Ask a MexicanFrom award-winning columnist and favorite talking head Gustavo Arellano, comes this explosive, irreverent, smart, and hilarious Los Angeles Times bestseller. ¡Ask a Mexican! is a collection of questions and answers from Gustavo Arellano that explore the clichés of lowriders, busboys, and housekeepers; drunks and scoundrels; heroes and celebrities; and most important, millions upon millions of law-abiding, patriotic American citizens and their illegal-immigrant cousins who represent some $600 billion in economic power. At a strong eighteen percent of the U.S. population, Latinos have become America's largest minority—and Mexicans make up a large part of that number. Gustavo confronts the bogeymen of racism, xenophobia, and ignorance prompted by such demographic changes through answering questions put to him by readers of his ¡Ask a Mexican! column in California's OC Weekly. He challenges readers to find a more entertaining way to understand Mexican culture that doesn't involve a taco-and-enchilada combo. From lighter topics like Latin pop and great Mexican food to more serious issues like immigration and race relations, ¡Ask a Mexican! runs the gamut. Why do Mexicans call white people gringos? Are all Mexicans Catholic? What's the best tequila? Gustavo answers a wide range of legitimate and illegitimate questions, in the hopes of making a few readers angry, making most of us laugh, sparking a greater dialogue, and enhancing cross-cultural understanding. |
Contents
| 1 | |
CULTURA | 32 |
SEXO | 60 |
MORE MORE AND MORE | 85 |
MUSIC | 111 |
FOOD | 138 |
ETHNIC RELATIONS | 161 |
FASHION | 187 |
WORK | 211 |
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS | 237 |
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Common terms and phrases
American Angeles Ask a Mexican assimilate Aztec banda Bandito barrio beaners better border burritos cabrón California Chávez Chicano chili Chinese chino cholos chúntaro corridos damn Dear Gabacho Dear Mexican Dear Pocho Dear Wab English ethnic fans film friends Frito Bandito fucking girls Greaser Guadalupe Guatemalans Güero güey hate Hispanic hombres ican illegal immigrants kids La Cucaracha labor Latin Lover Latino live look madre Maldonado Mami means menudo Mexi Mexican culture Mexican immigrants Mexican Spanish Mexican women Mexican-American Mexicans love migra Morrissey Morrissey's mustache never norteño Orange County parents pendejo percent pinche popular quinceañera ranchera rancho reconquista Ricardo Montalbán Sánchez says shit slur song Spaniards Spanish-language speak spicy stereotype T-shirt Taco Taco Bell Chihuahua Taquería tell tequila there's thing tion tortillas truck United Virgin wear wetback What's workers Zacatecas