INTRO MUSIC
If I were to have a comedy special, I’d probably make jokes about growing up in an immigrant household and being named Brett.
I’m a Jersey boy, born and raised. I live by the shore and I love Italian Subs. My mom is an immigrant from Mexico, who takes pride in her culture and values and makes for some tension at times when me being an American conflicts with how my mom was raised in Mexico.
My mom was raised in a traditional Mexican household, so she did things like making a long trek to school, selling gums and pastries after school, and raising goats. Her favorite food is Tacos Al Pastor and enjoys traditional Mexican dresses called huipils. A phrase she often uses is “Calladito te vas mas bonito” Which means “You look prettier when you shut up.” You usually use when arguing with me. Additionally, her nickname for me is Pequeno Gigante, which means “little giant.” Very ironic.
I was raised in New Jersey to a single Mexican mom. I enjoyed playing with action figures and watching Power Rangers. However, I also had to translate legal documents at a young age and be my own translator at parent teacher conferences. My favorite food is cheeseburgers, and I love wearing shorts, a phrase I often use is “Mama tengo hambre” which means “Mom I’m hungry,” usually used when I get home from school. People often ask my mom what she fed me for me to grow to six foot 3 inches. The world will never know.
Now let me tell you a story to get the gist of our dynamic.
Prom isn’t a thing in Mexico, explaining it to my mom was a struggle. However, she eventually got the idea of it and agreed this was a big moment in her little boy’s life. Her words, not mine.
Off we went to a local tux rental place, and it was an easy decision for me. I wanted a pink suit jacket with a white shirt and black pants. My mom was appalled. Because of her background she believed in traditional gender roles and that pink was a girly color and no way was she letting her son leave with that tux, she motioned to the grey suits and the Navy ones.
“That’s what a real man should wear,” she said.
Let me tell you something. Navy is gross. It’s like if Blue worked a dead-end job and went home to an empty house to eat cereal for dinner. Not cool, bro.
Now, you might be thinking. So, what was the result? Well, if there’s one thing I got from my mom, it’s her stubbornness. I got the pink tux, and although she argued against it initially, she ended up making my prom picture her Facebook header picture. And she hasn’t changed it.
As for another story my mom sent me to Mexico this past summer. My mom is awesome, so it makes sense that the rest of our family would be too, right? Well, when I spent the summer in Mexico, I learned a lot about myself and her in the process.
My mom doesn’t like saying I love you and I finally understood why after meeting my grandpa. When I arrived at his house, I went in for a hug and he absolutely rejected me. So much for the 10-hour trip, I guess. When I called my mom later that night to complain about my day, she said it’s how her dad has always been and maybe always will be. Over the course of the next few weeks, I killed a turkey, fed the house donkey named Chente, walked around town, got a few custom shirts made, and enjoyed the local festivals. I met people who mentioned how my mom was always out working hard, selling food in town, or causing mayhem of some sort. Well, I know where I got that from.
Seeing how I was living a comfortable life in the US compared to the time I spent in Mexico was really eye opening and I definitely felt more connected not only to my heritage, but understanding the values that went into making my mom who she is. Thanks, mom.
And to end this all off, my mom is awesome, quirks and all. While we may not see eye to eye on everything, we still love each other. These days my mom still calls me Gringo, but also teaches me how to make tortillas when before she would have said that’s for women only. We both agreed Dunkin’ has the best coffee and we enjoy eating Chinese food from time to time. While there might be a few differences between us overall, we still share that important bond as mother and son.
The end.
CREDITS
Big thank you to breaking copyright royalty free music for providing the sound. Special shout out to my mom for giving birth to me and paying for my tuition and the state of New Jersey for being awesome. Thank you.