Tag Archives: Hispanic

The Sea Snake Dance

Nationality: Mexican
Age: 58
Occupation: Retired Federal Officer
Residence: Henderson, Nevada
Language: English

Text: Before I moved to the United States I attended a wedding in Mexico city, where I was born, and witnessed The Sea Snake Dance for the first time. A song, La Vibora de la Mar, began to play. Simultaneously, all the adults began clinging together and forming a large circle. I wasn’t allowed to join the circle as my mom said it was unsafe for me. The bride and groom stood on opposing tables and reached out one arm towards the other. Then, the human snake ran under their arms and sung the song.

Context: Informant describes first seeing this Hispanic wedding tradition when they were a young child still living in Mexico City. They described their time in the United States, where they have spent the majority of their life, and claim that they have only seen The Sea Snake Dance performed at a select few hispanic weddings. Informant believes this tradition is performed as a gift from the attendees of the wedding, wishing the newly weds a joyous and faithful marriage. The snake, to the informant, is representative of the potential struggles the newly married will face.

Analysis:

I believe this tradition to be rather fascinating, especially its lack of presence in the American- Hispanic wedding scene. The informant, who is now a marriage officiant who primarily serves the Hispanic community, describes not seeing many examples of the Sea Snake Dance in the United States. The few times they have seen it performed, they expressed being shocked. This, to me, is very representative of the changing beliefs that are produced when two cultures fuse. With the population of Mexico being mainly Roman Catholic, marriage holds a very prominent role in their society. In the United States, however, marriage has become less and less meaningful as divorce rates continue to rise. This is likely why the informant does not witness many replications of the wedding ritual that is so common to Hispanic culture. This lacking of reproduction is representative of folk- traditions ability to change in a parallel fashion to those who perform it.

El Caballo Dorado Dance

Age: 20


Date of performance: 4/25/2025


Language: Spanish


Nationality: Mexican American


Occupation: Full-Time Student


Primary Language: English


Residence: California

Text: “El Caballo Dorado” AKA ‘The Golden Horse’

Context:

My informant recalled a dance they learned as a child during a party, which they associated with ‘ranchero’ culture. The dance, known as “El Caballo Dorado,” is commonly performed at indoor parties, sometimes even during public celebrations outdoors, and features traditional clothing. It derives its name from traditional Mexican song under the same name that plays during the dance Similar to the “Cha Cha Slide” in American party culture, my informant added that it’s a group dance with synchronized movements. A signature move among the male dancers includes holding one hand on their cowboy hat and the other with a thumb tucked under their belt, reinforcing its cowboy-related theme. The dance starts at a manageable pace but increases in speed, turning into a sort of informal competition where participants must keep up with the rhythm. Those who fall behind are seen as having “lost,” though there isn’t a single winner—multiple people can succeed if they maintain the pace. The informant emphasized its role as both a cultural expression and a competitive party activity.

Analysis:

I listened to this song growing up under a Hispanic household, in doing so I hold a similar interpretation to my informant. Much alike my informant, I never learned the actual history about this dance just its background. This has made me arrive at the conclusion that—though it might’ve initially had a significant historical value upon its commencement—it has ultimately evolved to the traditional point of serving as just an entertainment value for Hispanic communities. Despite this, it has held on strong due to its levels of complexities people in the community take it and have continued to pass down throughout generations. Music is a strong foundation for most Latin communities, and this song and dance has served to cement this ideology of bringing generations of diverse individuals to continue to share the dance floor and enjoy their culture.

“Cuando Cuelgo Los Tenis”

Age: 20
Occupation: University Student
Language: Spanish

Informant Information:

Age: 20

Date of Performance: 2/15/2025

Language: English

Nationality: American

Occupation: University Student

Primary Language: Spanish

Residence: Los Angeles, California

Text: “Cuando cuelgo los tenis”

Translation: “When I hang my shoes”

Figurative Meaning: “When I die”

Context:

Whenever the informant’s mother was upset or disappointed with the informant’s behavior, she would use the Spanish phrase “Cuando cuelgo los tenis” (“When I hang my shoes”). The phrase was used hypothetically, implying that the mother’s death could be a consequence of the child’s actions.

