13 Common Myths, Misconceptions & Stereotypes About Mexican-Americans
by AlDesmadre
You’d be surprised at some of the ideas non-Mexican people have about Mexican-Americans.
Most of us are quite aware of the divisions and fragmentations within our own Comunidád. Differences in culture, politics and religion as well as social and economic disparities criss-cross the face of Mexican-American communities today. Even geographic and regional borders become a significant factor in defining one’s identity. Aside from some common cultural bonds, we have difficulty finding a common opinion and approach to many social issues. So, when I come across the popular media’s and marketer’s attempts to homogenize us as an ethnic group and try to define that “One Voice” for their own benefit and for their own sense of feeling that they have us figured out, I can only shake my head and laugh. (Ha-Ha-Ja-Ja…).
Based on lengthy debates over the years I’ve had with numerous and diverse Babosos, I find the need to make out this short list in order to present us in a more realistic picture.
The following statements are intended to illustrate generalized misconceptions of Mexican-Americans in America as a group as sometimes perceived by other groups. There are obviously exceptions to everything, but I’ve made these points as obvious as possible for the ethnically impaired. Please assume that you can precede most of these points with the words “Most” or “Many” at your own discretion or just ignore the whole thing altogether.
13 Myths, Misconceptions & Stereotypes About Mexican-Americans
• Mexican-Americans vote Democrat.
• Mexican-Americans are Liberals
• Mexican-Americans will vote for a political candidate if that candidate is Hispanic.
• Mexican-American are against border/illegal immigration control.
• Mexican Americans Speak and Understand Spanish.
• Mexican-Americans celebrate Cinco de Mayo and Mexican Independence day.
• Mexican-Americans are Catholic.
• Mexican-Americans like to dance Salsa.
• Mexican-Americans are loved and supported by the citizens of Mexico.
• Mexican-Americans love Mexican Music.
• Mexicans and Central-Americans are the same thing.
• Mexican-Americans love Soccer.
• Mexican-American women like to cook & clean.
Interesting post, I’m glad you addressed this issue…What is your response to, “mexican americans are such strict catholics they don’t use birth control and that’s why they have so many children.”??
I’ll add some:
Mexican-American food and Mexican food are not the same thing.
Not all Mexican-Americans are in gangs. Nah, just kidding, we are!
BLARGH Mexican restaurants don’t serve chips & salsa. That’s a Tex-Mex addition.
Al, Cheech dispelled some of these myths years ahead of you. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrDjYT3eqWs
Lindsay- After considering answering your question, I’ve decided to instead pass it on to my esteemed and respected friend, the one & only GUSTAVO ARRELLANO of “Ask A Mexican” fame, so that he may respond to you himself in all his infinite wisdom. Please stay tuned to this thread………
Chavo- Excellent points! If you try to order a “Burrito” in Mexico, they won’t know what the Hell you’re talking about!
Soledadenmasa- Yes, but remember, there are new Babosos born every minute! We need to keep refreshing the data continually!
By the Guey, I’d LOVE to hear about some common misconceptions regarding OTHER ethnic groups out there too! I invite you to share some about yourselves…
“Mexican-Americans like to dance Salsa.”
This one made me laugh. I hate it when I’m watching some movie or TV show featuring Mexicans and/or Chicanos and they have Salsa or those fake Spanish guitars as part of the soundtrack. The only Mexicans who were really into Salsa were Chilangos and now it’s only Chilangos of a certain generation. Many years ago, I saw Celia Cruz perform at the Zocalo in DF and it’s apparent not all Mexicans know how to dance to Salsa either.
On another note, I was telling a co-worker the other day how Mexican-Americans are equal opportunity lovers. It seems Mexican-Americans are fairly comfortable with dating/marrying/being amorous with people of other ethnicities. Based on my observations, and on my own multi-cultural family, it seems to be pretty acceptable.
I grew up two exits away from the border in south bay san diego. i didn’t really know salsa music until i transferred to long beach state and went to my first puerto rican festival where i found out about the puerto rican/mexican hatred. now i love salsa music.
my experience in my family and where i grew up is that dating/marrying/being amorous with people of other ethnicities was not really a solid go, though whites were more acceptable than asians(my neighborhood was mostly mexican and fillpino) and blacks were never accepted. as friends okay, to date maybe, but to marry?, hell no. i’m glad i didn’t stick to how i was brought up.
“divisions and fragmentations within our own Comunidád” is a very interesting issue to me. i have a very Aztec/Mayan nose and I’m fine with it but get shit from mexican friends like its a diss or something. I just say, “that just means my line of peeps weren’t raped as much”
either you’re not mexican enough or your too mexican all “india” and shit.
its frustrating at times.
i do love how we can be soo different but when it comes to drinking even if you are 1/3 mexican or straight from Mexico, we all become one cuz we are professionals at doing it big and being hella prideful.
!QUE VIVA MEXICO CABRONES!
but el chavo is correct we are all in gangs! pleeze beleeeevit!
My experience is that people accuse me of not being proud of my heritage because of my taste in things. Come to think of it, no one has ever stereotyped me in a derragatory fashion outside a joke. Even if someone did I would just laugh it off or punch them in the face. Huh ? I never realized that until now. Go figure.
