From Nosey Abuelas to Window Blind Peeks: The Art of Chisme in Latino Culture
Growing up Latino means having things in your life no other culture would understand. For example, thinking it is 100% standard to keep pots and pans in the oven, eating those María cookies and entire cans of leche condensada growing up, and having a bounce house (and tons of alcohol) at every children’s birthday party. And your primos always going crazy with the fireworks on Nochevieja (not sure how we survived).
Another aspect of Latinidad that just hits differently? Our love of chisme.
Sure, everyone loves a bit of gossip — but Latinos will do the most to get the best tea, and that’s a fact.
Moms, tías, and abuelas always have the best chisme, and we only aspire to be as absolutely savage as they are (we’re working on it!). That’s why we sit at our tía’s table at every holiday function now — how else will we get the 411 on our prima’s insane love story?! On that note, we rounded up the best videos on the internet that show how us Latinos live for good chisme because it’s what makes our world go around.
1. Police in the neighborhood? It’s time to water the plants
Every Latino knows that watering the plants is the best way to get neighborhood chisme — and we actually become Sherlock Holmes if the police happen to be outside.
2. Latinos will get the chisme, even if it’s through the window blinds.
As @thebayfamily shows, when we’re not watering the plants, we might just peek through the window blinds to get the tea. We’re nosy and proud of it!
3. Getting good chisme should be an Olympic sport — and we’re gold medalists.
A friend telling us “Te tengo un chisme” is enough for us to bring out the Kleenex if we cry, snacks for all the anxiety, and a journal to write every detail down and never forget. What can we say? We’re chisme experts.
4. Latino fact #45768: tías always spill the best tea.
Even Bad Bunny knows that getting a glass of wine and sitting with the tías at any holiday function is a surefire way to get the best family tea — and yes, we’re old now, but we’re okay with that!
5. You think our own quince will stop us from getting chisme? Not a chance.
If you think a quinceañera will be too focused on the party of her dreams to actually think about getting the tea from her friends, think again. Latinas are the best multi-taskers, and that includes stopping by to get a bit of chisme.
6. Lose our love of chisme?! We’re staying as far away from that video as the one in “The Ring.”
Apparently, there’s a video floating around that will make you not want to hear another word of gossip again in your life — excuse us while we run away as fast as physically possible. Bye, Felicia!
7. Not seeing a friend for weeks means having breakfast, lunch, and dinner while you catch up on all the chisme — DAMN!
Well, we’ve now found actual footage of our long-awaited conversations with friends we haven’t talked to in a while. So much tea spilling we can’t stop saying “damn” — and eating more snacks while we process it all. Jose did what?!
8. Yeah, sometimes we get the tea by eavesdropping — no shame in that!
Have you ever been in a hair or nail salon where you can’t stop your ears from listening to nearby chisme? Suddenly, they catch on to you — and, like good chismosas, let you into the convo. Now you’re instant friends because loving good tea is enough to keep a friendship going forever.
9. Why is your friend so okay with not getting the chisme?!
Sometimes, we Latinos will vaguely describe a bit of chisme and say the whole, “Sorry, but I can’t tell you.” Forgive our confusion when our friend is so okay with that?!
10. Getting the tea from co-workers just hits different
There’s a special place in heaven for co-workers that brighten your day with a bit of tea-spilling, enough to make you take out your headphones during your lunch break — and that’s saying something.
11. Laura en América is all of us in this video.
Who else remembers “Laura en América”? The Peruvian talk show host is all of us when we suddenly remember we have “chisme, chisme, chisme.” Pass the palomitas and brace yourself!
