Why Is ‘Copy and Paste Latina’ Trending on TikTok?
There’s a new TikTok trend that has many Latinas confused and dismayed. Coined “copy and paste Latina,” the term seems to have originated with a makeup look, but is only reinforcing harmful stereotypes aimed towards us.
If you’ve never heard of “copy and paste Latina,” you’re not alone.
“Copy and paste Latina” essentially means a Latina who has straight black hair, coupled with a makeup look that includes dark eyebrows, full lashes, and brown lip-liner.
When you search for the term on TikTok, you’ll be lead to hundreds of videos explaining how to get the “copy and paste Latina” makeup look, such as this viral one by @merc.edessss who captioned the clip with, “lmk if we do makeup the same.”
A fellow TikToker posted another video that explains, “When you try to do the ‘copy and paste Latina’ makeup only to realize it’s your everyday makeup.”
While several Latinas themselves are talking about the term and taking it as just another makeup trend, many other Latinas are taking offense.
User @xomelissatovar posted a video captioned with “One thing we’re not about to do is call Latinas ‘copy + paste,’” describing how the term “needs to stop.”
Tovar said, “Besides the 50 million reasons why it’s completely disrespectful, you’re essentially putting all Latinas in a category and saying that they look a certain way.”
Many of us continue to fight against stereotypes, rejecting the idea that Latinidad is a monolith, or even worse — that we all look the same. Besides that, other groups can latch onto the term and use it to contribute to or even justify their own racism.
While Latinas calling themselves “copy and paste” when posting cute makeup looks seems relatively fine, the problem happens when other Latinas don’t feel like they fit into that beauty standard.
Some younger users on TikTok have posted about how the stereotype is harming them, such as @abishhh_vargas who described, “I love how copy and paste Latinas are trending [and] making me reconsider everything even [though] I have spent my entire life running away from the stereotype and trying hard to remind myself that I do not have to look like them to be Latina.”
Even more, there’s an important precursor to the “copy and paste Latina” trend that no one is talking about — the Mexican-American chola culture.
TikTok user @mamacitamaggs said it all in a recent video, “It’s a style prominently out here in L.A because their moms, their tias, their grandmas, for years have been dressing like that.” She continued, “It’s more of a Mexican-Chicano culture than it is Latina, which is why you guys are not allowed to intertwine the two.”
She continued, “If you were out here in L.A. and you called one of these O.G. ladies that look like that a ‘copy and paste’ Latina. I hope, because I know I would, I wouldn’t let you finish your sentence.”
Let’s just say it — culture makes you Latina, not physical attributes, because every single one of us is unique. While TikTok trends like this may seem innocent enough, they propel problematic stereotypes that harm our comunidad and have got to go.
