Oh my Good I might be a Coconut!!!!

Someone told me that she would never call her kid Bobby because “that  is what white people do”, or would not use this or that expression because that is “how white people talk”.  

I have heard that if you are Latino and act white you are considered a coconut, so I started analyzing myself and trying to figure out if I am doing any of those things.

This got me thinking, do I do white things…could I be a coconut. I was determined to find out.  

 First I went to the source…Stuff White People Like of course. I checked their list and started to get scared because I like:

Living by the water (would like)
Recycling
Dogs and cats
Love kitchen gadgets
The daily show
Love to travel
Learning about other cultures
Expensive sandwiches, well I love Panera Bread.

I stopped reading, no, no this can’t be. I was getting nervous, could it be true, then someone said people of color are always late and are disorganized.

OMG!! I love punctuality and order!!! (and I used the expression OMG)

My anxiety started raging, my heart started pumping faster. What if I am one of those that betrays their own people, could I be?

But then I started thinking, well I still love:

Beans (with or without rice)
My parents (and extended, very extended family)
Chicken (friend, baked, smoked, grilled, broiled)
Corn (tortillas, arepas, pupusas, gorditas)
I like parties, not just conversation parties but Latino parties, loud with food, music and dancing.
I love, loooooove to dance

 

My breathing got slower, deep breath…okay this is looking better.

 

I still like Yoga, natural foods and want to learn other languages… Oh my, I am hyperventilating again. Take deep breaths…. remember to breathe…

 

I started to check what other ethnic groups like. Well I also like:

 

Love Bbq ribs
Looove passion fruit, mango and guava
Cooking for friends and family
Grape and orange pop/soda
Falafel and shwarma
Baklava
Gold jewelry
Speaking with my hands
Tabule and babaganuj
Hugging and kissing (almost everybody)
Having a ton of friends over
Did I mention I love dancing?

 

Whew! I guess I share likes with many different cultures, I might not be a coconut after all, I think I am more of a fruit salad, with different tastes, shapes and colors…

 

I guess I am just like everybody else…