Latino/Hispanic Ultimate Catch All Thread of Culture, Language, Food, Travel and Identity (gringos welcome)

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

When this year's Copa America started, I thought about starting a thread like this.  Then I went back and forth about starting it.  I thought maybe Daily Texan was the forum for it, but ultimately I think Food and Travel is better as these tie in so importantly to culture. 

I think this forum and Longhorns in general are fairly diverse when it comes to Latinos.  I wanted to learn about y'all's backgrounds, upbringings and experiences from a Latino perspective.  But, I know there are a lot of non Latinos here that have spent time in Latin America, or have a big appreciation for Latino culture, so I don't want to exclude anyone.

For now, I am going to keep it light, but maybe if the thread has enough traffic we can talk a bit about racism (both from non Latinos as well as Latinos as I have experienced both).  A lot of y'all know my background, but here it is in a nutshell:

My mother is anglo from San Antonio.  She is 6th generation Texan, making me 7th and my kids 8th.  Her family arrived just before the Texas Revolution and likely had to become Mexican citizens.  However, my father is an immigrant who was born in Costa Rica to a Tico father and a Brazilian mother.  He lived in much of Latin America before immigrating to Texas, including Costa Rica, Brazil (2 tours of duty), Nicaragua, and Mexico.  My Aunt was born in Chile, and her children are all Hondureños.  I am the Pan American poster child.  I grew up in the burbs of Houston in a fairly white neighborhood eating the food my mom cooked, so beyond tacos and rice cooked the Brazilian way (my grandmother made her learn), was rather typical for Anglos.  My brothers and I don't talk too much about this kind of thing, so I don't really know how they identify.  Honestly, I think it is a personal thing...but despite never being taught proper Spanish or Portuguese, I choose Latino and White when given the choice.  I do speak Portuguese well, and I am embarrassed by my Spanish (although I speak better than I think I do), my first language is English.  I have a feeling had my father not been from a class that afforded him an education at UT, I likely would speak Spanish much better.

I ended up living in Brazil where I met my wife.  We have two daughters that are dual American and Brazilian citizens.  My oldest has been to Brazil twice and my youngest once.  I never left the country until I was 14, and that was to Honduras for a month.  So I feel good that they have already experienced some of their culture, but likely won't remember it all. 

Maybe I am pissing into the wind, but I am hoping other Surly Latinos will weigh in.  Not Ldogg though, because honestly, the only people who care about Argentines are fellow Argentines.  Filthy people.  Let's talk language, food, travel, culture, etc. 

[Zepol87 9185]

Cool idea for a thread. I am kind of drunk right now so this is reminder to come back and respond properly when on PC wasting time at the office tomorrow

[HenryJames 66038]

 

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

22 minutes ago, Zepol87 said:

Cool idea for a thread. I am kind of drunk right now so this is reminder to come back and respond properly when on PC wasting time at the office tomorrow

I respect your drunkenness and award you one:

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

Also, a few other things made me want to start this thread, and I know they can be heated topics.  One was the Alamo thread (and the book Forget the Alamo) as well as governor hot wheels push for a border wall.  Fuck that guy.

[HenryJames 66038]

 

[Helobious 9450]

2nd generation Mexican-American. All 4 of my grandparents were born & raised in Mexico before moving to Texas. Highest education level attained among the 4 of them was mom’s dad, 6th grade. All 4 of them dirt poor and not knowing any english. My dad’s parents were illegals and had 9 dreaded “anchor babies” here and worked as migrant farm workers. All of their kids went on to graduate college or join the military. Grandparents on moms side had 4 kids, 4 college graduates. Talk shit on immigrants (legal & illegal) all you want, my grandparents have the most American story of anyone I know.
 

I grew up in the RGV, and SA for a few years in middle school. Never have known what it felt like to be a “minority” and have never seen myself as one. I loved growing up down there, there’s lots of poverty but also many successful hispanic people, hispanic owned businesses, hispanic doctors & lawyers. For a place so poor & so hispanic there’s not much violent crime at all. Best of both worlds growing up, plenty of Mexican food, lots of big family parties & gatherings, tons of primos that I was and still am close with, but a typical American upbringing as well. LOVED football and baseball, American music & tv, all of that.  

I have a very hispanic first & last name but I look pretty white. I say it all the time and will say it again, it’s great. White privileges without actually being “white”. If I could choose a racial makeup I’d definitely stick with this.

