Your one-stop shop for all things Latin/Hispanic/Mexican
It is no secret that we (i.e. “The Mexicans”) are taking over the so-called Big Apple. And we are doing this quietly and deliciously, by replacing your Ketchup with salsa; your bagels with tortillas; your apple pie with buñuelos, etc.
But -as we all know- with acculturation comes the making up of words / concepts, so my paisanos over at the Chelsea Street Fair this weekend treated me with a delicious huarche, one I gulped down with 2 liters of Jarrito de Tamarindo.
I love Manhatitlán.
William Levy, the most beautiful man on Planet Earth –and a so-so telenovela actor– is hilarious in these series of new spots for Pepsi Next.
Produced in English and Spanish, the spots feature the Cuban-American heartthrob cheesily playing several roles: An action figure, a rock star, a doctor, a romantic and a sci-fi guy.
My favorite, of course, is the cheesy romantic. It makes me want to grab him a Pepsi Next right this minute.
My friend Diego Olivé spotted this “cute cultural hodgepodge-Latinocaliente skateboard” at a local sports store in Union Square, so I wasted no time in asking his permission to steal this beauty. And why not? It so perfectly embodies everything that is awesome about living in New York City.
[And to think there are still some morons out there who spit at multiculturalism and/or bilingualism…]
Photo: Diego Olivé (New York, NY, 2013)
Take James Fulford, a writer over at anti-immigration, anti-multiculturalism, anti-coherence online community Vdare, who recently took to the web to denounce “upper-class, disloyal Hispanic journalists (specifically Univision’s Cristina Costantini) for “campaigning to import lower class illegals—who won’t live in their neighborhoods.”
According to Fulford, Costantini –whom he refers to as “Cosantini” for some reason– is totally biased in favor of immigrants, because (duh!) she works at Fusion, a company partly owned by Univision, which in turn is “owned” by none other than the “cute-as-a-button* blue-eyed, Mexican journalist Jorge Ramos.”
Way to go, Mr. Fulford! I’m adding your website to my list of favorites; it is not very often that racist, ignorant remarks make me laugh so hard that I almost choked on my gordita de chicharrón.
*The “cute-as-a-button” part is mine.
Marketing is a wonderful discipline, because no matter how hard you try, you’ll always manage to screw up the Spanish-language translation of your message… presumably just to please bloggers like myself.
Photo: Marcelo Salup
And you thought Mexico’s only contribution to this glorious country were tacos, salsa and drug-related violence…
Starting mid-August a new line of El Chavo toys will be available at major U.S. retailers, including Toys R Us, Kmart, Walmart and -ahem, ahem- Target, the corporation behind this awesome Hispanic guide targeted to non-Hispanics who wish to understanding Hispanics.
I don’t know you, but I can’t wait to get my hands on a tiny plush version of La Popis or Doña Florinda, which I’m sure are all going to be Made-in-China, but isn’t everything Made-in-China these days?
[I’d take a Ñoño doll a hundred times over this other one]
In light of recent developments, (news that Target Corp.’s management gave bosses some very valuable information about Hispanics) this blogger decided to add a few items to an already stupid comprehensive list of how to go about Hispanic employees.
Target Corp.’s document, first published by Courthouse News Service, informed company managers that “Not all Hispanic employees eat tacos, dance to salsa or wear sombreros,” (ignore the above photograph for one second) or that Mexicans have lower education and “might be undocumented.” So far so good… But it missed some equally important, and worth-making points… So, let’s just get right to them, shall we?
1) Mexicans will always end a sentence with “ito” no matter how much they hate your guts and wish to kill you: i.e. “Con permisito;” “Por favorcito,” “Al ratito,” “Un momentito,” etc.
2) Argentines will go out of their way to convince you they are not Hispanic, which is OK because they really are not, and chances are they are not working at Target anyhow. They will always end up a sentence with “boludo.”
3) Cubans are not only political refuges and better educated –as your document accurately states. They are going to throw a fit every time they see the “other Latinos” wearing a Ché Guevara T-shirt or any other outfit reminiscent of the so-called Cuban revolution. More often than not, Cubans will side with the gringos; not with the Latin ‘chusma.’
