Oye, Daily Caller, #NoMames Con Tus Pendejadas: That Means Don’t Pretend You Are “Latino” Experts

Sep 5, 2012
8:22 PM

Ahh, The Daily Caller. Once again trying to be something that it is not: an observer of the US Latino world. This morning, the Tucker Carlson enterprise published the following story about San Antonio mayor (and new Twitter rockstar) Julián Castro: Julian Castro ‘doesn’t really speak Spanish’ (accent missing is TDC's fault, not ours).

Guess TDC kind of felt a bit taken aback that Castro's performance last night became the buzz of the online world, because this one gets a major #NoMames.

Here is what TDC's "Latino expert" Geoffrey Malloy had to say:

Yet Castro, who played up his Mexican heritage by speaking a few lines in Spanish, admits “he doesn’t really speak Spanish,” according to a 2010 profile in The New York Times Magazine.

In 2009, Castro hired Marta Bronstein to tutor him in Spanish, recognizing that Spanish-language skills would be necessary to augment his appeal among Texas’ many Mexican-Americans.

Castro’s chief of staff, lawyer Robbie Greenblum, recommended Bronstein after meeting her in synagogue.

In his keynote address, Castro thrice said, “Que dios los bendiga,” which means “God bless you,” explaining that his grandmother would say those words as he and his twin brother left for school each day.

Malloy continues later in the article:

A number of news outlets have suggested that Julian Castro represents the Democrats’ answer to Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, who, like Castro, is Hispanic and spoke at his party’s national convention.

Unlike Castro, however, Rubio is fluent in Spanish, as evidenced by an interview he gave Telemundo last year.

The New York Times Magazine profile of Castro noted that his lack of fluency in the language is “a fact he isn’t eager to advertise.”

Ok, besides the fact that Malloy uses the word "thrice" in his copy, his suggestion that Castro is less Latino because he can't speak Spanish well is so off target and so ignorant, we are asking that Malloy gets a chancletazo. Thrice.

Also the fact that Malloy is falling into the false trap that this is now all about Castro vs. Rubio only confirms even more ignorance, a topic our jefe (that means boss, Mr. Malloy) discussed in a post today.

Here is the reality, Mr. Malloy: US Latinos are all over the map. Some speak Spanish only, some English only, some are fully bilingual, some are somewhat bilingual and some can speak Spanglish like a bad Pitbull song. Not knowing Spanish does not make you any less Latino, just as knowing Spanish doesn't make you any more Latino. It is so much more than language, Señor Malloy. But what do you know? You are just grasping at straws in your silly criticism of Castro. You have NO IDEA, for example, that there was a time in this country where many Mexican Americans were prohibited from speaking Spanish. In fact, all of a sudden you are crapping on someone because they ONLY SPEAK ENGLISH? The very same language everyone keeps telling those "damn Latinos" that we need to master?

No seas pendejo, Señor Malloy. Look that one up.

And keep the Latino cultural analysis to people who actually know the deal, mate.

(h/t Gawker)