Man, Gustavo Arellano (author of “Ask a Mexican”) was excellent last night. When they said he was going to answer questions submitted by the audience, I’d wondered whether it was going to be awkward or not funny. His columns always seem so researched, and sometimes it’s hard to be witty in person. Instead, Arellano was spot-on, humorous and real smart. The large and largely white audience responded in kind. Questions and comments touched on the Mexi-mullet, cursing, the Raiders, racism and how Arellano ruined “gabacho,” making it so Mexicans couldn’t talk about white people anymore because everyone knows what it means now. He also gave the Alibi props for being the second-ever paper with huevos enough to run his column. And Steven Robert Allen wore a giant sombrero, similar in size to the one he wore while we were blogging at 1 a.m. on election night. Arellano said he wouldn’t wear the sombrero, because it’s demeaning, but it makes Steve an honorary Mexican. The Q & A was great. It seemed strange for me, a reporter, to jump in on the readership’s time to grill Gustavo. Here are the questions I didn’t ask the Mexican:-Have you ever been to Mexico?-Why isn’t your column called Ask a Mexican-American (aside from the obvious aesthetic nastiness)?-Favorite band? I actually don’t know why this query’s burning in me, but it is. Buy the book from Bookworks.
The Mexican! Live!
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