21 Times Hipsters Ruined Latino Culture
Hipsters have a habit of ruining Latino culture. You only have to go on Instagram or Facebook, and you’ll see a ton of memes and photos highlighting the many ways hipsters culturally appropriate things from South America.
Some of these are hysterical. We’re sure you’ll relate to what we’re talking about. Let’s dive in!
1. Pairing High-Quality Colombian Coffee with Avocado Toast
Credit: Cortado, avocado toast. Digital Image. Flickr/ T.Tseng. October 6, 2015
How many times have you seen freshly brewed Columbian coffee on social media- to have the image ruined with hipster health crazes like avocado toast? Kale salad? Or, some kind of meal served in a mason jar? Urgh.
2. Facial Furniture
Credit: Man. Digital Image. PxHere. 3rd July 2017
Whether you’re a fan of facial furniture or not, it’s safe to say hipster beards had a predecessor- the Latin American mustache.
3. Expensive Avocados
Credit: sliced green avocado fruit. Digital Image. Unsplash/@thoughtcatalog. April 6, 2018
Avocados have been a staple ingredient in Latin American cookery for centuries- well before hipsters got a hold of them. Unfortunately, their surge in popularity has forced their price up, drastically!
4. Overpriced Artisan Food Trucks Selling ‘Mexican Food’
Credit: Mexican Food. Digital Image. Unsplash/ @paulavermeulen. September 19, 2017
Once upon a time, South American laborers would stop for lunch and visit a food truck and enjoy a cheap, practical, and authentic meal. Whereas now, if you visit a ‘Mexican’ food van, you’ll often find an overpriced miniature restaurant!
5. Quinoa
Quinoa- another example of Latin American food that became a Hipster food craze. Dubbed the ‘miracle grain from the Andes,’ – again it became so popular it tripled in price!
6. Glorious Ponchos
Credit: Woman Standing Surrounded by Trees. Digital Image. Unsplash/ @tamarabellis. November 28, 2017
The poncho (also known as a serape) was worn for generations in Southern American culture- way before hipsters claimed them as their own.
7. Large Hoop Earrings
Credit: Gold Hoop Earrings. Digital Image. Pixabay/sarakgraves. May 12, 2016
News flash! Hipster women didn’t start the large ‘edgy’ hoop earring ‘trend.’ These accessories are a long-standing fashion statement in Latino culture.
8. Overcomplicated Tacos
Credit: Board of Four Soft Tacos on Table. Digital Image. Unsplash/ @misswattson. December 9, 2017.
Traditionally, tacos were simple. Now, you’ll walk into a hipster-inspired restaurant and see a menu full of tacos infused with goodness knows what!
9. Frida Kahlo Merchandise
Credit: Frida Kahlo. Digital Image. Pixabay/ Katchi. September 2018.
Urgh. If we see another Frida Kahlo poster in a hipster coffee bar, or one more decorated phone case, notepad, or vintage-looking T-shirt with a print of Frida Kahlo’s face plastered all over it- we’re going to scream!
10. Overpriced Coconut Water
Credit: Person Holding Bai Antioxidant Cocofusion Drink Bottle. Digital Image. Unsplash/ @kalvisuals. June 5, 2018
At what stage did coconut water cost the earth? We remember a time where you could walk into a Latino grocery store and drink coconut water straight from a coconut- for next to nothing! Thanks, hipsters for ruining that.
11. ‘Street Corn’
Credit: close photo of grilled corn. Digital Image. Unsplash/@photo4msnp. August 6, 2018
This cracks us up. Mexican corn on the cob isn’t a thing! So many trendy ‘Mexican’ restaurants have named ordinary corn on the cob ‘street corn.’ This isn’t a thing! It’s a great snack, but corn isn’t a massive deal in Mexico.
12. The Commercialization of Lucha Libre
Credit: Man in Mask Inside Wrestling Ring. Digital Image. Unsplash/@joehernandez. March 4, 2017.
Lucha Libre was once a traditional family event. Now in many corners of the US, it’s more like a traveling hipster circus! Not cool.
13. Chia Seeds
Credit: Chia. Digital Image. Pixabay/ValeriaJa. March 1, 2017.
Latin Americans have eaten Chia seeds for centuries; they were a delicacy enjoyed by the Maya and Aztecs. These days, you’ll find these goodies sprinkled all over hipster-esc lattes, smoothies, overnight oats, [insert chic sounding refreshment here], etc.
14. Pan Dulce
Credit: Concha (pan dulce mexicano). Digital Image. Wikimedia. 3 April 2015.
You can’t blame hipsters for enjoying Pan Dulce- it’s delicious. For those of you who don’t know, this refers to a variety of Mexican pastries: besos, conchas, and cuernos- among others. These kinds of bread are some of Mexico’s cheapest yet tastiest treats!
15. Clothes Dripping in Huipil
Credit: Huipil San Antonio Aguas Calientes Front Detail. Digital Image. Wikimedia. 11 June 2012
High street stores are selling designs influenced by Huipil patterns. Indigenous women of Mexico initially wore these. What’s the betting these hipsters have no idea where these ‘bohemian’ designs originated from?
16. Cinco de Mayo Isn’t Mexican Independence Day
Credit: Person Wearing Skull Mask Costume Sitting on Bench. Digital Image. Unsplash/@sidelinejones. February 2, 2018
Cinco de Mayo is often confused by hipsters as Mexican Independence Day. It’s not. Plus, it’s not just an excuse for people to stuff their faces with tacos and knock back margaritas. This day celebrates Mexico’s victory during the Battle of Puebla (1862). This was a big deal because a tiny Mexican army managed to defeat a larger French force. How cool is that?
17. Chola Style
Credit: Vintage Madras by Polo Ralph Lauren. Digital Image. Flickr/ Robert Sheie. November 1, 2012
Everyone’s donning Chola style. Hipsters are rocking freshly painted eyebrows, huge hooped earrings and chequered shirts with the top button done (draped over a white tank top).
However, we urge hipsters to take a second to consider the historical roots of the ‘Chola’ aesthetic. It’s not just a fashion craze. Rather, it’s a genuine identity stemming from Latin American history and culture.
18. Day of the Dead (Dia de Los Muertos)
Credit: Mexican Day Of The Dead. Digital Image. Flickr/Eva Rinaldi. December 6, 2014
Día de Los Muertos (also known as Day of the Dead) has become a favorite with millennial hipsters. However, a good proportion of them don’t know the difference between this and Haloween- despite wearing a Calavera as a costume.
19. The Commercialization of Pinatas
Credit: Pinata. Digital Image. Pixabay/kliempictures. Jan. 2, 2017
Okay, this may seem a little silly- but bear with us. A pinata used to be precisely that, a pinata. Now, you can get all kinds of things to hit with a stick: love hearts, Halloween-themed ghouls, unicorns- you name it! What’s wrong with a traditional pinata?
20. Grasshoppers
Credit: Green and Orange Eastern Lubber Grasshopper. Digital Image. Unsplash/@vincentvanzalinge. October 31, 2017
Grasshoppers (also known as ‘Chapulines’) are an ancient snack, Latinos have enjoyed for centuries. You’ve probably seen plenty of new-age travelers taking snaps if their gap year in South America. For them, eating insects is a novelty. Whereas, for many, this was a way of life- way before it became ‘exotic.’
21. Churros
Credit: Churros on Chopping Board. Digital Image. Unsplash/@huibscholten. September 19, 2017
There’s a good chance you’ll see tons of images of hipsters enjoying churros as street food- especially during the winter. However, this isn’t culturally accurate. Fresh churros are traditionally a breakfast food dipped in thick hot chocolate. Yum!
