Admit it: We’ve ALL been embarrassed by our parents’ accents at one point or another. But Latina slam poet, Denice Frohman, totally nails why we should not only own, but be damn proud of their accents and ours. Check it, yo.
Mami is meant to be loud because our culture is too vibrant to be muted. *snaps*
Although they’re always so self-conscious of it, I love listening to my parents speak English. Their heavy accent, present in every syllable, tells a story of sacrifice, bravery, determination, and love. Along with a new way of life away from all their families and friends, they also had to learn an entire new language. My immigrant parents left their families behind in search for better opportunities, not just for themselves but for future generations as well, and their accent is like a scar that reminds them of the sacrifices and years of hard work to get them to where they are. To get us to where we are.
The beautiful part of all of this is that I am not alone in this experience, as there are so many other members of my community that have gone through the same thing. In each other, we find strength, love, and family, and when we speak we don’t worry about being judged by others for having an accent or for being from where we’re from. It fills me with so much hope to know that these sentiments are not confined to our gente, but to everyone’s gente from all around the world, and so we are all connected accents and all.
To honor our differences, mitú has partnered up with Cinq Music for a new collection that is all about owning our accents and connecting with others from all over the world who are doing the same.
What began as a conversation between two musicians who bonded over a mutual love of writing and performing music has turned into something much bigger, and so much more special. Drei Ros was worried about how his Romanian accent would be perceived when RobYoung explained that his accent is actually what made him unique, and made him feel connected to others who felt the same. Thus marked the beginning of “Excuse My Accent — a global media platform designed to share cultural stories of inclusivity, spotlight incredible individuals from diverse backgrounds, and feature organizations that are helping multicultural communities.”
Excuse My Accent is a collective committed to telling stories of empowerment and perseverance to humanize the multicultural experiences of so many around the world. The collective is made up of entrepreneurs, musicians, artists, and advocates who believe that sharing our human experiences and celebrating our unique cultural differences empowers us all. It has long been time to change the narrative around accents and celebrate our identities.
As part of the mitú and Cinq partnership with Excuse My Accent, we are featuring the collection in our mitúShop and the items are perfect for anyone who wants to join in the conversation and make a statement.
Excuse My Accent — Hat
Excuse My Accent
Let others know that there’s more than meets the eye with your own Excuse My Accent hat! The next question you’ll probably be asked is where your accent is from and just like that, you’ve made a connection with someone 😉
If you don’t like hats and are already bummed about all the connections you’d be missing out on, no worries! The same design is also available in a tank, they got you covered.
Quick! Someone tell us Pitbull’s size because this has Mr. Worldwide written all over it. Literally. I mean check out the design with a map of the world, how much more worldwide can you be?
Speaking of connectedness, let’s hear it for inclusivity! These inclusivity joggers are the definition of comfort, and the bands around the ankles means you can wear this out and about and not get dirty looks from señoras at the supermercado because they can’t believe you walked out of the house con esas garras. Señora, es fashion!
Doves have long been a symbol of unity and peace. This design carries with it a reminder that no matter what walk of life you come from, we are all connected.
At some point during our formative years, we all heard an old wives’ tale or two, right? Some seemed innocent enough — think “eating bread crust will make your hair turn curly” or “cracking your knuckles will give you arthritis.”
But actually, lots of these old wives’ tales came with some extra baggage that may have done a number on our collective psyche. Sure, they may have seemed harmless when we first heard them, they’ve managed to worm themselves into our thought patterns and maybe even created a few bad habits along the way. But don’t blame abuela, she too was passed down this knowledge before she passed it on to you.
These superstitions get passed down from generation to generation, and often enough they’re so effective they get snap us into total compliance. But few of us know why we’re so fearful or the reason behind them.
Nevertheless, these old wives tales are part of Latino culture.
Vick’s Vapor Rub Will Cure Everything
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Sure, you may know it as Vaporub or something totally different depending on where you grew up, but no matter your background, we can agree this menthol pomade has been hailed as a cure all by abuelas everywhere.