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

I also look "white" with a very hispanic (basque) last name.  Because of that, I have been privy to some interesting race dynamics.  I will say, while I choose hispanic/latino and white when given the chance, if only hispanic/latino is the only option, I do choose that.  My older brother carries my father's (and grandfather's name) which is unmistakably Latino.  My first name is neutral and equally seen in Anglo and Latino countries.  My younger brother's first name is Latin and maybe a bit more common in Anglo countries but is pronounced the same in Brazil whether spelled in Latin or Portuguese.  

This is a big reason I love talking about this stuff.  The diversity of Latinos.  Most Anglos think that south of the US border is just one kind of people, but it is way, way more diverse.  My wife, a Brazilian, is 55% Italian. 

Back to food.  Because of COVID then employment situation, we haven't been able to travel to Brazil since 2018.  This is the longest stretch without traveling there since I lived there in 2006/7.  There is a restaurant in my wife's hometown called Alho e Óleo.  Their specialty is grilled picanha and a huge pile of sauteed onions and garlic.  Fucking amazing.  Hopefully this image works, I miss eating there so bad.

[Helobious 9450]

I don’t know shit about latino food that isn’t Mexican or Tex-Mex, really need to expand my horizon. Mexico is the only foreign country I’ve ever been to and there are not many other types of Latinos in south Texas. Lot of Central Americans move through but they’re usually just trying to keep a low profile on their way to wherever they’re going. My favorite breakfast food is machacado, and my favorite dish ever is chicken enchiladas. I’m a simple man. That dish you posted does look incredible though. 
 

I know Houston (fuck the Astros) has a huge & diverse Latin American population, I’ll need to hit some of those restaurants up next time I’m there. What do you think is the largest non-Mexican group is there? Hondurans?

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

That's a good question and I don't think I know the answer, but yeah, there a shit ton of Hondurans, Guatemalans and Salvadorians here.  I usually stick to Tex Mex, Mexican and Brazilian food here.  One of the worst "Mexican" meals I ever had was in a Salvadorian bar/restaurant in DC next to the recording studio I worked in.  Those motherfuckers would have been shot in Texas for serving that garbage.

My first experience with pickled red onions was in Honduras as a teenager. One of my cousins took us to a lake outside of San Pedro Sula and for lunch we  had grilled fish and there was a bowl of pickled red onion.  Everything tasted amazing to me.  Nowadays, I much, much prefer BBQ with pickled red onion than raw white onion.

I am far from an expert on all cuisine of Latin America.  Obviously well versed in Tex Mex and tradition Mexican Tacos.  Also really enjoy ceviche.  I do love Brazilian food, but like American food, it is a mash up of different cultures (Portuguese, Italian, African).  One of the most common and popular dishes in Brazil is Beef Stroganoff.  It is served over rice (rather than egg noodles like here in the states) with shoe string potato chips on top.  My wife's Stroganoff is the best I have ever had.

[956 Worldwide 34702]

1 hour ago, Helobious said:

2nd generation Mexican-American. All 4 of my grandparents were born & raised in Mexico before moving to Texas. Highest education level attained among the 4 of them was mom’s dad, 6th grade. All 4 of them dirt poor and not knowing any english. My dad’s parents were illegals and had 9 dreaded “anchor babies” here and worked as migrant farm workers. All of their kids went on to graduate college or join the military. Grandparents on moms side had 4 kids, 4 college graduates. Talk shit on immigrants (legal & illegal) all you want, my grandparents have the most American story of anyone I know.
 

I grew up in the RGV, and SA for a few years in middle school. Never have known what it felt like to be a “minority” and have never seen myself as one. I loved growing up down there, there’s lots of poverty but also many successful hispanic people, hispanic owned businesses, hispanic doctors & lawyers. For a place so poor & so hispanic there’s not much violent crime at all. Best of both worlds growing up, plenty of Mexican food, lots of big family parties & gatherings, tons of primos that I was and still am close with, but a typical American upbringing as well. LOVED football and baseball, American music & tv, all of that.  

I have a very hispanic first & last name but I look pretty white. I say it all the time and will say it again, it’s great. White privileges without actually being “white”. If I could choose a racial makeup I’d definitely stick with this.

This is the most Harlingen thing that’s ever been written on the internet.

[iodeac 138]

Checking in from close to Charlotte. Not Latino but for some reason I'm obsessed with Spanish and my Latino friends tell me I'm basically a Latino in a gringo body.

Took a year of Spanish in college about twenty years ago and never followed up with it, and it was always kind of a regret of mine, so in 2017 when I found myself working around a ton of people from Ecuador, Colombia, Mexico and Panama among others it rekindled my interest and I haven't stopped since.

In Charlotte, there's a huge Colombian population and at the end of July there's a huge Colombian festival. Grupo Niche played two years ago, I can't wait to go again.

