Dear Mexican: Why is there in every Mexican family a jealous cousin driven by insecurity? Must Excuse Vulgar-Ass Lingual Expression
Dear ME VALE: Take your pick. It's because a) your dad unwittingly insulted their dad back in the rancho when they were boys, and your cousin was taught to hate you as a result, b) your mom unwittingly insulted their mom back in the rancho when they were girls, etc.., c) your tío or tía insulted their aunt or uncle back in the rancho when they were children, d) your abuelitos hated on their grandparents back in the rancho when they were young adults or e) you unwittingly insulted your cousins at some point in their lives, and they've hated you ever since.
I am a Mexican who has been raised in New Zealand, miles away from the homeland. Every time I hear there is a Mexican movie on TV or in a local film festival, I am excited to see it as I want to understand my culture better. I am left extremely depressed afterward as ALL the movies I have seen revolve around poverty, greed, gang violence, violent rape, illegal immigration, rancid corruption, etc. Jesus Christ, does Mexico not have any nice stories to tell? All Blacks and All Browns
Dear Mexi-Kiwi: The Mexican turns to William Nericcio, English professor at San Diego State University, author of the scabrous Tex[t]-Mex: Seductive Hallucinations of the "Mexican" in America and the man behind the traveling desmadre show known as Mextasy, a caravan of racist Mexican images. Nericcio's response: "Imagine a half-Russian, half-American living in Moscow lamenting that all he sees of Americans is Red Dawn, Dr. Strangelove and Rambo and getting real, real depressed that all he ever sees of himself is loutish, loudmouthed, meat-brained 'Merican Neanderthals. Anyone, of any race, of any ethnicity, of any species will think poorly of themselves if they look to Hollywood for existential sustenance. That said, there is a good short list of films by Alfonso Cuarón, Guillermo del Toro and Alejandro González Iñárritu online and at your local video shop."