This article is written with an intentional tongue in cheek flavor. This work is not intended to generalize the Latino culture or Latinas. While the topic could pertain to any culture or to any individual, this article maybe particularly pertinent for those not familiar with the female mind or personality.
While many males of the species believe they will never understand the female mind or personality, it is imperative for you to at least attempt to gain some knowledge to the female mind and psyche. Women are not made or wired like men and recent research has just scraped the surfaces of the ways we differ. So if science has not yet been able to explain the inherent differences between the sexes, you are not supposed to either.
She Runs on her own Time
For those male readers, this means that time is a flexible and very personal thing. As an example, let’s say you have made a dinner reservation for seven at a fancy restaurant. For your Latina, time is not linear. This means it does not go from point “A” to point “B”. So, if you want to at the restaurant at the right time, you cannot be linear either. Tell your lovely dinner partner to be ready by five so she will be ready in plenty of time to get there.
If, however, you are going to a family gathering of her kin, don’t worry about time at all. It will not matter what time is written on the invitation you can show up whenever you want. Even if you are two hours late, no one will notice or care. So, as you can see, the concept of time is a double-edged sword in some respects. Being stuck between the proverbial rock and hard place, the best thing you can do is to follow her lead when it comes to family, beliefs and customs. This includes the concept of time, which is relevant only to her perception of it.
Also keep in mind that she wants to be on time. She really does, but the concept of time is one of the basic tenants between the genders. She may take what seems like forever getting ready for a date, but you can be sure the wait is well worth it. She will look stunning and you will wonder why you ever complained to start with.
For her, there is no concept of casual dress. She will dress to impress no matter where you are planning to go, and she will rock it from head to toe. She likes to look good and can even make jeans and a tee shirt look sexy.
Latinas are Family Centered
Don’t let it scare you if she introduces you to her extended family early on in the relationship. This includes her parents, her siblings, her grandparents on both sides, aunts, uncles and cousins. The opinion of the family is important and can play a large role in whether you will have a chance to meet them again or not.
While meeting her family is important, her meeting yours may not be. At least, wait a while before inviting her to the family reunion. It might seem a bit unfair, but it is what it is. If you invite her to a wedding for instance, it may indicate to her and her family that the relationship you share maybe more serious than you think.
Also, you can expect her family to be around a lot. By that we mean just about all the time and in great numbers. So, if you have something you want to keep secret, keep it to yourself. To a Latina, sharing is caring, and she cares a lot. Everyone knows every one’s business, so if you don’t want the whole family to know something keep it close to the vest.
Conclusion
Latinas love being Latina. It’s important to her, it’s important to her family, and if you care for her, it will be important to you too. You can show you care by being interested in her and her culture. What is not important is that you generalize her, or any woman for that matter, by asking demeaning questions or blame her behavior on being a Latina or woman.