As far as food, I love pretty much any kind of Latinoanerican food but give me some arepas con choclo por a bandeja paisa from Colombia and I can die happy.

Enviado desde mi SM-G973U mediante Tapatalk

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

I wouldn’t have guessed there is a large Colombian population in Charlotte. Colombian food is some good stuff too.

Have you had a chance yet to travel to any of those countries?

[iodeac 138]

I wouldn’t have guessed there is a large Colombian population in Charlotte. Colombian food is some good stuff too.

Have you had a chance yet to travel to any of those countries?

Went to Chile and Argentina in 2017 and loved them both. We enjoyed the southern parts of both countries moreso than Santiago and Buenos Aires.

I fell in love with Colombia after a week. People were amazing and the country just has a lot of energy to it. I went with an immersion group through this program I'm in and I really hope they do another one this year. I went in February last year before the bottom fell out

Enviado desde mi SM-G973U mediante Tapatalk

[Mo Horn 8831]

I am not Hispanic, but been married to one for almost 38 years. Also, grew up in Mexico City and RGV. Have also been fortunate to travel extensively in Central and South America, and not in just the big cities.  I've been to some pretty rural places. So I consider myself to be a white Latino. Every country is unique in culture,food, and language. Even though the majority speak Spanish, they don't always use the same words, or phrases, for the same things. These are the things I love to experience. I wish more people would travel there. 

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

I am not Hispanic, but been married to one for almost 38 years. Also, grew up in Mexico City and RGV. Have also been fortunate to travel extensively in Central and South America, and not in just the big cities.  I've been to some pretty rural places. So I consider myself to be a white Latino. Every country is unique in culture,food, and language. Even though the majority speak Spanish, they don't always use the same words, or phrases, for the same things. These are the things I love to experience. I wish more people would travel there. 

What is your favorite countries and cities/towns you have been to?

Here is my embarrassing admission:

While my father was born in Costa Rica, I have never been. I need to fix that and preferably with him along on the trip.

Also, I have only been to apiedara Negras in Mexico. I would love to explore more places there.

I have done extensive traveling in Brazil (many capitals and small towns) as well as in Honduras.

[Brisketexan 105074]

I'm a pretty white looking hispanic here (coonass on mom's side, so we always ate well no matter what).  Grew up in Houston, lived a pretty all-American lifestyle, while also having close ties with extensive family on the border, and regularly travelling down into Chihuahua to see my grandparents.

My dad was similar -- kid of the border, generally white hispanic (we've got roots on the border for at least generations, including American soldiers who came down for the Mexican war and never left, thus all the anglo blood).  He's fluently bilingual and bicultural.  His parents raised fighting bulls on a ranch in Chihuahua, but his mom was from the border and spent a lot of time there too.

And to give you a snapshot of his culture, yesterday morning I texted him about me coming over to work on some paperwork in wrapping up my mother's estate.  He said "fine -- make it after 2:00, the bullfights are on till then."  [He's found an online source that replays the Spanish bullfights every Sunday, so he streams them to the TV and makes an afternoon of it].

[Mo Horn 8831]

3 minutes ago, Patricio Swayze said:

What is your favorite countries and cities/towns you have been to?

Here is my embarrassing admission:

While my father was born in Costa Rica, I have never been. I need to fix that and preferably with him along on the trip.

Also, I have only been to apiedara Negras in Mexico. I would love to explore more places there.

I have done extensive traveling in Brazil (many capitals and small towns) as well as in Honduras.

My favorite city in SA is Buenos Aires and second would be Lima, and countries not surprisingly would be Argentina and Peru. Bolivia would be close, and one that fewer Americans visit but should. Cartagena, Colombia is also great.  I think Santiago is meh (but could be totally wrong) but love the Chilean countryside.

As for CA, I spent the majority of my time in Honduras, which has some good things. Also enjoyed Nicaragua and Guatemala. I've never been to Costa Rica or Panama, other than flying through Panama City. I need to change that. 

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

My favorite city in SA is Buenos Aires and second would be Lima, and countries not surprisingly would be Argentina and Peru. Bolivia would be close, and one that fewer Americans visit but should. Cartagena, Colombia is also great.  I think Santiago is meh (but could be totally wrong) but love the Chilean countryside.
As for CA, I spent the majority of my time in Honduras, which has some good things. Also enjoyed Nicaragua and Guatemala. I've never been to Costa Rica or Panama, other than flying through Panama City. I need to change that. 

Where in Honduras? I have been to San Pedro Sula, Tegucigalpa, Puerto Cortes, Tela, La Ceiba, Santa Rosa de Copan, and Roatan.

Also excuse my typing, I am on my phone and it likes to change words in Spanish to something totally different in Portuguese.

