Can Mexicans Dress?

Compact By Anne Taintor

I went to a Latina event and I was a little uncomfortable with the topic. I wondered if I was the only person who was embarrassed and the woman next to me confirmed that yes, she too wasn't too crazy about the topic. Maybe she had different reasons for feeling the way I did.

FIRST of all, it was in a public setting with non-Hispanic people around us. It was in a restaurant and people were eating nearby within earshot. We weren't in a private room. Then second, the topic was all about appropriate dress. I couldn't help but think that the non-Hispanic people around us who were hearing us were thinking, "HOW sweet! They're teaching the Latinas how to dress because they don't know better!" I wonder if I was the only one who had her intelligence insulted? Besides my neighbor of course.

Good grief! That was too hilarious! I almost wished I could have filmed it. It would have been priceless on Guanabee. My cousin would have cracked up over it.

Then I wonder, what makes people so snobby and what makes them think they are better than other people? It's an interesting social question. Growing up I went to a high school that was a really even mix of different races and social classes. I went to school with girls that acted like they were better than everyone else. Very likely their mothers raised them to think this way.
I was in the group of friends who were middle of the road, most of us were in nerds, but we were the kind of kids that were friends with everyone.

I find it very interesting that my daughter goes to elementary school with a lot of the kind of girls who seem to be the daughters of the girls I went to high school with. I have personally witnessed my daughter saying hi to a little girl in the hall and the little girl just continued to ignore her, with me walking alongside her. I couldn't help myself.

I had to say, "'Jane' doesn't seem to hear you. Either that or she hasn't been taught that it's RUDE not to say hello back when someone is saying hello to you." The little snot looked straight at me with a serious face and didn't say a word. And no, she was not deaf or blind.

All I can say is that this kind of training starts at home. I love my daughter's open personality. She says HI to everyone and tries to hug everyone at school. I'm sure she has her moments of rudeness too, don't get me wrong.

OK. Time to get in the shower and get my clothes ready for tomorrow. I need to make sure it's office "appropriate" for White Corporate America.