Things Only Latinos Can Truly Understand


Not too long ago my husband and I attended a party held for all the parents of our son’s classroom.  Although we knew some parents from pick up and drop off, this was an opportunity to get to know everyone better.  The get together started at 4:30 p.m. which in our Hispanic clock meant more like 5:30 p.m.  Once we arrived, the party was in full mode of course, and we quickly realized that we were the only Latino couple there.  Fast track a few hours later and my husband has taken control of the music situation and is blasting música Latina which takes him into full Spanish mode. At that point, he says to me, “¿Gorda, bailamaos?” to which the lady right next to me responds, “did he just call you fat?” “No...well, I mean yes, but it’s all good.” Blank stare. “It’s a term of endearment….really!” All this got me thinking how there are so many things we do and say that are uniquely Latino, and that our Non-Latino friends may either not understand or find completely charming.

As a strategic planner who is immersed in all things related to the U.S. Hispanic consumer, cultural differences are of great interest to me.  As a tribute to that, here are some of my favorites:

1.     Words Loaded with Meaning: we have about 1,000 terms of endearment for our SO including gorda, flaca, chiquita(o). It may seem weird that we use a lot of physical descriptions as endearing terms, but it’s part of our culture and we love it.
2.     Cheek Kissing: greeting a Non-Latino stranger with a big hug and kiss – whoa! It’s right at that moment that you realize you’ve invaded their personal space…oh, the awkwardness.
3.     We’re Not Yelling, We’re Latino: we talk loud when we’re excited or happy, we’re not mad, really. We just like to make our points enthusiastically.
4.     Spanish Pronunciation While Speaking English: we properly pronounce names while speaking English, i.e. Palos Verdes, not Palace Verdis, El Monte, not Elle Monty.  This almost always garners a chuckle from the other person.
5.     Spicing Up Our Fruits: We add lime, salt and chile powder to fruit – this simple trick intensifies the flavors. Although not common in all Latin American countries, I like to think of it as a metaphor to how Latinos live life. We add energy and sazón to everything we do.  As Marc Anthony would say “la vida es una sola,” so you need to enjoy it.
6.     We Speak a Third Language - Spanglish: sometimes we switch languages right in the middle of a conversation. Oftentimes, you don’t even notice until the other person you are speaking to looks at you all funny.
7.     The Looooong Goodbye: we need to start saying goodbye 2 hours before leaving a party, which was the case at the parent’s party we went to. By the time we were actually ‘ready,’ to leave, everyone had already left and now we had to stay another hour to help clean up. Our kids never believe us when we say “5 more minutes.”


I love that everyone is different and find it hilarious to watch other people’s reactions to things that are perfectly ‘normal’ to us. Let me know what funny cultural differences are your favorites…

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