4) Not all Mexicans are into tacos: Actually, most of us prefer tortas ahogadas, mondongo, pozole, pancita, machitos, moronga, criadillas, tlayudas, pambazos, etc. etc.
5) Puerto Ricans will probably pay zero attention to whatever you tell them: They are going to be busy listening to reggaetón and holding on to their pants.
6) No matter how hard you try, they (i.e. all Hispanics) just probably going to say “pinche gringo, ya no estés jodiendo” as soon as you turn your back to them. In your face, though, they will be super nice and just say: ¡Sí, señor, ahorita, ahorita lo hago! un momentito.
7) Ecuadoreans and Bolivians are very different but you should always treat them as if they were Peruvians just to piss them off.*
*Last addition by Alberto Ferreras
I’m not a fan of Wendy’s burgers, much less those made with Pretzel bread. But I have to give it to the fast food company, and it’s Hispanic advertising agency Bravo for the below commercial, which by the way is running on both, Hispanic -and non-Hispanic- TV networks.
The commercial belongs to the “Mucho Mejor campaign” featuring a Hispanic family, the Rojos, who embrace both American culture and their Hispanic roots. The Rojo family comprises a bilingual mom and dad with three children ranging from 7 to 16 years-old. Teenage daughter Roselin also dates Dylan, her teenage “mainstream” boyfriend.
An ill-informed individual, presumably not Mexican (nor Indian) thought it would be an awesome idea to convey his/her thoughts on population control on a $1 bill… And, of course, of the millions of people who transact money on a daily basis in this wonderful city, I was the lucky one to get this as change in my neighborhood bodega.
The buck stops here.
I have been spending the last few days in Greece, and every time I see a cat -or a group of cats- they will be invariably taking a nap, which makes me suspect these felines might be of Mexican origin somehow.
I have also been way too busy enjoying the Greek summer while lazily sipping an ouzo, so I have not had the time to dig deeper into the subject. But rest assure I will investigate and will do my best to get to the bottom of it… After my siesta, that is.
Photos: Laura Martínez. Greece, 2013
It’s been only a few days since I’ve arrived in Spain, and the summer is in full swing, with Spaniards already preparing for their two-month beach extravaganza (financial crisis or not.)
And with the summer and the heat comes the sexy and the daring, including this TV spot featuring the spectacular Amaia Salamanca, best known for her role as Catalina Marcos in the Spanish version of Colombian hit series Sin tetas no hay paraíso.
Watch Amaia as she invites you to get wet, and enjoy the thrills of summer with a Spanish accent (and a tampon safely secured inside.)
It’s amazing what a television outlet would do to beat its competitors. Take Telemundo Puerto Rico’s Dando Candela, which earlier this week (June 13) promised viewers an ¡exclusive! ¡amazing! ¡historic! interview by reporter Yulianna Vargas with Kobbo Santarrosa, the TV personality being sued by WAPA-TV for breach of contract.
Turns out such “exclusive” interview was nothing but a rehashed audio from an interview by the same reporter that aired in October 26, 2012, about yet another court battle involving Santarrosa.
Watch the hosts of Dando Candela hype up the interview as if it were ‘news.’
The blunder quickly took over the local media, so the show’s producer was quick to respond.
Her response?…. It’s even more embarrassing than the snafu itself.
“We understood, as news producers, that it was pertinent to offer the story to our viewers. Our commitment is to entertain and look for information to give our audience with the greatest respect that characterizes us.”
Wait. What?
It’s that time of the year when this blogger looks to relax and avoid computers altogether, but walking the streets of Tossa de Mar, in Spain’s Costa Brava, I keep bumping into these “typically Mexican” souvenirs.
I might be wrong here, but the only time I saw one of these was in a 1940’s movie… Besides, why on Earth would Spaniards pitch anything “Mexican” to a mostly German and French crowd?
Anyone?
Please bear with me. I’m in Spain and taking it real easy. More complex posts coming soon. Or not.
Photo: Laura Martínez, Sabadell, Barcelona.
Call me a mamona purist, but every time I see a Spanish-language commercial for Vonage, I cannot help but cringe, and wonder why the marketing forces behind this campaign didn’t come up with something more creative without trashing the Spanish language.
I guess they were “berry” excited to use a popular saying, so how about this:
Vonage: Bueno, Bonito y Barato.
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