as if someone had called La Migra on him.
Needless to say, Schlossberg’s tirade got Latinos very angry (and many reasonable non-Latinos, of course) but I’m happy to report that “my people” responded in the best way possible: By throwing him a Latin FIESTA right on his block, outside a posh apartment building on West 60th Street, in the heart of Manhattan.
The party, which took place on Friday, May 18, was organized by a group known as Millennials for Revolution on Facebook who invited people to show Schlossberg that speaking Spanish is not a crime and that “we will gladly educate you on our culture and language by throwing a big fiesta.”
And it was goooood!
It was only 5:30 pm but dozens of people were already gathered, listening to music, waving improvised signs and chanting things like Hablamos español! I don’t know exactly how, but I found myself joining the crowd dancing to some good ol’ Latin favorites: From Celia Cruz’ Quimbara, to Elvis Crespo’s Suavemente and –yes– several versions of Despacito. Ay!
The fiesta reached its peak when a mariachi band, organized through a GoFundMe page that has raised over $1,000, arrived on site and gave us some old time Mexican favorites, including a moving version of Cielito lindo, which had us all singing out loud.
I created the #AaronSchlossbergLatinParty hashtag on Twitter and was happy to see it was used by other users to help spread the love.
Click through this Twitter moment and ¡Que siga la fiesta!
⚡ We threw a Latin party for Aaron Schlossberg in Nueva York. It was awesome https://t.co/ocRglsnZV3 #AaronSchlossbergLatinParty pic.twitter.com/AHPTQbOxCG
— Laura Martínez ®️ (@miblogestublog) 19 de mayo de 2018
UPDATE: On Tuesday May 22, the racist lawyer used social media to apologize. The apology is lame and I don’t believe him, but here it is:
— AaronSchlossbergLaw (@ASchlossbergLaw) 22 de mayo de 2018
Paisanos BEWARE!
Next time you go to a Starbucks and order a venti, tall, mocha, latte, foamy frapuccino (or whatever the hell it is they call a coffee over there) make sure to leave some room for … racism.
In the latest episode involving the coffee chain and a non-white person, a Latino customer says that when he received his drink, it came with the word BEANER written on it –even though he clearly told them his name was Pedro, which apparently is synonym of “Mexican.”
I’m not entirely sure why, but these type of “incidents” are happening more and more frequently in this melting pot we call America. Perhaps it’s just part of the whole process of making it GREAT AGAIN. 🤔
Via: USA Today
If you thought American politicians had run out of ideas to get rid of those pesky Mexicans, think again.
I give you The Deportation Bus, a moving campaign ad for GOP Georgia governor candidate Michael Williams, who is running on a promise of getting rid of all “those illegals.”
According to The Hill:
“We’re not just going to track them and watch them roam around our state,” Williams says. “We’re going to put them on this bus and send ‘em home.”
I mean, I’m not precisely an “illegal,” but given the current political here, a free ride back to Mexico doesn’t sound like a really bad idea right now.
I have no idea who Fooddeco is and/or why anybody should listen to what they have to say, but they seem to be truly in love with avocados. So much so they’re now advocating for Avocado Gender Reveal Parties.
I’m only afraid if this trend picks up, we’re going to see a lot more cases of avocado hand, because I’m pretty sure this is a mostly white people thing.
So if y’all excuse me, I’m off to jump out the window or something.
Hat tip: @ConAudifonos
Tired of having Colombia being portrayed as a country plagued by drug violence and prostitution, two Colombian enterprises and the Medellín City Hall have joined forces to launch The Colombian Ambush, an online campaign aimed at showing the world the real Colombia, one that has given us many great things, including “Gabo,” one of the world’s greatest writers.
The campaign will live exclusively online and is being crafted by Dallas-based Dieste. A series of videos have been directed by Simón Brand and use the typical Colombian stereotype to fight … the Colombian stereotype.
