Dear Mexican: Why Don’t Mexicans Tip Well?

Dear Mexican: Why don’t Mexicans tip decently? I labor as a waitress in a local upscale steakhouse where, unfortunately, many Mexicans eat, and the lousy tips are starting to piss me off! Even blacks tip better! (Although, I gotta say, Mexicans are much easier to wait on. No constant requests…

Dear Mexican: When Chicanos Speak, I Hear History

Dear Mexican: One of the things I have found enjoyable and profound is the use of language by Chicanos, mexicanos and Mexican-Americans. Humor and a sardonic sense of history, in my view, are encapsulated in many everyday expressions. Two examples I can think of are the use of huey (or…

Dear Mexican: What’s the Deal With Dominicans?

Dear Mexican: A very close friend of mine is supposed to become a U.S. citizen. He was brought here by his parents when he was nine and has been illegal since then. When the laws changed, he went through a lot of hoops, and it really didn’t look good for…

Dear Mexican: Why Is Mexican Beer So Bland?

Dear Mexican: The Mexican-American community is the most adversely affected by the influx of illegals. Only the politicians have any gain from lumping all Hispanics into the “Latino” category. Are proud, hardworking Mexican-Americans actually willing to continually diminish their own children’s American future purely to facilitate the radical Chicano politicians’…

Denver Patios Are Going to the Dogs!

The dog days of summer are behind us — but every dog can still have its day on a local patio. That’s because on July 1, new regulations took effect in Denver for restaurants that want to turn over at least part of their patios to pooches, and Racines, which…

What’s With the Mexi-Mullet?

Dear Mexican: I’m from the southeastern United States, and people think — correctly, in some cases (see: Bush, G.W.) — that everyone here is dumb. Is there a similar place in Mexico where other Mexicans think the people are inbred mouth-breathers?Swanee Señor Dear Gabacho: Jalisco. Dear Mexican: I am a…

Why Don’t Mexican-American Students Do Better in School?

Dear Mexican: I see lots of Mexican-Americans struggling in grade school and high school. Many Mexican-American activists claim it’s because they don’t speak English at home or the schools don’t teach them well. But I see lots of Asian-Americans in the same schools who do really well. Many of them…

What’s Your Favorite Place in Denver? The City Wants to Know

What’s your favorite place in Denver? This morning the Denver Department of Community Planning and Development — whose office is definitely not the favorite place of people applying for building permits and zoning variances — launched the Favorite Place in Denver campaign, part of an attempt to “launch a citywide…

Dear Mexican: Why Is the Legalization Process So Difficult?

Dear Mexican: I’m not Mexican, but my son-in-law is. He is intelligent, bright, enthusiastic and pleasant to spend time with. He came here, illegally, at the age of eighteen, with his aunts. He and my daughter are married, have a three-and-a-half-year-old son, and have gone through the entire process of…

Dear Mexican: All Mexican food is the same

Dear Mexican: What is with the many gringos/gabachos who constantly slaughter Spanish words? Spanish is easy to pronounce (and spell) compared to English. The vowels (a, e, i, o, u) are always pronounced the same way. In English, vowels vary a lot — difficult for new learners. All of the…