Sure the ointment may make us feel better (placebo anyone?) but it actually can be deadly if ingested and is toxic when used improperly.
Having A Baby Daughter Will Steal Your Beauty
Credit: Shutterstock Images
This sends several problematic messages. First of all, it implies there is something inherently wrong with having a daughter — which is obviously ridiculous. I swear this sounds like something a man who wanted a strapping young boy to “carry on his good name” started spreading.This old wives’ tale would have you believe beauty is entirely physical or superficial. But beauty is many things: mental, physical, emotional, psychological… none of which can be stripped away by the natural and, it must be said, beautiful act of giving birth to a baby.
You Can’t Make Tamales When You’re Angry
Credit: Pixabay
According to this old wives’ tale, if you even attempt to make tamales when you’re enojada…they just won’t turn out right. And nobody’s wants to work so hard on tamales for them to end up flat and flavorless.
Opening An Umbrella Inside Is The Worst Luck
Seriously, this one I believe in so much I freak out at even the thought of it happening by accident. This is another superstition that crosses cultures but leave it to Latinos to add in another layer – if you do this, you won’t get married.
Going Out With Wet Hair When It’s Cold Will Make You Sick
If you grew up in a Latino household, you can bet you’re used to hearing your mom or abuelita scolding you for going outside with wet hair. But this myth has been debunked more times than you’ll eat pozole when you do actually have a cold. Colds and the flu come from viruses (and some bacterias) – plain and simple.
You’ll Never Get Married If A Broom Touches Your Feet
Credit: Pixabay
Basically, if you’re single and ready to mingle, don’t go near any brooms. This old wives tale says that if someone is sweeping and they accidentally brush your feet with the broom, you’ll end up single forever.
To Find Love, All You Need Is Four Eggs
Credit: Pixabay
To draw someone to you, you need 4 eggs: break two in corners, and one more at the door of the person you want to attract. The last one put inside a white cup and place it under your bed. That’s it. True love.
Cutting Your Hair During A Full Moon Could Mean…?
Credit: Pixabay
It’s believed that cutting your hair during a full moon could actually make it grow faster. Is it true? Well, maybe. The long-trusted Farmers Almanac actually lists the best dates to cut your hair based on the lunar calendar…so maybe?
Shaving Your Legs Causes the Hair to Grow Back Darker
Credit: Pixabay
Let’s be clear: there’s nothing wrong with not shaving. This old tale would have you believe that having thicker or darker hair anywhere on your body is cause for major concern. The reality is that cutting does not stimulate new hair growth.
Brooms Can Help Determine Your Social Life
Credit: Pixabay
Again, with the brooms. This one says that if you put a broom behind the door, your guests will leave sooner. And if a broom falls, it can tell you a lot about your visit depending on the direction it falls. Backward = bad visit. Forward = good visit.
Putting Your Purse On The Floor
Credit; Growing Up Blackxican
“A purse on the floor is money our the door.” This isn’t specific to Latino families, in fact, it’s very common belief across Asia as well. But both cultures share the believe that if you place your purse on the floor, you’ll soon be losing some money.
Itchy Palms And Your Finances
Credit: Pixabay
This is another very common wives tale across cultures but Latinos add a unique twist and get very specific. Basically, if your right palm itches you’ll be coming into some coins. Meanwhile, if it’s the left – be prepared to be a little less wealthy since you’ll likely be giving money away.
Heartburn During Pregnancy Can Lead To A Head Full Of Hair
Credit: Pinterest
There are soooo many superstitions related to pregnancy but this one is definitely interesting. Woman struggle with all sorts of symptoms during pregnancy including heartburn. So this one stands to reason if you’re dealing with heartburn, your baby will be born with beautiful locks of hair.
If You Drop a Biscuit, It is a Sure Sign Your Husband Will Be Poor
Credit: The Pioneer Woman
This one is straight up laughable but for some reason is still all to common. I mean let’s dissect this one real quick: not all little girls are going to grow up to marry a man. Nor will every little girl even want to get married. Then there’s the whole issue with thinking that women only value wealth in their potential mate. Yea, this one has got to go.
