The Awkward Struggles of Being Latina and Meeting New People

July 29, 2016 / The Flama

“How do you say ‘you’re hot’ in Spanish?”

Do you know what it’s like to meet new people as a Latina?

When they try to pronounce your last name, when they ask where you’re “really” from, when they try to exotify you – you’re not the only one who’s been there.

And this video from Flama captures it all. Follow TheChristinaI (aka Christina Igaraividez) and her friend Yesenia as they go through some typical interactions that show how stereotyping and microaggressions can make a simple introduction anything but simple.

The next time this happens to you, we hope the memory of Christina’s hilarious breakdown of burritos helps you through.

With Love,
The Editors at Everyday Feminism

Click for the Transcript

Participant 1: (Indistinct)

Participant 2: It does.

Christina: Hey guys.

Participant 2: Hey. This is my friend from work. Christina I—ga—

Christina: Christina.

Participant 3: I saw on your profile that you love travel.

Christina: Yeah, I do actually.

Participant 3: I was thinking, you know, it’d be fun to be like, travel buddies or something. You know, go to Mexico, or something like that. Yeah, I don’t. Yo no, hablo ingles. I don’t speak Spanish.

Christina: Oh, um…I don’t either, actually. I’m terrible at Spanish.

Matt: Hey, I’m Matt from Sales.

Jesenia: Hi, Jesenia from IT.

Matt: Ohh. Ches-yentia.

Jesenia: Jesenia.

Matt: Jes-syenie-yuh. That’s exotic.

Jesenia: Yeah.

Matt: You know, I dated a Cuban girl once.

Participant 2: Oh my god, we were just talking about my trip to Puerto Rico.

Christina: Oh, I’ve been to San Juan before.

Participant 2: San…Juan. God, you say it so much better than me. Is that where you’re from?

Christina: Um, no. I’m actually from Chicago.

Participant 3: I thought you were Latina.

Christina: Oh, I am. I am. I just don’t speak Spanish.

Matt: How do you say “you’re hot” in Spanish?

Jesenia: Como chingas.

Participant 3: Where are you from?

Christina: The United States of America.

Participant 3: Oh, me too. Well, that’s great.

Matt: I’m from Sales. You’re IT?

Jesenia: Makes sense. IT, yes.

Matt: I only thought nerds and old people worked in IT. If I knew hot Latinas were up there, I would have changed jobs, like, months ago.

Participant 2: So, is it true that Mexicans and Puerto Ricans hate each other?

Christina: Um, no.

Participant 3: Oh, like, you must be mixed or something. Yeah. That’s kind of great, you got the best of both worlds.

Christina: Are you mixed?

Christina: Puerto Ricans gave us two of God’s greatest gifts. Chong, and J-Lo.

Participant 2: So can you cook like Puerto Rican food really well?

Christina: I’m Mexican.

Participant 2: Tacos, then!

Matt: Okay, okay. Hey. Como shrinkras.

Participant 2: Oh, burritos!

Participant 1: Yeah.

Christina: Do you know what burritos even are? They’re not even like a real Mexican thing. “Burrito” means “little donkey.” You’re eating a little donkey. That’s what a burrito is.

Participant 2: Oh no, I don’t do that.

Participant 3: I don’t really know where I’m from, but I’m probably, yeah a mix of…I just identify as Caucasian, and “Asian” is in “Caucasian” so I guess I’m a bunch of different stuff.

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