Dear Mexican: I’m an Asian female, and for some time now I’ve been fascinated by the Mexican culture. I find Mexican males to be very attractive. Their food, language and music are just amazing! How much of a chance do I have dating a Mexican hombre if I’m Asian? —Muchacha China Curiosa
Dear Chinita: Dios mío, are you in luck! Mexican society loves their Asian women—it’s the job-stealing, vice-promoting men we can’t stand. The beautiful, colorful flowing dresses Mexican women wear when dancing baile folklorico is generally called the china poblana. To dress as a china in Mexican popular parlance of the late 1800s meant to dress like a lower-class mujer for the purposes of becoming alluring, like the characterization of the gypsy woman or mulatta in American culture. And even in the present day, we romanticize Asian mujeres but without the dragon-lady bad vibes gabachos throw in their hot pot of racial desires. In other words, not only do you have beaucoup chances of dating a Mexican, you’re going to have to beat them back with a bamboo stick. Only drawback? Whether you’re Vietnamese, Japanese, Korean, Burmese or from Macao, you will always, always remain a chinita bonita to your man’s aunts—just ask my ex.
Dear Mexican: I have a Mexican friend who is a roofer. He and his crew are very efficient and do excellent work. I pay them the fair-market price—the same money I would pay gabacho roofers if they weren’t all fucked-up. My gabacho contractor friends call me a dumbass for this but exploiting immigrant labor just ain’t my bag. It’s very lonely being me. So, my question is: Do you think that I’m a dumbass? —Roofer Who Doesn’t Use Roofies To Nail Rucas
Dear Jefe: Dumbass, you? Can you get me a job, and hire my 15 cousins también? The problem of Mexican workers in los Estados Unidos getting paid less than their gabacho counterparts has existed forever, so for you—a gabacho—to not only pay fair wage to Mexicans, but do it in construction (a 2005 study published by the National Association of Home Builders found that Mexicans bore the brunt of lower-wage construction jobs) qualifies usted for folk sainthood status in some rancho in Guanajuato.
Dear Mexican: Maybe your column can address the question of why Mexicans allow so many of their small children to become obese. I know healthy food is more expensive (especially if you choose not to garden) but the longterm medical situation (which maybe is not known/appreciated within their community) for their children is obviously grave. You could do a public service in your column. —Grieving Over Ruined Dinner Angst
Dear GORDA: Same reason gabacho and negrito parents do—lack of exercise, education and healthy eating. I don’t mean to sound flippant or apologetic for my raza, but both black and white kids ain’t exactly Kate Mosses in the world of childhood obesity. According to a 2002 Center for Disease Control survey done by its National Center for Health Statistics, nearly 40 percent of Mexican-American kiddies ages 6 to 11 are overweight, and 23.7 percent obese, compared with 35.9/19.5 of negritos and 26.2/11.8 of gabachos in their respective categories. My public service? Parents: Instead of serving your niños eight Christmas tamales this season, make do with seis.
Ask the Mexican at themexican@askamexican.net, myspace.com/ocwab, facebook.com/garellano, find him on, Twitter, or write via snail mail at: Gustavo Arellano, P.O. Box 1433, Anaheim, CA 92815-1433!