The Latino community of this country isn’t afraid to follow their hearts and go cross cultural. Although the advantages of dating Latino are pretty much obvious, it won’t hurt to mention them once again: they are very family-oriented, very romantic and very generous. Plus they are sexy as hell, if we may add. Whether you are dating a Mexican or a Dominican, chances are your relationship is devoted and warm.
However, just as everyone else, Latinos have a few pitfalls, too. Not to worry, the following is here to help you with weird situations you might get into:
1. You’re a vegetarian
Ok, let’s not go crazy and say there aren’t any vegetarians amongst Latinos, but it’s a fact that most of the community doesn’t really think fondly of a meal, unless there is some meat in it. If you say you’re a vegetarian, they might give you pork instead of red meat. The safest way to survive a dinner with your Latino babe’s family without being judged is to say you’re allergic to meat. They will look at you in shock, but they will accept it.
2. The mother
You know how in every Latino soap opera there’s a mother who knows everything and fusses every detail of her son’s life? Well, reality is often stranger than fiction. Latina moms love pampering their sons, no matter how old they are. Their sons are the apples of their eyes and you need to accept this. Let her cook for him, do his laundry, etc., because guess what? This means less work for you, not to mention you will have a free babysitter for life, if the two of you decide to get married!
3. The father
You meet your Latina girlfriend’s father and you feel he’s more intimidating than you’ve expected. Try to relax. If he offers you (and he will!) a glass of rum or tequila – accept it, but be careful: sip, don’t take it as a shot. If you take it as a shot the father will know you don’t know right from wrong. How does this make sense? Well, it does. Remember: if you win her papa over, your chances of winning her heart will jump instantly.
Photo credit:© Paul Hill/Dollar Photo Club
4. The Accent
Accents sound interesting, sometimes sexy, and sometimes funny. You might feel tempted to speak to your date’s family in their accent. Please don’t. They got the accent because they speak two languages. You don’t. If you want to grab this advantage of theirs, learn Spanish. Not only will you get your sassy accent in no time, you’ll understand everything they say. Wouldn’t that be awesome?
5. The loud talking
No, Latinos aren’t yelling. They’re enthusiastic and they’re loud talkers. They are just making a point in a very enthusiastic way. Don’t get upset over your loud Latino. It just means there’s fire in him/her. When they’re quiet – that’s when you really need to worry.
6. The long goodbye
Before leaving a Latino family party, start saying goodbye 45 minutes to an hour before you actually plan on leaving the house. That’s a standard and there’s nothing that can be done about it. There will be a lot of cheek-kissing, conversations that need closure, and many relatives who would get offended if you don’t say ‘hasta luego’. In case you thought you could get away by sneaking out, you were wrong. This would only get you an “ese gringo pesado” title that doesn’t shake off easily (look up The Spanish-English dictionary).
Source: Carmen Pelaez (via NBC News)
