- Eye color
It’s obvious that Latinas have ONLY brown eyes. If you see a girl with colored eyes, such as blue, green, or hazel, watch out. She’s probably a fake.
- Skin Color
This is a tricky one. Latina women may only have skin colors that refer back to desserts: mocha, dulce de leche, caramel, etc. Even the light-skinned women are more flan-colored than just white. If she is paper white or midnight black, she’s probably a fake.
- Where is she really from?
Okay, so we have established which eye color and skin color makes for a real Latina. Unfortunately, there are tricksters still out there who will try to convince you that their looks aren’t important, but rather, their nationality is. If she’s from the Caribbean or South America, she’s not really a Latina. Real Latinas are from Spain. They’re the OG Latinas. Spain colonized the Caribbean and South America, so those areas weren’t Latin to begin with if it wasn’t for Spain! Also, Latinas who are from mixed backgrounds, say like, Eastern Europe and Russia, would also be considered fake. If she ain’t 100%, she ain’t a real Latina.
Note: Mexican is acceptable.
- Se hablas Espanol?
One of the prime ways to tell if she’s a fake is if she can’t even speak the language! What kind of Latina doesn’t know how to speak Spanish? A fake one. The way to find the real one is in her insults. Most kids learn the naughty words first when they learn a new language. If she finds a way to reword an insult, she’s probably a real one. If she uses the naughty words, she’s fake.
- Internalized Racism
This is the easiest way to tell if she’s a fake Latina. If she criticizes you based on your eye color, skin color, familial origins, and ability to speak Spanish, then she’s probably insecure about herself. She will create stupid and unrealistic expectations of a Latina woman, as if she is supposed to be the spokesperson for recognizing the quintessential Latina. Latina women are beautiful and diverse, coming in all colors and from all backgrounds. I am a blonde-haired, blue-eyed, Spanglish-speaking, Cuban-Peruvian-Polish-Russian white girl mix, and I’m every bit Latina as a brown-haired, brown-eyed white girl whose family originates from Spain.
Featured Image Credit: Tim Pierce under CC2.0
