In May, my aunt was driving me and I asked her in Spanish, "¿Por qué los mexicanos siempre tienen la música a todo volumen?"
I figured it was a good question-- since it always seem to be proved if you ever drove down Jefferson Boulevard in the Oak Cliff neighborhood of Dallas, it sounded like a medley of accordions, guitars, and tubas (if it was a sunny day, anyway).
She pondered this question for a moment, and with the radio on, explained, "Los mexicanos tienen la música a todo volumen porque traen recuerdos. Y cuando escuchamos esas canciones, esos recuerdos vuelven. Es una gran sensación."
I guess something that I found annoying actually had a pretty good reason to exist. But what I saw this afternoon was no stroll down memory lane.
It was around 2:55 and while I walked to my ride, there was this hideously large Cadillac Escalade, bone white, reflecting every inch of the sun's rays. A beacon in the middle of a grey parking lot. And to add insult to injury, this Escalade donned studded spinning rims, and they were still spinning as I passed by it.
And my biggest pet peeve, all the windows were down and Spanish music was blaring, and could be heard by everyone near and far.*
And the man with a shaved head driving it seemed to enjoy exposing everybody to his bad taste of music.
It sounds a little bitchy, I know, but I mean, you figure it'd be a stereotype having a bunch of Hispanics in a ridiculous-looking car blaring music so bad*, it makes even the deaf shudder. But you know, it's America-- and you CAN do that... even if it makes you look stupid as fuck.
I figured it was a good question-- since it always seem to be proved if you ever drove down Jefferson Boulevard in the Oak Cliff neighborhood of Dallas, it sounded like a medley of accordions, guitars, and tubas (if it was a sunny day, anyway).
For those who do not understand Spanish, there's a Google Translation app below at the bottom of the page.
She pondered this question for a moment, and with the radio on, explained, "Los mexicanos tienen la música a todo volumen porque traen recuerdos. Y cuando escuchamos esas canciones, esos recuerdos vuelven. Es una gran sensación."
I guess something that I found annoying actually had a pretty good reason to exist. But what I saw this afternoon was no stroll down memory lane.
It was around 2:55 and while I walked to my ride, there was this hideously large Cadillac Escalade, bone white, reflecting every inch of the sun's rays. A beacon in the middle of a grey parking lot. And to add insult to injury, this Escalade donned studded spinning rims, and they were still spinning as I passed by it.
And my biggest pet peeve, all the windows were down and Spanish music was blaring, and could be heard by everyone near and far.*
And the man with a shaved head driving it seemed to enjoy exposing everybody to his bad taste of music.
It sounds a little bitchy, I know, but I mean, you figure it'd be a stereotype having a bunch of Hispanics in a ridiculous-looking car blaring music so bad*, it makes even the deaf shudder. But you know, it's America-- and you CAN do that... even if it makes you look stupid as fuck.
* I'm exaggerating a bit, but it's a little true.
** I only find the sub-genres of Regional Mexican music annoying (norteña, durangense, some cumbia, and most banda), although certain songs can be the exception.
