look, i have nothing against the people who wants to include a second or third language in their fics since i do the same but, when please be careful when it comes to accurate representation and language use.
latin america consist of 20 countries distributed in south america, central and islands of the caribbean and north america (mexico) not all of those countries speak spanish since, from those 20 countries, we have brasil who's main language is portuguese and also we have prehispanic languages as well.
each country suffered colonization differently and its impact can be seen in their traditions and architecture value for example. also speaking of colonization, skin tones are not equal. countries that suffered portuguese conquest, have a lot of african roots and genes, result from the slave trafficking (another example, I know I'm forgetting certain things) after colonizers and other immigration waves, the late 1800, early 1900 new immigration brought european aspects that still nowadays can be seen (skin color and other features, music, arts, architecture and traditions)
keep in mind the country you want to set your story in and the region of said country. as an example, let me use argentina and oh so beloved oikawa. oikawa lives in san juan, a province in argentina. due to its history and location, the people from san juan doesnt look the same as the people from buenos aires nor have the same traditions or idioms. the province of san juan, by being part of the """""countryside""""" or the interior of the country, they have other ways of living and other celebrations such as the Fiesta Nacional del Sol. For more information about San Juan click the Official turistic webpage in english
BACK to the main issue please or I'll never end.
keep in mind, please keep in mind that a lot of people might feel hurt, even used, when we see our culture be, well, used with a banal purpose. we are not, and repeat after me, we are not exotics, we are not animals that you can describe as "wow super exotic, let's treat them as fucking safari bullshit" when we are living human creatures with our cultures, traditions, and overall items that makes us who we are and bring us our latine identity. we are not an identity to be play around with. we suffered, we are suffering and for the time being, we will suffer the hurtful stereotypes that media puts over us and it's no longer up to us to fight against that, but up to you as well. treat us like we deserve to be treated, we are literally offering you help, making posts all over tumblr, making our own movies, tv shows and so on for you to inform yourself about how we actually are.
just that. do the fuck you want to be honest but keep all of us, latines, in mind when you write and/or want to portray something in a latin country
CHECK LIST TO KEEP IN MIND
if you are writing an oc, how's its heritage? is it 100% latine with entire latine roots? if that's the case, use indigenous resources as well, Guaranies, Aztecs, Incas, etc. Cause we have to go all the way back to our ancestors
are you locating your fic in an specific place inside a latino country? go to the turistic website if said place. There you can learn its history, traditions, fun facts and even more that will help you organize your story
talk to your local friend. if you are not latine, try considering talking to someone you know who might be latine and, if you have no one to talk to, go to a forum. reddit has pages where people can help you when it comes to identity and proper characterization.
Am I hurting anyone? if you feel like you are hurting or insulting anyone with your representation, consider what you just wrote. Again, ask for help or dont post it at all.
SMALL MAP WITH A FEW WAYS TO REFER TO A FRIEND
Some of the many ways to say "dude, bro, or friend" in Latin America & some of the Caribbean.