Latinas and Black Men

There are also a lot of Latina women dating African American men. A great number of Latinas are also with Jamaican men. The reasons vary, but many find Black men more attractive, and they like their swagger. I have had Mexican American women tell me that they don't like dating men within their own race because they are too macho and expect women to do all of the cooking and cleaning. So what say you? What are some of the reasons that you have decided to date outside of your race or culture?

*I specify race or culture because there are Afro Latinas who are dating African American men, thus making them the same race, but they have different cultures: foods, way of living, beliefs and traditions etc.

Case in point:

Mexican Men Macho (Mexican Men and Machismo)

Macho attitudes

Most Mexican men have very macho attitudes. Don't ask them if they are macho. The answer will always be no. Truth is they are extremely macho. Some Mexican men do not mind if their women work because this brings more money into the households. Some Mexican men don't want their woman working at all. Most don't mind their women or wives staying home to take care of the children. Here is what they expect: dinner ready, clothes washed, bring them a beer, house clean or you will be considered lazy.

*The level of machismo is less with the more educated Mexican man.

* Some Mexican men wear the mustache. This is the ultimate sign of a strong Mexican man. Many Mexican men from the ranch think this makes them look more manly as opposed to clean shaven Mexican men who they consider "de la mano caida."

* Many times the Mexican man will give the wife direct orders....without saying please or thank you.
   Change the diaper....(cambia el pañal.)
   Give me a beer....(dame una cerveza)
 
* Some Mexican men still use the word obey.
    They will tell you....obey!!! Obedece!!....uh...no.

Mexican Soul Food

Introducing your Mexican to Soul Food: authentic African American cuisine. 

So, I'll go out on a limb and say that most Mexicans don't eat Soul food. Period. I had to introduce my Mexican husband to the cuisine of my culture. It was an acquired taste for him. Now, he loves fried chicken, fried pork chops, macaroni and cheese, collard greens, and cornbread. If you are having a get together and you are inviting the Mexican family, most likely they will not want collard greens. The taste is too strong for them. They do have a type of greens in Mexico. They call it nabos. My husband Teo loves to eat collard greens topped with salsa verde or salsa roja. Most Mexicans love macaroni and cheese. This is a favorite and family gatherings. Corn bread also goes over well since it tastes similar to tamales. I love mixing Mexican food and Soul food together to make an eclectic dinner. Here are a couple of my favorite Mexican and Soul food dishes.



Esquite (Mexican corn on the cob)(Here in the U.S.) Corn on the cob rolled in mayonnaise, hot sauce, and then parmesan cheese.(in Mexico) they use loose kernels in a cup marinated in lime, green Jalapeño sauce, and cheese.

Macaroni and cheese served with pork tacos

Collard Greens and salsa verde or salsa roja

Cornbread with a little red salsa on top or on the side

Frijoles and salchica (beans and sausage)

Hispanics Smell So Good...What Are They Using?

 If you have ever been around Hispanics/Latinos many of them smell so good. It is a very clean laundry type of scent. Many of you have wondered how to duplicate this. First of all, the odor is fabric softener called Suavitel. At one time it was only sold in Mexican or Latino stores, but you can find it in just about any mainstream store. If you are married to a Mexican/Hispanic or dating one, you will notice that they love for their clothes to have that clean smell. So here is how to duplicate that smell:

 Laundry Detergent and Fabric Softener

1. First wash the clothes in laundry detergent. A lot of them use Gain Island Fresh scent and then follow up with Suavitel fabric softener in the rinse cycle. For an even stronger fragrance use Ariel Laundry Detergent and then follow up with Suavitel.


Perfumes and Colognes
2. One of my favorite Hispanic women's cologne or men's cologne is a very traditional scent that is used mostly among Cubans. It is a Cuban cologne by Augustin Reyes called Royal Violets or Agua de Violetas. Oh my god it smells so fresh and clean. This is a wonderful perfume to spray on your little ones especially. It has a very unique fragrance that will have everyone asking you for the name.

