Writing a Latine character
Here’s a little PSA for people who would like to write a Latine/ Latinx/ Latina/ Latino character in their stories and want to be a decent writer.
The great thing about writing is that you can make whatever you want, come to life. You can create characters and plot points and twists and all that good stuff.
You can also chose to not be a fucking racist piece of shit.
Recently there was a book written by a white woman called Drive which involved a lot of racist tropes, jokes, and stereotypes that deal with a Mexican girl. I feel like this should be talked about.
The writer issued a bullshit apology on IG but she turned off the comments so here the fuck we are. The examples listed are from said book as well.
If you don’t know how to write ethnicities that are not your own make sure you get a sensitivity reader to help you, or just don’t write them. However, this author had a “Mexican friend” who informed the general public that the author had lost her v*iginity to a person with a Hispanic sounding last name... yeah idk. And that she had lots of Hispanic people on her team because she is color blind, but “not in a bad way”. So idk get someone that doesn’t know you and is confined to a very racist state, again she’s from TEXAS.
However if you would like to make your list of characters more diverse without being a racist these are somethings you can avoid doing.
Don’t add r*cist jokes (that should go without saying, but here the fuck we are). Or unnecessary race jokes even if they are being said by your Latine characters. You aren’t us, so leave these things out of your writing.
For example:
Immigration jokes, specifically border patrol jokes. (Below is a screen shot from the book I mentioned)
Internalized racism “She doesn’t speak Spanish because she thinks she sounds stupid. She hasn’t used the lounge enough, and she doesn’t like being half a b*aner.” (This was written by a White Texan woman in 2017. I wonder what was happening at the time that made a lot of Mexican and Latine people the target of xenophobia and racism).
Inquisition jokes: “’No, it’s the Latina Inquisition,’ he said with a twist of his lips.”
Colonization jokes
Fetishization “’There’s the cocky little Latina I know and love,’”
Tropes
The spicy latine (angry/ loud/ jealous):“’You’re so rough around the edges, my little Latina.” And “’Yeah, well, you were getting a little fucking feisty back there, Stella.’ I laughed. ‘You don’t like it when I show my Latina.” WHAT THE FUCK!!!
The maid
The self hating brown girl: “And every dark girl want to know what it’s like to be a light girl at some point in their life.”
The dancer: “’Come on, woman, you’re half Mexican. You were born with rhythm.’” “’I’m Latina,’” I corrected “’And I have rhythm. Shut up.’”
Certain mentions of one’s ethnicity where there shouldn’t be
“’GO!’” I screamed at the top of my Latina lungs...” (Ah yes to show that she thought we are very loud.)
“‘How about you kiss my Latina ass.’“
“Paige, I’m fine,’ I said, trying to keep the angry, tequila-filled Latina at bay.’“ (Because we are always pissed off and prideful)
DON’T USE SLURS, even if you have heard people use them with each other, You aren’t us so stop. If you don’t know if a word you are using is a slur, look it up, thankfully Google is free, or don’t use that word you are unsure of. No one should have to remind you not to be a piece of shit.
Avoid racist situations towards your characters in your books especially if you are writing in a fantasy setting. Most readers like to escape to a different reality, why the fuck are you making them take these things with them as they read your book.
Just because you saw some racist shit go down from one Latine to another, DON’T WRITE IT IN! FFS
If you are a latinx/e person who has experienced these things and your main character is also Latinx/e that is fine because it deals with YOUR experiences, everyone else stfu.
And if any of you feel some kind of way about this post, figure out why and change that shit because what the fuck?
- Sincerely a Mexican- American woman that shouldn’t need to be writing this.