“I’d LOVE to hear about some common misconceptions regarding OTHER ethnic groups out there too! I invite you to share some about yourselves”
I’m Nigerian and Honduran so I have a variety of people assuming things about me.
So depending on what they see they have different misconceptions.
Lots of people think black people aren’t smart, but then they think Nigerians are smart, so when they find out I am half they go “Oh yeah that’s why you’re not a complete idiot.” Not in so many words but it comes off like that.
I never viewed this response as a compliment and I’m not that smart I just know how to regurgitate the lies that need to be regurgitated in a formal academic setting.
Some people think African-Americans are mean. I’ve always been extra friendly and people from that would always asked me questions about where I was from, which was really a “what are really” question and then when they heard Honduran people would go, “Oh that’s why you’re nice.” Or when people heard Canada they would go, “Oh that’s why you’re nice.” Or when people heard Nigerian they would go, “Oh that’s why you’re nice.”
I never really liked these responses either. I never like it when people treat me better when they find out I’m a little closer to them than they thought. I never cared about people treating me like a jerk because they didn’t like me personally, but I see up close and personal that some people base liking and not liking people strictly on appearance.
And in general most of my experience with people’s misconceptions of me in the past ended up with some pseudo compliment towards me and a nasty slam against African-Americans. I realized I was going to hurt someone if I heard one more time, “You’re not like black people,” or “You’re not really black.” So no more laundry list of my cultural background in a general conversation, because no one ever appreciated it as anything more as a justification that it was completely acceptable for them to continue to be complete jerks to “real” African-Americans.
In the dating arena racial stereotypes come in all kinds of forms most popular in my world is me being a sex expert. I should be extra “hot blooded” since I have the potential of being two stereotypes put into one human being. I’ve dated (and quickly stopped dating) several people who thought this and brought it up to me in a very matter of fact way. I am not especially skilled in the sexual arts.
People tend to ignore what I am, even when I tell them. I’m sure this applies to everyone. Everyone has an idea of who they are, but society doesn’t care. It’s easier for marketers to place everyone in a box and it’s easier for the average person to just go with that.
People only see what they want to see and hear what they want to hear and then whatever validates the stereotype that’s what everyone ends up being. People would rather be right about the lies in their head than getting the gift of the truth and being wrong.
i’d like to add that all mexican-americans think the lebanese guy at autozone speaks spanish…or, wait, maybe that only happened once yesterday when i was at autozone. let me get back to you on that one.
“What part of Mexico are you from?”
East LA bitch! I got a nice view of the king taco, you can see people get shanked every weekend.
Lindsay: Per request by Aldesmadre, I say this to your stereotype–just walk around a parking lot in the barrio and count all the used love balloons. Any questions?
but the evidence shows that the balloons are defective… count the used diapers on the parking lot =)
I couldn’t resist.
Al Desmadre,
have you been to Sonora? Lot’s of burritos — and they have the best machaca in this great state.
No, I have not been to the great state of Sonora. I’m allergic to kidnapping.
But seriously, the Mex states that border the US have typically been more
familiar with stuff we have up here. I had a great carne desebrada burrito
in Villa Ahumada, Chihuaha once.
Lindsay is probably right but I dont know of any other race as the white that has as many abortions, maybe thats the difference between the hispanics and the white, we have more heart.
Love the poster!!!!!
An awful lot of Mexican-Americans can’t speak Spanish, which is fine. But I find it funny when Mexican-Americans get totally offended when anyone, including other Latinos, assume they might speak Spanish. It’s like, chill out “Skyler” Jimenez, I meant no insult! Assuming a Latino speaks Spanish is a venal sin at worst, though you’re always safest assuming they speak English.
A lot of Mexican-Amerians voted for Prop. 187, and growing up, the only people I ever heard using the word “wetback” were Mexican-American kids insulting the immigrant kids. And God forbid you wore clothes your mom bought in TJ, cause then you were a “TJ.”
More and more Mexicans, Mexican-Americans and central Americans are not Catholic. But MOST are probably Catholic, so I don’t know why that would be a “myth” or a “misconception.” More than 50% qualifies as most and certainly as many. Not a myth.
I like to dance “The Robot” and “the Cabbage Patch,” and am wont to bust out the “Funky Chicken” from time to time–but I don’t dance Salsa.
MANY Mexican-Americans ARE “loved and supported by citizens of Mexico.” But that’s cause we have a lot of relatives in Mexico! So most of us are bound to be loved by some Mexican or other, que no? Other than that, we’re a bunch of pochos to a lot of Mexicans; and if you don’t speak Spanish and are Mexican-Amerian and go to Mexico–forget about it!
MANY Mexican-Americans do love Mexican music, but I wouldn’t say most. I think there’s a mariachi/norteno divide. A lot of Mexican-Americans–the Luminarias crowd–like mariachi music because it allows them to safely tap into their Mexican roots, without getting too Mexican. It’s elegant, ancestral, and refined. But norteno music–now that tattoos you as Mexican with a capital M.
And for some Mexican-Americans–there is no worse thing. Unfortunately.
As a school kid, I remember the one thing that could out you as a “TJ” was if you were wearing ZAPATOS CANADA.