Ideas to Make Your Home Smell Good

Here is a cool tip to make you house smell wonderful. I use Suavitel fabric softener when I clean the carpets. I also use it as an air freshener by putting some Suavitel on the stove mixed with water. And yes, it makes the whole house smell fragrant.  It gives the house a very unique odor that is different from the run of the mill room sprays and Febreze sprays that everyone uses.

Also, that Royal Violets aka Agua de Violetas is also a good choice to spray on your chairs and sofas. You can also use it as an air freshener in the bathroom for guests.


So there you go. There are a few more items that I might add to the list later.

Hot Dogs and Beans with Chorizo (Perros Calientes y Frijoles con Chorizo)

I love this recipe. It is a new way or a different way to cook wieners and beans. Its my take on a recipe that I learned years ago called Frijoles Rancheros. I learned to cook that from a Caucasian woman who was married to a Mexican guy. The original recipe was a lot more complicated. This is my simplified version, which is a blending of a American Franks and Beans and Mexican style beans with chorizo. This is a household favorite.

Franks and Beans with Chorizo

Here are all of the ingredients that you'll need.

1-2 cups of Pork and Beans

1 cap full of oil

1/3 Mexican Chorizo

Onions

Jalapeno Peppers

Step 1

Start chopping up your Jalapeno peppers/chile jalapeno and your onions. I usually chop it finer than this. But, yesterday, I was in a hurry so it's a little chunkier. Make sure you remove most of the seeds or it will be hot hot hot!

Step 2

Start frying your chiles, hot dogs, and onions together until they are almost at the point of caramelization. The house is going to smell wonderful. :)

Step 3

Add your chorizo. I divide the link into 3. So you only need to use about 1/3 of the link. Make sure the brand is the creamy kind and not the meaty chorizo that is similar to American sausage. Smoosh the chorizo with the fork and fold in all the other ingredients.

Step 4

Here is the end result. You can actually smash the beans a little bit more so that you have the consistency of refried beans. I prefer the beans whole. No salt needed. Your kids will absolutely love this recipe minus the jalapenos...even though this dish is not very hot.

Credits

All photos and recipes are property of Mexican and Black Couples Blog and Traciy Curry-Reyes

Photography by IvyBrook Walker

Has a Wife in Mexico (Finding out He's Married or Has a Wife and Kids)

Sometimes, the Mexican man has a wife in Mexico. I cannot tell you the number of emails I have received from both White American and Black American women who found out their guy has a wife and kids back in Mexico. The wife might be a legal wife or perhaps not a legal wife....In Mexico, it is still considered a legal union. How do you know if he is legally married?

1. You can always ask to speak with his family members in Mexico to find out.


2. You can hire a private investigator...but, this is expensive.


3. Check his taxes to see if he is claiming anyone. Sometimes they use family members, such as nieces and nephews to claim, but if they have kids then they use the names of their own Mexican born children on the tax form.


4. See if he is buying phone cards to speak with women other than his sister or
mother in Mexico.


5. See if he is sending money home via Western Union weekly. He could be maintaining a wife and kids there. Some argue that sending money home doesn't mean that they are sending it to another woman, but maybe he is building a home there for his American wife. I know at least 3 cases where the American woman was adamant that her Mexican husband was building her a home in Mexico only to find out that the house he was building was for his Mexican wife and children.

Black Expats Living in Mexico (African Americans Living in Mexico)

So, this is an interesting question. How many Black or African American expats are living in Mexico? American expats living in Mexico is nothing new, but I wonder what percentage of them are Black. I don't think there are many living there. I remember someone stating that there was an African American family living there, but not in the American expat district. Instead they were living amongst the Mexicans in regular barrios. Anyway, there is a young Black woman living in Mexico that has a channel on yt.http://www.youtube.com/user/charlycheer

This is Charly. Her channel is all about her life living in Mexico. She teaches English there.