[jimmyjazz 45890]

I'm just here for the recipes.  Good idea for a thread . . . I'll lurk and learn.

[Mo Horn 8831]

Most of my time was in San Pedro Sula, but also time around Lake Yojoa. Also a bunch of small communities within a couple hours of SPS.  Never did any of the resorts, since I wasn't there for vacation. Spent a weekend in the mountains, in the middle of nowhere Honduras with a family. Shower was a bucket of water from a drum, and had to use a bucket to flush waste out of the outhouse. That was actually a life altering weekend.  Really put into perspective what's important in life. After that trip Mrs. Mo and I decided to pull the trigger on a major downsizing in everything, that we had been talking about for a while. 

[Mo Horn 8831]

Just now, jimmyjazz said:

I'm just here for the recipes.  Good idea for a thread . . . I'll lurk and learn.

Central and South American food is nothing like Mexican or Tex-Mex food. Not better or worse, just totally different. 

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

5 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

I'm just here for the recipes.  Good idea for a thread . . . I'll lurk and learn.

I'll see if I can get the Stroganoff recipe off my wife.  She doesn't measure anything so who knows.  It is obviously not a Brazilian dish in the sense that it is not homegrown, but it is one of the most common dishes all over Brazil.  One dish I want her to make I doubt will every happen is Camarão na Abóbora (shrimp in pumpkin).  She doesn't like shrimp so fuck me right?  Her mom made it several times for lunch when I would take the bus to their small town.  That is a very Afro-Brazilian recipe.

5 minutes ago, Mo Horn said:

Most of my time was in San Pedro Sula, but also time around Lake Yojoa. Also a bunch of small communities within a couple hours of SPS.  Never did any of the resorts, since I wasn't there for vacation. Spent a weekend in the mountains, in the middle of nowhere Honduras with a family. Shower was a bucket of water from a drum, and had to use a bucket to flush waste out of the outhouse. That was actually a life altering weekend.  Really put into perspective what's important in life. After that trip Mrs. Mo and I decided to pull the trigger on a major downsizing in everything, that we had been talking about for a while. 

Ah yes, the water in the bucket trick.  My grandmother was building a house in Tegu and in the meantime was living in an apartment behind a friend's house.  There was some major construction going on the city at the time so water only worked early in the morning so that everyone could fill up their basins.  Had to fill a bucket from the basin, take it to the bathroom to fill the tank of the toilet.  Also two buckets for taking a shower.  I was happy to get back to my aunt's house in SPS after that.

[Zepol87 9185]

My great grandparents and some other families decided to come to Texas in 1931 in a big group and we still have family reunions together by the farms where they all picked cotton. My grandpa was born in a camp outside of Saltillo on the way here. I don't really know what the family did until 1939 and half ended up in Abilene and the other half closer towards Munday. Grandparents picked cotton together as kids and didn't go to school past 4th grade. They moved to Dallas in the 50's and been in Pleasant Grove ever since. My uncles and dad married white women and never spoke spanish outside of the house unless it was to our grandparents. I can say my Spanish was non-existent before I moved to Monterrey about a decade ago and that is when I really started using it daily and got the practice needed. Living down there and re-connecting with family really made appreciate everything a little more, I love most things Mexican but fuck El Tri. 

White side of my family are all racist shit bags. Legit Aryan Brotherhood members, last time I saw any of them was when I was 17 a couple months before leaving for boot camp my moms brother shows up with a new tattoo. It was a rat on his arm with a swastika. He got drunk and started yelling racist shit about mexicans and blacks. I asked if he hated me cause I was part mexican and he responded "you are family I love you, it isn't your fault was a dumbass and married a mexican" my mom completely cut off her family after that day. 

[jimmyjazz 45890]

20 minutes ago, Mo Horn said:

Central and South American food is nothing like Mexican or Tex-Mex food. Not better or worse, just totally different. 

I'm not sure if you thought I implied that.  One of my good friends married a gal from Colombia, and her cooking was amazing.  And yes, often quite different than what even a legit Mexican restaurant will serve.

[Nueces River Rat 5537]

Kind of cool thread and here I go with my background.

Gringo/White Kid now aged 49  who grew up only 8 miles from the border in the RGV.   Went to a high school in the 80's  that was probably 80/20% Hispanic/Anglo ratio and the town was probably 70%/30% ....    All give or take a few percentage  points....   Judging by athletics rosters, postings on Facebook and other things I keep up with, it's 95%/5% now and the town  is around 80/20%.

I would probably pass for a rich Mexican from the interior because of my colored eyes and I tan real well as this comes from the Greek side of my family.   And in fact back in the day and even now when I go home and we stop to shop or eat, I will get addressed in Spanish first.