In Patrón, for example, we are presented with a scene very similar to Season I of Narcos, the Netflix sensation about the bloody era of the Pablo Escobar years. But instead of witnessing an exchange of drugs –or weapons– we see men exchanging books… books by the great García Márquez.
Watch as a very unusual patrón scolds his men for not bringing La Hojarasca.
(Oh, and while we’re at it, PLEASE REMEMBER: It’s Colombia, Not Columbia.)
Via: CNET en Español
Sneaker retailer Sneaker Bar Detroit can’t wait for Cinco de Mayo, so it’s now peddling a bunch of very colorful Air Jordans… so colorful, they will perfectly match your maracas.
Because nothing says Mexicou better than Air Jordans and … colorful sneakers.
¡Ándale, ándale, arriba, arriba!
Cinco de Mayo is definitely my favorite faux Mexican holiday in the U.S. And not because it’s an excuse to drink all day long and scream ¡Viva México! while thinking it’s our celebration of Independence, but because it brings out the stupidest best marketing gimmicks to sell everything, from spicy tattoos and sneakers for the three-legged, to senseless drink mixes, “ethnic” food and even cardboard Mexicans!
Below, you’ll find a few of my favorite marketing efforts around this mostly-gringo holiday.
Enjoy … and ¡Que viva México, cabrones!
We might be living in 2018, but this “mobile taquero” is already in 2057. ¡Que viva el Trompomóvil!
Hat tip: @OscarGutiez
First Lady Melania Trump has planned a state dinner for French president Emmanuel Macron –and wife– that incorporates the “celebrated gastronomy of New Orleans – a city founded by the French and still famous for its French Quarter.”
According to multiple sources, said menu will consist of a rack of spring lamb and Carolina gold rice jambalaya, and it will include a side of something called “Tomato Jam,” which this blogger can only imagine is some sort of Ketchup or –as Mexicans would say, Capsu or Catsup or even Capsut.
And it is in that spirit of tonight’s big binational event that I’d like to invite you, dear reader, to reminisce the Capsu/Capsut/Ketchup, which is almost as classy as the Columbia vs. Colombia one.
You guys must think I just make stuff up just to keep updating this wonderful blog and all. But no. Thanks to the ever creative minds of marketing professionals, there is always something new under the Latino-Hispanic muy caliente sun.
Señoras y señores: I give you the BBQ Dragon, the portable, hands-free, rechargeable gadget which –according to a presumably serious press release– will help you make “the best carne asada in town.” Why? Because Cinco de Mayo is approaching!
I’m not sure this thing was even conceived with carne asada or Cinco de mayo in mind, but who the hell cares? We are fast approaching this blogger’s favorite faux-Mexican holiday.
¡Ajúa!
Cinco de Mayo is just around the corner, and the folks over at Party City are, like, super excited!
So for this year’s Authentic Mexican FIESTA™, the retailer is peddling a $4.99 Taco Headband; a $7.99 Taco Hat, and plenty of maracas, because the whiter you are, the harder you should work to look like a real Mexican.
¡Ajúa!
Hat tip: @EnriqueLimon
*LOL
NOT SURE YOU WANT A TACO HEADBAND? CHECK OUT OTHER SUPER AWESOME CINCO DE MAYO IDEAS BELOW:
Mexican presidential candidate Andrés Manuel López Obrador is running on an odd platform, enlisting politicians from all walks of life (and political positions) to his campaign. And while his politics and rhetoric have pretty much divided the country, there is one thing he has in common with millions of Mexicans: His contempt for President Trump –and his proposed border wall.
And now, in hopes of making his message get across the border, his 2017 book has been translated into English.
I have not read this thing –nor I’m sure if I’ll ever do it, but according to an enthusiastic morning press pitch: ¡Oye, Trump! Saying Yes to a New Start for Mexico, Saying No to a Wall (OR Books) presents a “no-holds-barred condemnation of corruption in his own country and a sharp critique of what he regards as the baleful influence of the United States in Mexican politics, especially under the Trump presidency.”
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