El titulo/The Title

Let’s talk about the name of the blog because I can feel the discomfort seeping through the screen.

Did it make you feel uncomfortable? Would it have been better if I changed it to Gordita? Ask yourself what feelings the name of the blog stirred up and why they showed up.

The name of the blog is “Tu Hermana la Gordota” for very intentional purposes, but here is where it came from.

Did ya’ll (by ya’ll I mean my Latines but mainly my Mexicans) while growing up hear people dissing one another and they’re hit with an insult and they get all upset about it and throw back, “la tuya”, or “Tu hermana la gordota”? It’s kinda like the “Yo Momma is so fat” jokes of the Latine world. I have vivid memories of hearing that comeback and immediately acknowledging that being fat was the worst thing you could be. It is so bad being fat that it humiliates your family and friends. Well, imagine how it made me feel or other fat people. I’ve internalized that shit. So I chose the title in efforts to reclaim power over the word of Gorda and Fat. We can’t undo fat phobia without going through uncomfortable situations, and better to tackle it head on.

I’m tired of women, specifically fat woman being the butt of the jokes. Que me ven cara de payaso, o que?

Though the title is a play on a bad joke or comeback, my wish is that you can see me as your older sister, or prima who lives in a fat body that shares her experiences so that you may have a better go at life. Blame it on me being the eldest and first-gen and my need to be a caregiver to all the baby Latines.

While I’ve never been called Gordota, well at least not to my face, the name is meant to bring feelings of discomfort, but also to give you an opportunity to reflect why it is causing such a stir. While the Spanish language is how I feel love, it has also how I feel pain. The diminutive and augmentative form of the words carry power. The -ota makes me feel like a whole ass monster, while the -ita makes me feel fragile and cutesy. Let’s sit with the discomfort together.

The disclaimers: I do not claim to be a writer, shit, my whole life I’ve been told by English teachers that I did not write well. So, if you are expecting some literary masterpiece, this ain’t it. I write like I talk, and will continue to do so. What I am sharing on this blog are MY experiences as a fat brown woman and I do not need your negative commentary on my experiences. This is a way for me to heal and hopefully bring validation to others. I don’t claim to be an expert, just an expert at my life. Y ya caso cerrado.

Hasta la próxima!