All my good buds were Hispanic and still are to this day.   The only girls I dated long term were Hispanic.   My wife is Hispanic.  I got along much better with the Hispanic kids than I did with the Anglos at my school and others close by.  That's not to say I didn't have Anglo friends, but I very much spent more time at my Hispanic friends homes (or relatives homes) than my Anglo friends.  In fact on Facebook today, my old friends will say something like "You are a white boy?" when I make a comment about being a white boy from the RGV.    Love it!     I certainly felt more welcomed and when it came to going to a chics house I was very welcomed.  I don't know if it had anything with many of them being from first or second generation families who immigrated from Mexico, but I think some of the mothers, tias, and abuelas  seeing the Anglo kid as being a sure ticket for a secure life because they saw most Anglos as having a steady money flow.  Little did they know my mom struggled during those years as my Dad passed away when I was eight.  I ate well, learned how to make some of the best Tex/Mex from spending time in those homes...  The men also treated me well for the most part.  Never really ran into what today would be called reverse discrimination or outright in your face hatred because of what others did not so long ago at that time.  I'm sure their was some of that going on an maybe because they saw that I accepted their culture, they treated me differently vs newbies who moved in or some of the Anglo familes that had a rep for being assess?    My mom taught school, so this also more than likely had something to do with 

 

As a result, I have a huge amount of respect for the Mexican people who live across the river.   I love going across and I think only now 27 years later., my wife finally gets it (she grew up in the Corpus area).   It's shame the cartels have made most of the border regions down to Monterrey a no go zone (unless you fly), because Monterrey is great place to get a taste of everything Mexico.   We still go down to Las Flores/Nuevo Progresso across from the Weslaco area once or twice a year.  At least that was pre Covid and will probably resume this fall.    That right there was part of my youth and it's important for me to keep the roots watered.    We also go down to some of the resort destinations, but as soon as my youngest graduates from high school in a few years and my wife and I can take off for extended weekends, I hope to go to Mexico City and a few other areas.  

 

 

 

Edited June 28, 2021 by Nueces River Rat

[Helobious 9450]

1 hour ago, Brisketexan said:

I'm a pretty white looking hispanic here (coonass on mom's side, so we always ate well no matter what).  Grew up in Houston, lived a pretty all-American lifestyle, while also having close ties with extensive family on the border, and regularly travelling down into Chihuahua to see my grandparents.

My dad was similar -- kid of the border, generally white hispanic (we've got roots on the border for at least generations, including American soldiers who came down for the Mexican war and never left, thus all the anglo blood).  He's fluently bilingual and bicultural.  His parents raised fighting bulls on a ranch in Chihuahua, but his mom was from the border and spent a lot of time there too.

And to give you a snapshot of his culture, yesterday morning I texted him about me coming over to work on some paperwork in wrapping up my mother's estate.  He said "fine -- make it after 2:00, the bullfights are on till then."  [He's found an online source that replays the Spanish bullfights every Sunday, so he streams them to the TV and makes an afternoon of it].

Damn your dad sounds rancho as hell. Don’t know anyone that still watches bullfights. He would’ve been buddies with my grandpa for sure. Unless he was averse to going to some illegal cockfights (insert gay jokes) from time to time. 

[Brisketexan 105074]

1 minute ago, Helobious said:

Damn your dad sounds rancho as hell. Don’t know anyone that still watches bullfights. He would’ve been buddies with my grandpa for sure. Unless he was averse to going to some illegal cockfights (insert gay jokes) from time to time. 

Sheeee-it.  My mom, though NOLA born, spent her high school years in the RGV (which is where she and my dad met and married).  She recalls going to the cockfights as a regular thing, and the best one in town was the one the Sheriff ran.

Yeah, dad's rancho AF.  Some of my best childhood memories are down on the grandparents' ranch, running wild, hunting, staying in the old ranch house with a propane stove  and fridge, lit by hurricane lamps, and eating like a king (fried desert cottontail rabbit was my favorite....but also lots of fideo, frijoles, etc.).

[Orale 1087]

My favorite city in SA is Buenos Aires and second would be Lima, and countries not surprisingly would be Argentina and Peru. Bolivia would be close, and one that fewer Americans visit but should. Cartagena, Colombia is also great.  I think Santiago is meh (but could be totally wrong) but love the Chilean countryside.
As for CA, I spent the majority of my time in Honduras, which has some good things. Also enjoyed Nicaragua and Guatemala. I've never been to Costa Rica or Panama, other than flying through Panama City. I need to change that. 

