The Latino Invasion

I am sitting in the Spanish class that I teach at the University of Denver right now. My students are all taking a quiz, so I thought I would post to the blog while I am waiting for them to finish.

I have been teaching Spanish at different universities since my return from Ecuador in 2002. This is my seventh year as a part-time Spanish professor, and I love teaching.

Those of you that look at my profile picture may be scratching your heads right now. How could that tall, germanic, viking-looking guy be a Spanish professor. I like to joke that I am the "Tallest, Whitest, Blondest" Spanish professor you will ever meet. Students who come in to my class the first day and are expecting an Antonio Banderas looking character are sorely disappointed, but asi es la vida (se la vi, or such is life.)

So I am this tall, blond white guy who has spent nearly 10% of my life in a Spanish-speaking country. I am constantly "invading" Latin America, leaving a little bit of myself there and bringing back some of the culture with me on each trip.

Two customs that I have adopted and made my own are spicy salsas and micheladas. As it turns out, I am not alone any more in my taste preferences for these things.

A few years ago, I read an article that salsa has surpassed ketchup (or is it catsup or catchup) as the number one selling condiment in the United States! This is in terms of total dollars sold, and not total volume, yet. Some excerpts from an article in the Wall Street Journal are below:

I’ve come across the salsa claim several times, as a factoid trotted out to
illustrate the impact of Latinos on the U.S. Tidbits like this often gain
credence simply by being repeated over and over, and this one has already had a
long life: Back in 1992, NPR’s Weekend Edition trotted it out, prefaced by the
comment, “Here’s a fact about American life that may illustrate as much as any
census finding.” That same year, the New York Times reported it in a piece
headlined, “New Mainstream: Hot Dogs, Apple Pie and Salsa.” More recently, the
claim has appeared in an article on marketing on the Web site of the University of
Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, and in a story on ABCNews.com.

So we have had a "Latin Invasion" but really it has been for the better. Now we actually have more choice when it comes to our condiments. I remember growing up there were only one or two selections of salsa in the grocery store. Today we have a lot more choice.

The other one of my favorite things from Latin America that I stumbled on here in the US and that really caught me off-guard this past weekend was the Michelada. For those of you that don't know, Micheladas are a peculiar drink that are particular to Mexico and Guatemala. Take your favorite beer and mix it with lime juice, salt and your own special mixture of spices. Depending on the region you can also throw in a splash or tomato juice or Clamato. Finally, serve this delicious concoction over ice.

Now, when I tried to explain this drink and serve it to my father-in-law, he said "why would you do that to a perfectly good beer." I respect his opinion, but have to tell you that on a hot day, there is not much better then a well-prepared Michelada.

Finding the elusive Michelada in the United States can be difficult. If you go to an authentic Mexican restuarant, you can usually order one, although the waiters always chuckle at the big, blonde gringo ordering a uniquely Mexican drink.

All of this changed this year, when Budweiser started marketing the drink as a pre-mixed drink you can buy in a can. And I stumbled upon this amazing drink in the strangest of places, at the mid-mountain lodge at Breckenridge ski area! I was so excited, that as soon as I got back home, I had to figure out everything I could about this. So I went to Budweiser's website and found this great article and press-release (which I have cut excerpts out below):

¡La Combinación Perfecta!
Budweiser & Clamato Chelada and Bud Light & Clamata Chelada Arrive
Nationwide
Anheuser-Busch and Cadbury Schweppes Team Up on Latin-Inspired
ST. LOUIS (Jan. 14, 2008) – As one of the hottest new products to hit
markets in California and Texas cities, followed by tremendous success in
Arizona, Colorado and Nebraska, Budweiser & Clamato Chelada and Bud Light
& Clamato Chelada will arrive in convenience stores, supermarkets and
grocery stores nationwide today. Latinos, specifically those of Mexican descent,
have been mixing beer with Clamato for decades. Budweiser & Clamato Chelada
and Bud Light & Clamato Chelada honor that tradition by combining
Anheuser-Busch’s classic American-style lagers with the spicy, invigorating
taste of Clamato Tomato Cocktail, made by Cadbury Schweppes Americas Beverages
(CSAB). . . “This is a recipe that combines cultures and flavors,” said Ana
Vitrano, product manager, Anheuser-Busch, Inc. “Budweiser, Bud Light and Clamato are all highly respected brands that, when combined, produce the
authentic-tasting recipe many Latinos love. It’s la combinación perfecta!” . . .
The name Chelada is a shortened form of the Spanish word michelada which loosely
translates to ‘my cold beer.’ To order Budweiser or Bud Light & Clamato
Chelada, one might say: “Una michelada con clamato, por favor.” To shorten that
but still keep the beer recognizable as the traditional recipe, Anheuser-Busch
focused on the name Chelada.

This is so cool! I love this drink and have been mixing them up for myself for years. Now it is available as a pre-mixed drink.

All of this is to say that there have been some very positive impacts from the immigration of Latinos to the United States. The next time you go out to get some Mexican food and enjoy that basket of chips and salsa, be thankful for the "Latino Invasion."