California Today: A New Gig for the ‘Ask a Mexican’ Columnist

Jan 08, 2018 · 18 comments
bcer (Vancouver)
Continue...Clash between California and trump. This has bothered me for some time...How can the Kushner-Trumps sell and get the money out of China for their $500,000 condos when each Chinese can only repatriate $50,000 per year. I read that there are Chinese police here trying to track down money smuggled from China illegally and the real estate purchased here to obtain that money.
Candlewick (Ubiquitous Drive)
Those tacos look like slop. Real Tacos do not have cheddar cheese, iceberg lettuce (or any lettuce) and cubes of tomatoes. I'm hoping Gustavo was using them as photo satire.
Hector (Bellflower)
I've had tacos from TJ to Tulum. A taco can have anything you want in it. Put some kimchi in it and it's still a taco. A hot dog, still a taco. Pickled herring, still a taco. Who made you the taco decider?
Bookpuppy (NoCal)
I was asked to review Arellano's Ask a Mexican book and after I read it I turned down the job because it was such a slight, snarky and malicious book. He does play around with homophobic tropes a fare amount, which is unsettling, but what was particularly disturbing was his portrayal of other Latino groups, particularly Guatemalans. It was like a running joke for him to make mean comments about them and why Mexicans hate them (my wife's large family is Mexican and I've never heard them say anything disparaging about Guatemalans... Argentinians on the other hand). All I can say about Arellano is he does know how to hustle his own brand and his shallow and vindictive writing style might appeal the the ADHD generation. But is that what the NYT is looking for? Oh, and BTW California is still filled with "crazy hippies", and proud of it.
molerat6 (sonoma CA)
fare?
Ed H. (Irvine, CA)
What is sad is that he believes himself to be the most Mexican of Mexicans yet he was born and raised in the US and benefitted from a state college education. He is all about the "reconconquista" and will consistently put down successful Latinos as "fresas" if they don't tow the MECHA party line. If he actually lived in Mexico and tried to write what he writes here, the chaparro would have been squashed a long time ago.
DornDiego (San Diego)
People east of Colorado often prefer to see Mexican/Latinos as limited and speechless laborers. They prefer to see ignorance. In this situation, surrealismo, a Mexican specialty, is a method of communication. Raising an eyebrow is another. Irony also forever has been a way to get messages across without having to outrun the geeks and freaks amongst the so-called majority. Relax, people; the end times will come whenever. For now, enjoy the show.
Yann (CT)
The Times would do well to publish more of Arellano's writing. I lived in CA for 51 years and have read the NYT for most of them. Yes, I'm a native and no I'm not latino. Arellano's beat--mostly Orange County is one of the most confusedly conservative enclaves that everyone will be watching in the upcoming midterms. Most of the coverage of our state is superficial if not plainly wrong. His is a unique and worthwhile perspective that a national paper would err in overlooking.
Greg Pearson (Berkeley, CA)
Thank you, Julie Bloom, for recalling a fleeting moment in time. The music those days was chaotic, random and really, really loud. And yet some good came of it along with all that chaos! Rock on!!
Joseph Barnett (Sacramento)
California will miss Governor Jerry Brown. He has been a wise and compassionate governor who has not only tended to the state's current needs, but also cultivates it for tomorrow. He is a modern day Cincinnatus ready to retire, once again to his farm.
Jon T (Los Angeles)
Give the New York Times credit for hiring a hispanic person to cover California. Hispanics are the largest group in California, and the majority in Los Angeles. But local media coverage, like the LA Times, the staff doesn't come close to reflect this and by reading the LA times you would think hispanics weren't the majority but rather some small niche, as diversity in liberal America is usually a black and white issue.
Charles Becker (Sonoma State University)
"What seems to be the issue right now, is that in this country if you don’t have the same thoughts as other people you are immediately marked as the enemy." Exactly, and almost universally.
Ed H. (Irvine, CA)
I'm glad the article at least hints about Gustavo's racist rants. Was he funny? Sometimes. However, he will go into attack mode anytime someone disagrees with his born-again Mexican views.
David Underwood (Citrus Heights)
When I lived in Southern California I used to read Gustavo Arellano's columns and occasionally since I moved to Nor Cal his articles would appear sporadically in the Sacramento Bee. He is witty and pokes fun at things. Those with little or no sense of humor do not seem to be able to grasp sarcasm and such. We no longer are able to grasp ethnic humor or make fun of ourselves. One of the symptoms of mental illness is the inability to laugh at ones self, to laugh at our foibles and faux pas. One of my personal sayings is "Don't take life too seriously, you're not going to get out of it alive anyhow."
DrC (Tx)
"Ask a Mexican" working for California Today? There you go........and Liberals cannot even figure out the problem with this title.
p.regalado (Richmond, CA)
And exactly what are you implying by your comment, DrC? I don't want assume, so please be clear so we liberals and Latinos cannot be accused of misunderstanding.
David Underwood (Citrus Heights)
@p.regalado DrC is using the typical right wing, conservative ad hominem argument, implying that because you are a liberal, your argument is not valid. If you watch you will see this is frequently used in place of reason and logic. It shows an ignorance of logical discourse and the inability to reason with intelligence.
Candlewick (Ubiquitous Drive)
@DrC: ? Guess you're too young for Don Rickles or Rodney Dangerfield or Joey Bishop; Shecky Greene, Red Buttons,Milton Berle...