Agreed on BA and would like to move there for a few months once they open up again. I enjoyed Miraflores and Barranco in Lima, but it's a bit rough outside of those neighborhoods. I went there mostly as a base for visiting Cusco and Machu Picchu.

Chile is amazingly beautiful. I went to Patagonia a couple years ago and it blew my mind. Santiago has some cool neighborhoods but is mostly boring compared to a dynamic place like BA. It's a good base for seeing the rest of the country but not a place to linger. Valparaiso is very cool with beautiful old houses. Ecuador has beautiful landscapes worth seeing. I stayed in Cuenca and really enjoyed the colonial architecture. Lots of expats.

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

10 minutes ago, Zepol87 said:

My great grandparents and some other families decided to come to Texas in 1931 in a big group and we still have family reunions together by the farms where they all picked cotton. My grandpa was born in a camp outside of Saltillo on the way here. I don't really know what the family did until 1939 and half ended up in Abilene and the other half closer towards Munday. Grandparents picked cotton together as kids and didn't go to school past 4th grade. They moved to Dallas in the 50's and been in Pleasant Grove ever since. My uncles and dad married white women and never spoke spanish outside of the house unless it was to our grandparents. I can say my Spanish was non-existent before I moved to Monterrey about a decade ago and that is when I really started using it daily and got the practice needed. Living down there and re-connecting with family really made appreciate everything a little more, I love most things Mexican but fuck El Tri. 

White side of my family are all racist shit bags. Legit Aryan Brotherhood members, last time I saw any of them was when I was 17 a couple months before leaving for boot camp my moms brother shows up with a new tattoo. It was a rat on his arm with a swastika. He got drunk and started yelling racist shit about mexicans and blacks. I asked if he hated me cause I was part mexican and he responded "you are family I love you, it isn't your fault was a dumbass and married a mexican" my mom completely cut off her family after that day. 

Damn...fuck all that racist shit.  You should have laid him out.  But it happens on both sides.  When my parents got married, they didn't invite my mom's parents as they would have flipped out she was marrying a Latino.  However, the way my dad tells it, his mom (Brazilian from a well to do family) wasn't pleased he was marrying a working class Anglo. 

7 minutes ago, Nueces River Rat said:

I certainly felt more welcomed and when it came to going to a chics house I was very welcomed.  I don't know if it had anything with many of them being from first or second generation families who immigrated from Mexico, but I think some of the mothers, tias, and abuelas  seeing the Anglo kid as being a sure ticket for a secure life because they saw most Anglos as having a steady money flow. 

 

 

 

This is an interesting thing I have experienced, but in a slightly different way as I am half with the surname.  I recall in high school I went the house of a friend of my girlfriend's.  She is Cuban American and her parents both born on the island.  Her father was a POW in the whole Bay of Pigs fiasco.  Anyways, it felt as almost if they wanted to set me up with their daughter (despite her friend being my girlfriend).  It just felt like because I was white/Latino, middle class and headed to college that I was about as perfect as it gets.

[Nueces River Rat 5537]

2 minutes ago, Orale said:

Agreed on BA and would like to move there for a few months once they open up again. I enjoyed Miraflores and Barranco in Lima, but it's a bit rough outside of those neighborhoods. I went there mostly as a base for visiting Cusco and Machu Picchu.

Chile is amazingly beautiful. I went to Patagonia a couple years ago and it blew my mind. Santiago has some cool neighborhoods but is mostly boring compared to a dynamic place like BA. It's a good base for seeing the rest of the country but not a place to linger. Valparaiso is very cool with beautiful old houses. Ecuador has beautiful landscapes worth seeing. I stayed in Cuenca and really enjoyed the colonial architecture. Lots of expats.

Chile is very much on my agenda after a few European trips once we are empty nesters.    I generally don't like to do organized tours,  but I kind of figured we might get one crack at going down that way while we are still "young', we might as well do one that will take us from Peru, Chile, Argentina and Brazil.   

[Mez2 4023]

11 hours ago, Helobious said:

I don’t know shit about latino food that isn’t Mexican or Tex-Mex, really need to expand my horizon. Mexico is the only foreign country I’ve ever been to and there are not many other types of Latinos in south Texas. Lot of Central Americans move through but they’re usually just trying to keep a low profile on their way to wherever they’re going. My favorite breakfast food is machacado, and my favorite dish ever is chicken enchiladas. I’m a simple man. That dish you posted does look incredible though. 
 

I know Houston (fuck the Astros) has a huge & diverse Latin American population, I’ll need to hit some of those restaurants up next time I’m there. What do you think is the largest non-Mexican group is there? Hondurans?

