I hate being asked if I speak Spanish.
Spanish-non-Speaker
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No Gifts, Please
A friend had a birthday party and on the invitation she put,No gifts, please. But if you don't feel right coming to a birthday party without a gift, contact So-and-So to contribute to a gift certificate to my FAVORITE spa (it's all I want for my birthday!). But really...
Fear of Men, pt. II
In response to the comments on my last post:There used to be a social expectation that gentlemen greet ladies, such as with a tip of the hat, without any encouragement from the ladies? Why? How does this show respect? Respected is the last thing I feel when a male...
Fear of Men
It's 1:20 a.m. on a Friday night and I'm almost home from working the dinner shift. I'm getting off the train and as I head towards the stairs that lead down to the sidewalk I hear an unknown man's voice behind me saying, "I see you at the gym." What would you do?...
Easter vs. Christmas
I'm wondering why Easter isn't as big an American holiday as Christmas. Here is my friend Robert's response:I think it boils down to this: Would you rather go to a friend's (or savior's) baby shower or execution? Christmas is easier to co-opt than Easter because it's...
Bad Mexican, Part One
I’m among the Mexican Americans who spoke only English their whole childhood. There are many of us.
Merry Christmas, Dammit
It's admirable that people want to include the entire planet in their holiday greeting without leaving anyone out, but the phrase "Happy Holidays" is starting to sound euphemistic to me. It almost sounds to me like a fearful phrase, said to appease the anger of those...
My Spanish vs. His English
I understand why so many people say they don’t speak English.
English Dominant
I can fake a fluent Spanish accent until the end of the first sentence.
Latinos Leave the Catholic Church – por qué no?
The March 21 issue of Newsweek carries the article, “The Battle for Latino Souls”, which describes the current push of Protestant churches to get Hispanics to leave our traditional Catholic faith and join them. I didn’t realize the trend was in that direction, but...
Chicana on the Outside
I disappoint and surprise everyone all the time.
“¿Por qué no eres casada?”
The irony is thicker than my American accent.
Lessons of a Reluctant Corporate Mofo
Remember Arthur Andersen? After 89 years as the gold standard of accounting, in the spring of 2002 it became the poster company for corporate America gone wrong and within months had been stripped of its clients and completely dissolved. No, this is not a business...
Chicana Demographic
I finally appreciate the education my parents and grandparents made available to me.
Go See Fahrenheit 9/11
Now.