Not Latino Enough

There I was in the passenger seat of the car excited to see the bill board announcing the first ever Spanish FM station in Philadelphia. Mind you I wasn’t going to listen to it but it showed that the Latino community was finally showing it’s presence in this city despite all the hate shown towards us as of late.
Now you ask why I wasn’t going to listen to it. That’s a simple answer. No, the answer isn’t that I don’t listen to Spanish Music. I love the Latino artists that bring such great music to my life. The problem is that the station was advertising that they were going to play bachatas, regeton, and salsa. I’m more of a rock, pop, and even maybe the occasional blues listener when it comes to my Spanish music. I wanted to show support though so I politely asked if I could change the station. Music was good but not what I would normally listen. It wasn’t Juanes, or Jarabe de Palo but it was Spanish music blaring out of the radio. Then the commercials brought disappointment. “Only those of us who are truly Latino will listen,” was the message the first commercial gave. The second one “Listen only if you’re Latino enough,” it blared. I changed the station angered.
I knew I wasn’t going to listen to the station after today but wow that’s offense for them to say that you weren’t a true Latino if you didn’t listen to the station. I pulled the mirror and looked at myself in it. Yeah my skin was still a honey tone. My eyes were still so dark they almost seemed black. Yes my hair was filled with blonde highlights but you could still see my dark hair. My nose was what my mom always described as the typical Hispanic’s nose. My cheekbones that I love so much were still high showing my ‘Indian’ heritage.
This wasn’t the first time that I had heard that I wasn’t Latino enough. In May while eating lunch at a certain beach in a certain Florida city I was told the same thing. So let me list what the stereotypical Latino does hence not making me Latino enough to the white man or the colored man.
A Latino:
Only listens to music with a heavy African rhythm (rock music)
Eats spicy foods like jalapenos even if it isn’t good for their digestive system (jalaquien?)
Eats diary products even if they’re lactose intolerant (not unless I have my lactaid pills)
Drinks coffee like it’s going out of style (Starbucks should sell more Caramel Apple Cider)
They’re defiantly Catholic! (Mormon Thank You very much)
Has straight pokey hair (Curly or wavy depending on the humidity that day)
Thick hair (yeah but I know a bunch of old ladies that are going bald)
Is loud (ok this one I am)
Pronounces z’s like x’s (ok again I fall under this category too)
Wear colorful clothes (mostly black wardrobe)
Get married at a young age (matriquien?)
Have tons of children (I have none and 3 is too many for me when I do have them)
Curvy women (keep comments to self folks)
Only good enough to be a maid ( I’m a social worker now a days)
Falls in love w/ the white man (I’ve dated all colors loved all colors)
It angers me that ppl don’t see me as Latino or Hispanic ‘enough’. At the end of the day though I am what I am and that’s a proud Latina who fights for her peoples rights and has lost and gained much b/c of that.