Growing up Latino is a point of pride for us—and we wouldn't change that experience for the world. I always knew there was something different about my parents (you pick up on it either early on or later, when you meet people who were not raised by Latino parents). Our families are not like any other culture. We have our traditions, our own quirks, and our own little ways of doing things. There is a special feeling we get when we look back on our childhoods and think of all the moments we shared with our parents, our grandparents, and the rest of our families—and it's something we always carry with us.
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Latino parents have a reputation for being strict, sometimes overbearing, but always with their kids' best interests in mind. Family is at the core of who we are as a culture, and it makes us who we are as individuals. We may roll our eyes at some of the things our parents did (and do), but you have to admit, growing up Latino is an amazing experience. So check out our list of ways to tell if you were raised Latino. If you recognize three or more of the following scenarios, you were undoubtedly raised by Latino parents.
Everyone comes to the party ... four hours after the arranged time.
Sometimes you even tell people the event starts two hours before it actually does so they'll be on time. It never works, most of your relatives will still show up late. It's more like start time is just a suggested time. Sure, you could get mad or instead just roll with it.
Your abuela is always worried about your health.
Abuelas believe in preventive health care and for them, that doesn't mean going to the doctor for your regularly scheduled appointments. More like there are things that you can do like wear socks and sweaters to prevent yourself from getting sick. For example, there's no such thing as walking around barefoot in a Latino household. Your abuela firmly believes that if you don't use socks, you'll end up with pneumonia.
Your mom always made sure you were prepared when you went out.
It didn't matter if it was scorching hot outside with no chance of cooling down, you always had a jacket or a sweater with you. Even in the dead of summer you could not leave your home without a sweater because your mom never stopped thinking you would catch a cold without one.
Family dinners were serious business in your house.
Your parents or abuelos invest a huge portion of their salary in feeding the entire family on Sundays, but keep in mind that the term "family" is used very loosely. You end up having a lot of tíos and tías that aren't really aunts and uncles, but whatever.
The art of cooking is taken seriously in your family.
You are completely adept at preparing incredible tamales, arepas, pasteles, or any other typical dish that involves fitting as many calories into as tiny a portion as possible. Cooking delicious meals for people you care about is a sort of love language in Latino families.
Seasoning and flavor is a MUST in our food.
Food without adobo or chile is not food. Non-Latino friends come over and ask if something is spicy and everyone in your family says no. Still, your non-Latino friends turn red and start gasping for air after a couple of bites because to them your mild is HOT!
You have so many family members, it's hard to keep up.
When relatives visit, you meet cousins you've never seen before in your life, because you have about 490 of them spread all over the world. They come in large groups and make themselves at home in your living room for at least a month.
Talking to your mom on the phone is an experience.
People stare when you talk to your mom on the phone because they think you're being WAY too loud. For the record: No, we're not screaming or mad! THAT'S JUST HOW WE TALK! Why would we whisper? We're not ashamed of anything we're saying.
Going out to eat with your family is an event!
The five-plus hours you spend at restaurants with your clan drives waiters crazy wherever you go. But you all have a great time and sometimes even end up making friends with people at other tables because why wouldn't you talk to perfect strangers?
Sometimes your family does some peculiar things.
Like when you go out to eat, your abuela/tía/prima thinks they HAVE to take everything from the bread basket to the sugar packets with them when they leave a restaurant. It's like it would be crazy to leave anything behind that can fit in your purse. Those little plastic jelly containers with foil covers are a favorite.
Your parents did not play when it came to discipline.
You know the meaning of chancleta and el cinturón, but more importantly, you know their implications. Just the mention of either one still sends a chill up your spine and makes you feel like you did something wrong that you should apologize for.
Quinceañeras were a big deal in your family.
You may be 42 years old, but your parents are still paying for the humongous quinceañera party they threw for you. To them it was a rite of passage and worth every centavo they paid. They're still talking about how beautiful the centerpieces that everyone made off with were and how they still have 10 of them stored somewhere.
There were certain things your parents just didn't allow.
You had to lie to your non-Latino friends about not being able to sleep over at their house because your parents simply thought that entire concept was crazy. To be honest, you kind of thought it was a little strange too, but you played it cool.
Holidays were a little different for you.
You were dressed up as either el Chavo del Ocho, la Chilidrina, or el Chapulín Colorado for at least one Halloween. All the Latinos get it and everyone else is like, "What are you supposed to be?" It takes too much effort to explain, so sometimes you just shrugged your shoulders and grabbed some candy.
Sometimes our family members party a little too hard.
One of your happy uncles/cousins/brothers may have by mistake passed out drunk during your wedding. And by "mistake" we mean that it was totally expected. It's like, "Is it even a party if at least one person doesn't end up drinking way too much?"
Some of our parents' ideals were a bit outdated.
They made you wash the dishes in your house all the time, but your brother was exempt from the chores because "he's a boy." Apparently, boys will never have to wash dishes. But they did make the boys do things like take out the garbage, which you didn't mind.
You celebrate life every chance you get.
You clap every time the plane touches down in your native country when you go back to visit … and so does everyone else in your family. Even if you weren't born there because you were born in the US you still clap because it's your ancestral home.
Grandmas swear they have the cure for everything.
Vicks VapoRub is used as the magical cure-all for everything from colds to burns to dry, cracked skin by everyone in your family. We grow up laughing about it and teasing our abuelas about it, but if you check our medicine cabinets, you're sure to find a jar of the stuff.
Your parents had the best tricks to comfort you.
You heard "Sana, sana, colita de rana" every time you hurt yourself. Sure, it seems crazy that a chant about a frog's butt can be soothing or have magical healing properties, but it works. Just ask any Latino kid who has ever experienced the magic.
Your parents are always by your side.
And finally, your parents would give up anything just to give you everything you needed. They were determined to help you get ahead and raise you right. And even in your 20s, 30s, and 40s, you will always be their baby. None of this, "When you're 18, you're an adult and have to fend for yourself" kind of nonsense.
