Friday, May 16, 2008

Jessica 'Don't Call Me Latina' Alba

Okay, I was never really a fan of Jessica Alba, considering how terrible an actress she is, but I never thought that she would say all these things about how un-hispanic she is.

“I’ve got cousins galore. Mexicans just spread all their seeds. And the women just pop them out.”

“My grandfather was the only Mexican at his college, the only Hispanic person at work and the only one at the all-white country club. He tried to forget his Mexican roots, because he never wanted his kids to be made to feel different in America. He and my grandmother didn’t speak Spanish to their children. Now, as a third-generation American, I feel as if I have finally cut loose.”

“My grandfather was the only one in our family to go to college. He made a choice not to speak Spanish in the house. He didn’t want his kids to be different.”

“[Before] I always felt like such an outcast and now I feel like people are more diverse ethnically. I was always self conscience of my puffy lips and darker skin when I was a kid, because I felt like I didn’t fit in. And now its mainstream, and color isn’t as big of a deal and if anything its better.”

“My whole life, when I was growing up, not one race has ever accepted me, … So I never felt connected or attached to any race specifically. I had a very American upbringing, I feel American, and I don’t speak Spanish. So, to say that I’m a Latin actress, OK, but it’s not fitting; it would be insincere.”

“Alba is my last name and I’m proud of that. But that’s it. My grandparents were born in California, the same as my parents, and though I may be proud of my last name, I’m American. Throughout my whole life, I’ve never felt connected to one particular race or heritage, nor did I feel accepted by any. If you break it down, I’m less Latina than Cameron Diaz, whose father is Cuban. But people don’t call her Latina because she’s blonde.”






Jessica dyed her hair blonde and wore blue contacts for the movie "Fantastic Four"



-But I think that she must have regretted what she said, because in the magazine "Latina" in March (2008), she was the cover story- and she basically defended herself from the offensive comments she made earlier:

On her reluctance to walk the red carpet at Latin events: "I'll support those shows, but I can't go on the press lines and have people make me feel bad about myself. Life is too short. I can't change how I grew up, and I shouldn't have to apologize for it. I know I feel close to the Latin community, because that's what I grew up with."

On claims that she's proud to have cut loose from her Mexican roots: "I never said that. Cut loose from what? What the hell are they talking about? Why would I want to cut loose from the only family I know?"

On not learning to speak Spanish as a child: "I wish to God that my dad spoke Spanish to my brother and me, but he didn't grow up with it."

On confusing other men for her dad as a kid: "When I was little, I used to go up to black men and hold their legs, thinking it was my dad all the time. I'd wrap my arms around them, then look up and be like, 'Oh my God!'"

On being accepted for who she is in Hollywood: "I was always trying to figure out: How the hell am I going to be mainstream? How are people going to accept me? When are the going to get a clue that I am American, that this is what America looks like--people like me who are mixed, have different blood, mixed with different ethnicities? When are the people who are hiring for these jobs and writing these screenplays going to realize that?"

On what she wants her baby to look like: "I'm excited for my baby to be brown. I just have to believe the dark gene is going to survive. Cash and I are like, please!"

Hold on one second. The article is so phony, and obviously just an attempt to get some of her fans back. And "I'm so proud for my baby to be brown"?! Honestly, that sounds so ignorant. If someone said "I'm so proud my baby is going to be blond and blue eyed", people would react vehemently.

Okay, on one hand, I have to give it to her- she is allowed to choose what she wants to lable herself as. And I completely understand that she feels disconnected because she doens't speak spanish, and that her father wanted to cut his mexican roots- those were different times, when hispanics were really prejudiced against. But I think she should put up some kind of effort to feel connected, I mean, it is in her blood, and alot of hispanic people obviously looked up to her because there aren't that many hispanics that make it to hollywood. She could make an effort, or at least not deny her hispanic heritage so fervently. Overall, I'm really dissapointed in her.

So I've concluded that Jessica Alba is one of the phoniest celebrities I've ever heard of.

1 comment:

Dana (MODAna) said...

I feel bad for her with the whole latin ordeal.
I wonder what the truth is but I agree, referring to a latin baby as "brown"... it's so strange and inappropriate.
My mother is of decidedly "brown" decent and she is blond and blue eyed! There are no rules in ethnicity, people need to avoid comments like that.