While “Nuestra Vida, Nuestra Voz” primarily focuses on reproductive health and justice issues, it’s important to occasionally highlight other issues that impacts the Latin@ community as a whole. Latinos encounter many stereotypes and different forms of discrimination. Even though language is the principle connection, there has to be a recognition of the diverse cultures, ethnicities and vocabulary that exists among Latin@s.
Case in point, there is a new series of Anheuser-Busch’s Bud Light ads being advertised in the New York City subway system that completely butchers the Spanish language (see pictures below):
These ads are written in Spanish slang for the most part. However, Spanish slang is something that is not universal among Spanish speakers. Spanish slang pertaining to one country usually does not properly translate or is not used in another. Also, many slang terms can have double meanings, where in one country it can be a non-offensive term, but in another it is.
This ad campaign also brings up a valid question: is this the way Anheuser-Busch perceives Latin@s to generally speak? There are not similar English-language ads written in slang. So, why did Anheuser-Busch decide to go forward with these ads that, not only has poor usage of the Spanish language, but unfortunately also conveys several stereotypes and generalizations, such as the “arroz con pollo,” the “salsa,” and the “mata e (de) mango”? Inquiring minds would like to know.
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