Yankee haters, definitely Yankee haters

[Nueces River Rat 5537]

2 minutes ago, Patricio Swayze said:

Damn...fuck all that racist shit.  You should have laid him out.  But it happens on both sides.  When my parents got married, they didn't invite my mom's parents as they would have flipped out she was marrying a Latino.  However, the way my dad tells it, his mom (Brazilian from a well to do family) wasn't pleased he was marrying a working class Anglo. 

This is an interesting thing I have experienced, but in a slightly different way as I am half with the surname.  I recall in high school I went the house of a friend of my girlfriend's.  She is Cuban American and her parents both born on the island.  Her father was a POW in the whole Bay of Pigs fiasco.  Anyways, it felt as almost if they wanted to set me up with their daughter (despite her friend being my girlfriend).  It just felt like because I was white/Latino, middle class and headed to college that I was about as perfect as it gets.

It was an  interesting position to find yourself in!   Had to walk a fine line between showing a lack of romantic interest in their daughter and not coming off  as thankless for their hospitality .   Especially after said Mom had their daughter give you birthday or some other sort of gift or food for that matter.  The upside during my whole high school years, I had only one serious girlfriend. so most of gals knew I wasn't looking for a serious relationships especially my Senior year when I didn't want a ball and chain.    So my inner circle of close friend on the female side would kind of make it known to their parents or other relatives that we were just friends.  lol 

[deadshank 24652]

7 minutes ago, Mez2 said:

Yankee haters, definitely Yankee haters

Pinche Yanquis.  

[Mo Horn 8831]

1 hour ago, jimmyjazz said:

I'm not sure if you thought I implied that.  One of my good friends married a gal from Colombia, and her cooking was amazing.  And yes, often quite different than what even a legit Mexican restaurant will serve.

 Didn't mean to imply anything, sorry that didn't come come across well. I was just making a factual statement. 

[Mo Horn 8831]

1 hour ago, Patricio Swayze said:

I'll see if I can get the Stroganoff recipe off my wife.  She doesn't measure anything so who knows.  It is obviously not a Brazilian dish in the sense that it is not homegrown, but it is one of the most common dishes all over Brazil.  One dish I want her to make I doubt will every happen is Camarão na Abóbora (shrimp in pumpkin).  She doesn't like shrimp so fuck me right?  Her mom made it several times for lunch when I would take the bus to their small town.  That is a very Afro-Brazilian recipe.

Ah yes, the water in the bucket trick.  My grandmother was building a house in Tegu and in the meantime was living in an apartment behind a friend's house.  There was some major construction going on the city at the time so water only worked early in the morning so that everyone could fill up their basins.  Had to fill a bucket from the basin, take it to the bathroom to fill the tank of the toilet.  Also two buckets for taking a shower.  I was happy to get back to my aunt's house in SPS after that.

 This didn't even have a tank, just the bowl. Water sent it down a hose and I assume into the field. I miss good freijoada, and one of the best soups I ever had was a yucca soup in somebody's home in Sao Paulo.

[Zepol87 9185]

1 hour ago, jimmyjazz said:

I'm just here for the recipes.  Good idea for a thread . . . I'll lurk and learn.

My gf is Venezuelan and can't cook that food for shit. I need some recipes as well

[Nueces River Rat 5537]

5 minutes ago, Zepol87 said:

My gf is Venezuelan and can't cook that food for shit. I need some recipes as well

But she's probably very fertile.....  plan accordingly....

[mycox 582]

My gf is El Salvadoran and can't cook either. Most Central American countries don't cook with spices and peppers like Mexico, mostly bland food.

I do enjoy a good pupusa though. 

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

 This didn't even have a tank, just the bowl. Water sent it down a hose and I assume into the field. I miss good freijoada, and one of the best soups I ever had was a yucca soup in somebody's home in Sao Paulo.

I haven’t had good Feijoada in a long time. There is a restaurant here in Houston that makes a pretty good one, I consider it “feijoada light”. I want all the gnarly bits of the pig to be in there.

One of the dishes that got me thinking about starting this thread was bife a cavalo. I used to eat it a couple of times a month at this cantina on the UNICAMP campus where I studied. With a side of rice and black beans. Maybe some fried yucca. Damn it.

[RDCanecutter 26395]

Yo-oo no-oo soy Latino, pero I always thought my Dad (center, in pimp-mode) could have been stunt-double for young Che Guevara.

Probably from the Irish side. Or common ancestry with Eddie Munster.

 

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

Hahaha nice. Actually you and Braff were the non Latinos I figured would enjoy and contribute to the thread the most. Cool to see more.