Analysis:

This phrase is commonly used by parents in Mexican Spanish to evoke guilt or a sense of responsibility in their children. When a parent is upset or disappointed, they may use this expression to suggest that their child’s behavior is distressing enough to contribute to their eventual passing. This type of statement reflects a universal theme in parenting, where guilt is employed as a tool to encourage compliance and reinforce family values. While the threat of death is not meant to be taken literally, it emphasizes the importance of respect, familial bonds, and the physical and emotional impact of one’s actions on their loved ones.

Traditional, Familial Greeting

Language: English

Age: 20 

Date of performance: 02/11/2025

Language: English

Nationality: American

Occupation: Student 

Primary Language: English

Context– A is a sophomore studying Human Biology on a pre-medical track. When asked if there are any traditions within his family, he told me that his mom’s side in Mexico typically greets all loved ones with smothers of kisses on the cheek. A says that it started in their family generations ago, and is now happening through his grandparents. However, he tells me that “it isn’t a generational thing, more of a grandparental thing. I don’t think it will be carried on by descendants”. He doesn’t see himself or his sister carrying on the tradition.

Analysis– Within folklore, tradition is a contemporary & observable form of action that represents a past. A’s familial tradition of kissing on the cheek as a greeting for loved ones represents a tradition his grandparents have implemented within the family because it is ongoing and represents their past as it reflects what their parents used to do to them and their family members. Personally, I see similar actions within my family as my stepmom’s family greets in a similar style, however, they do light air kisses on the cheek instead of smothering us in kisses. This can be seen as an oicotype because both my family and A’s family share the characteristic of being Hispanic and a similar way of greeting is tradition for both families, just in a slightly different way. 

Quesadillas

Text:

Quesadillas are a traditional Hispanic food that can be found in most Latin American countries and Latin American communities.  They are a flat-like food, wrapped in either flour or corn tortilla bread, and cooked with an abundance of extra ingredients, such as tomatoes, guacamole, sour cream, and cheese.  While meat is almost always used in the dish, the kind of meat used often varies.  Most often, either chicken or pork is used.

To make a quesadilla, first cook a slice of tortilla bread on a frying pan at low heat.  Only cook the tortilla bread until it’s warm to the touch and slightly golden.  After this, take the tortilla bread, and leave it to rest on a cutting board.  While it rests, take the frying pan, and use it to cook the meat that one plans on putting in their quesadilla.  It is important that one avoid shredding the meat used in the quesadilla until after it cooks.  While the meat cooks, dice up the food that one plans on using in their tortilla.  While the food varies, traditionally, sour cream, cheese, and salsa or guacamole are used in a quesadilla.  Spicy foods can be used as well, such as peppers, but are not used as often for quesadillas.  Once all the ingredients are properly diced up, place them into the tortilla bread, and wait for the meat to finish cooking.  Once it does finish cooking, place it in the tortilla bread as well.  Then, roll the tortilla into a flat, rectangular shape, and place it back into the frying pan.  Cook the quesadilla until both sides of the tortilla bread are brown, by which time it will be ready to be served.

Context:

The subject, N.S., grew up in a Hispanic family, and had a number of Hispanic recipes and foods as a result, including quesadillas.  The subject explained that quesadillas were always an excellent and versatile food for his family to make, as they were simple in instructions, didn’t take long to cook, and had a number of food items and nutrients to be a part of the meal.  The subject also explained that they could be made for any meal, and were especially good for a quick lunch in case the subject and his family were in a rush to be someplace fast.

Interpretation:

Quesadillas likely are such an important stable in the Latin American culinary culture because of their ease of access and general nutritional value that each quesadilla has.  Quesadillas in general do not take long to make, and can be feasibly made quickly enough to create a full meal without spending too much time or worrying about how long each quesadilla will take.  Additionally, quesadillas contain a number of food stuffs that are generally valuable and nutritional, and are able to fill a number of food pyramid requirements through their consumption.