If you're anything like me, you definitely had a pretty unique home life when you were growing up as a kid. The Hispanic culture is certainly a contrast to the culture of your everyday Americans, but it isn't something that the majority of Latinos would want to change about themselves. While there are many Hispanic stereotypes, or "problems," most of them are excruciatingly true, and you can't help but to sit back and laugh at them.
Here are some signs that you grew up in a Hispanic household:
1. You had to unload the oven every single time you wanted to use it.
Ever since I was a little kid, my mom would always store our pots and pans in the oven. The oven was essentially an extra place for storage. Eventually, we made space in a cabinet for the pots and pans because all my friends found the concept so confusing. I guess we just got tired of having to explain it each time we had a visitor over.
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2. Time is a concept that is never understood in your family.
If you ever had a family gathering, you would have to tell all members of the family to be there 2 hours before you actually wanted them to be there. For example, whenever we have Christmas or Thanksgiving at my house, we usually tell my family that we serve dinner at 5 o'clock even though we really don't expect them to arrive before 7 o'clock. Long story short, we're late all the time.
3. Superstitions were the real deal.
Hispanics are crazy superstitious and almost everything you do could potentially be mala suerte. Some of these superstitions are really ridiculous, though. If you're ever cleaning and sweep over your feet with the broom, you can kiss your chances of getting married goodbye. You should also never put your purse on the floor because you will lose a whole bunch of money in the near future. Stay superstitious my fellow Latinos!
4. "ViVapoRu" is the cure to all of your problems.
For those of you that don't know what "ViVapoRu" is, it is the term that our Abuelas use for Vick's Vapo Rub. Do you have a cold? Are you bleeding to death? Do you have trouble breathing? You can just slap on some "ViVapoRu," and all your problems will be solved.
5. Your friends always wanted to hear you speak in Spanish.
PSA: Us Latinos are not your dogs. We don't speak on command. If there was anything that I absolutely hated as a kid, it was being told, "Say something in Spanish," or "Speak." Don't get us wrong, we love everything about our heritage, and we're very proud of it. It's just that we always speak Spanish at home, and we don't always like to be in the spotlight. Eventually, our friends figure out that we'll speak in Spanish on our own terms, and they stop asking as frequently.
6. Your family isn't mad all the time. They're just really loud.
Speaking of your friends, you always had to explain to them that you're family wasn't arguing, but that they were simply loud and didn't understand the concept of silence. There isn't really a valid explanation for it, and it will always confuse your friends no matter what.
7. Gossiping was your Abuela and Tia's favorite past time.
"Viste la hija de...?" or "Sabes quien yo hablo con ayer?" are usually a Hispanic women's go to lines when they have some hot gossip that they are just dying to share with someone. Whenever there was a family gathering, it meant that it was time to catch up on all the dirt that your family members had heard. Basically, gossip is an old Hispanic woman's weakness.
8. You and Your mom have a special place in your heart for Marc Anthony, Pitbull, etc.
Ever since I can remember, my mom has been in love with Marc Anthony. I have recently started to love him and his music too. I guess after listening to his music on repeat during our car rides to visit la familia, my mom instilled her love for him in me. But let's face it, we're all bound to fall in love with his voice at some point.
9. You have way too many Primos to even count.
Your cousins were probably the first friends you ever made, and we're not just talking about your first cousins. We're talking about the first, second, third, and all the other cousins that happened to share the same last name as you. You even had some cousins you weren't technically related to, but they were still family nonetheless.
10. Your Abuela made sure you were never hungry.
The first thing your Abuela would ask you as soon as you walked into her house would be something along the lines of, "Quieres algo para comer?" or "Ya comiste?" Whether it was arroz con pollo, empanadas, or croquetas, you were always ready to eat, and Abuela was always ready to deliver. So, make sure to thank your Abuelas for all the good food.
Even though we may have grown up in a completely different setting than most people, I'm pretty sure we wouldn't change it for the world. I know I sure wouldn't! I'd love to hear your stories or relatable things about your families, so drop a comment below, and be sure to share this with your Hispanic friends and family.