[Zepol87 9185]

23 minutes ago, mycox said:

My gf is El Salvadoran and can't cook either. Most Central American countries don't cook with spices and peppers like Mexico, mostly bland food.

I do enjoy a good pupusa though. 

True. Pupusas go hard, we have some friends from ES and they always throw down. I enjoy the panes con pavo for thanksgiving as well.

[Mo Horn 8831]

26 minutes ago, mycox said:

My gf is El Salvadoran and can't cook either. Most Central American countries don't cook with spices and peppers like Mexico, mostly bland food.

I do enjoy a good pupusa though. 

This is exactly why I made my statement about the food being different. Most folks, and probably not any posting here, will be expecting something totally different than what they get. 

[iodeac 138]

I'm not sure if you thought I implied that.  One of my good friends married a gal from Colombia, and her cooking was amazing.  And yes, often quite different than what even a legit Mexican restaurant will serve.

Lots of people have the misconception that all Latin American food is spicy but I don't think any type of food in South America is known for being spicy. I'm lucky, I live just outside of Charlotte and there are two really good Colombian restaurants within about 15 minutes.

Enviado desde mi SM-G973U mediante Tapatalk

[iodeac 138]

Agreed on BA and would like to move there for a few months once they open up again. I enjoyed Miraflores and Barranco in Lima, but it's a bit rough outside of those neighborhoods. I went there mostly as a base for visiting Cusco and Machu Picchu.

Chile is amazingly beautiful. I went to Patagonia a couple years ago and it blew my mind. Santiago has some cool neighborhoods but is mostly boring compared to a dynamic place like BA. It's a good base for seeing the rest of the country but not a place to linger. Valparaiso is very cool with beautiful old houses. Ecuador has beautiful landscapes worth seeing. I stayed in Cuenca and really enjoyed the colonial architecture. Lots of expats.

Santiago was nice, the highlight of that part of the trip was seeing the glacier/reservoir by Cajon del Maipo. We loved the southern part of Chile, Puerto Varas but didn't make it further south to Patagonia.

I think since BA was on the tail end of our trip, it wasn't as impactful, especially after being in Bariloche, BA just reminded me of New York City where you get lost in tall buildings.

Would love to visit Cuenca, my friend from Ecuador told me it's hugely popular now for retirees from the US and other places.

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[jimmyjazz 45890]

4 minutes ago, iodeac said:

Lots of people have the misconception that all Latin American food is spicy but I don't think any type of food in South America is known for being spicy. I'm lucky, I live just outside of Charlotte and there are two really good Colombian restaurants within about 15 minutes.

Yeah, I think it is a common misconception.  I spent some time in Puerto Rico and rarely encountered any kind of heat.  I haven't been to Cuba, but the "legit" Cuban restaurants I've been to are similar.  I want to go to Brazil, I'd like to see for myself if the Americanized steakhouses are even close to what can be had there.  Delicious, but a long way from spicy.  Brazil will definitely be my next destination.

[Brisketexan 105074]

16 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

I want to go to Brazil, I'd like to see for myself if the Americanized steakhouses are even close to what can be had there. 

They are.  But better.  In fact, I remember chatting with some Brazilians we met up with in BA, and asked them if they had anything like Fogo, and they said "yeah....Fogo."  There's one in Sao Paulo.

We ate a FANTASTIC one on the Brazilian side of Iguazu.  We ate there three nights in a row.

[Mo Horn 8831]

13 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

Yeah, I think it is a common misconception.  I spent some time in Puerto Rico and rarely encountered any kind of heat.  I haven't been to Cuba, but the "legit" Cuban restaurants I've been to are similar.  I want to go to Brazil, I'd like to see for myself if the Americanized steakhouses are even close to what can be had there.  Delicious, but a long way from spicy.  Brazil will definitely be my next destination.

I'm tempted to simply say they aren't, but I have been to some that come petty close... although i really didn't like Fogo de Chao. We have non-chain ones that are much better. Beef is beef, and while there are some differences they are minor.  Most everything unique to Brazil can be found by restaurants here. The biggest difference is what else you get there. I fell in love with chicken hearts and I've never seen those in the U.S.. 

[Brisketexan 105074]

I'm tempted to simply say they aren't, but I have been to some that come petty close... although i really didn't like Fogo de Chao. We have non-chain ones that are much better. Beef is beef, and while there are some differences they are minor.  Most everything unique to Brazil can be found by restaurants here. The biggest difference is what else you get there. I fell in love with chicken hearts and I've never seen those in the U.S.. 

When Fogo first opened here, they had them. But Americans wouldn’t eat them, so they dropped them. Pissed me off.

I make em as a tailgate snack all the time now, and people love them.