How would you feel?

As a Hispanic/latina yes it is. Idc if she’s fluent in Spanish or not she’s not Hispanic/latina she carried no cultural significance to our heritage.

Not saying she can’t teach him Spanish but why is she adamant on being called lita when grandma is more than fine.

My best friend growing up, her whole family was ….”visually” white. But her mother actually spoke Spanish and was raised with her mom speaking Spanish. (If I remember correctly grandpa was Cuban) Who then my best friend called her abuelita, but this was her mother and grand mother’s choice, not just grand mothers.

but there’s a difference between being white passing. & being straight up Caucasian.

I mean. Her Grandma, Her 2nd husband Cuban and so she raised my best friends mom, as such. Even though she wasn’t, family wise or blood relation. Her biological father was white.

I was also just giving a relating story, not an opinion either way  just saying 😇

I wasn’t giving an opinion either that’s a fact. Because yes Hispanics come in all Shades and tones. But just because that is so, doesn’t mean someone that wasn’t raised or surrounded by our culture & our people should take it because they know the language. My grandfather was a polyglot (knew 7 languages) but he didn’t try to make it his who personality he was proud of his ACTUAL roots. Now that part is an opinion.

I am Mexican, but learning Spanish, and honestly I couldn't care less if she wants to be called 'lita. I don't know many people who would find it offensive and I live it in a border city. She's not using it in a harmful way

so because grandma wants to be called abuela now she’s making it her whole personality? She can’t just love the language? 😒

but does she love the people? With everything going on yes I am offended, maybe when I was a little teen I would have been fine with it but it’s the real world. Our culture is used constantly but our people are dismissed. So yes I do have a problem with it.

The same people that celebrate the most cultural appropriated holidays and “speak the language” will look down on Hispanics/latins I’m just going off what she said. I don’t know whom she was raised by or anything. If all she is is fluent in Spanish then she shouldn’t be called abuelita. She should be called grandma or bubbie since she’s JEWISH.

lol 😂 yeah ok you can assume that but I said before that she can teach the kid Spanish. But being called abuelita no. If that bothers you pues aya tu 👍🏼 I’m not offended with her teaching her child Spanish I’m offended with her wanting to be called abuelita/lita. When she isn’t Hispanic. Different things I know something it’s hard to understand:)

I don’t mind her teaching him! I just feel some kind of way hearing her speak to him solely in Spanish saying “te amo mi nieto soy tu abuelita!!” Like no ur not): her whole thing is that she doesn’t want to be called grandma or anything similar, so she was looking for a ‘cutesie’ name instead and Lita was her aha moment and I just think it’s wrong

Oh and to clarify we have 0 Hispanic heritage in our family. Absolutely none. She learned it in college and uses it at work etc.

Its not weird. People are making it weirder than it truly is. Lita is short for gma WHICH SHE STILL IS lmao . Just because she’s white doesn’t mean she cant speak/use Spanish. I personally wouldn’t feel any kind of way about a dang word 😭😭 and to add ALOT a grandma’s are called many things besides grandma its not wrong nor weird

I was reading the whole thread and looking at the other comments but I can see where you’re coming from and I kinda of agree!

I’m in a similar situation with my mother in law. She’s Brazilian and she doesn’t e at to be called “grandma” or “vovó” (in Portuguese) bc she wants a cute way of being called bc she’s “young” like being called Gigi. she’s 50 while my mom is 60 so the grandma age is a gap difference. I don’t like the idea of her trying to find another way rather than embracing the facts of being a grandma. However I know my son will spend a lot of time around her and I don’t wanna make it a big deal contradicting my son in between “don’t call your grandma X name” and “grandma said to call her Gigi”

At incognito, my question is she then only going to teach partially Spanish, then? Based on what you typed she's simply conveying her feeling in Spanish. For your son to learn and be fluent, her speaking to him in spanish for everything is the best way. She's not mocking Mexicans/Latinos in any way.

And if she were to speak to someone else in Spanish, how then would you expect her to introduce herself.

In my opinion the prejudice should be put aside and if she's willing to teach him, he should learn. That's only going to benefit him in the long run. Her being called Lita, honestly doesn't matter. Real Mexican/Hispanics don't call their grandma's Litas. Some variation of it, perhaps but she is a grandma either way. For the person who got super offended that she's being called grandma in Spanish, unless you grew up in Mexico/ Latin America and that is specifically what you called your grandma and the word offends you to be used by others non Hispanic, i don't see why you should bring your political feelings into it. In reality that opinion is being made from a political standpoint, not a healthy perspective. And to incognito, it kinda sounds that you're also feeling some type of way about it, perhaps because of the political tension between Jews and the world right now, but you're married to an Arab, so you're clearly on the right side of history. Don't stress over the word Lita. ☺️

I think it’s a great idea as they’d learn it better now and b less confused than if they were older. Sets them up for a great future and wires their brain in different ways. I’m teaching my child my language and English.

I think she can have a grandchild call her whatever if it’s appropriate and you’re happy with it. I know people who are English who call themselves names from where I’m from who don’t even speak the language. I’m more than happy for it. It makes sense for someone who learns the language to be proud of it even if they don’t come from that area. So why can’t she? Like if she teaches someone Spanish, you’d know how to greet someone and what to call them. I learnt mandarin and we would be referred to or greeted with respect by having people call us the names that would be used towards people who were Chinese. Why can’t that be the case for her wanting to be called ‘lita? It’s a word that’s part of the manager she’s teaching your little one. Would be weird to want to be

Called that if she couldn’t speak the language though

so far she is definitely speaking to him pretty 50/50 she will say something in English and then repeat it in Spanish so I think she’s doing it properly. But again he’s only 4 months and she doesn’t see him more than once a week tbh, who knows how it’s going to be by the time he’s able to speak back.

I think I just have hesitancy to also be the one to call her Lita because obviously my son knowing her as that comes from the rest of the family referring to her in that way. Also, she has good intentions but lacks social cues and has a tendency to be a bit rude/inconsiderate in certain situations so I think I’m over analyzing it.

i mean lita means grandma it doesn’t mean “my hispanic grandmother” . im just confused on the issue

@Julissa L. Completely unrelated to this post but Gigi for my family is short for greatgrandma, the double G. So I just find it funny she wants to be young but is going with a name that could be associated with someone older

oh lol the irony. Never thought about it meaning great grandma

no you’re totally right I just think it might be odd to use in a white/arab family without the context that she speaks Spanish lol

I think it’s wonderful that your mother is willing to teach your kid a language! Even if he doesn’t see her everyday he’ll pick up on it you’ll see, children are super smart ;) as for the name, this may sound odd since you just became a mother, but grandmothers are also finding their new identities and maybe your mom likes the idea of a different “label”.. I don’t think anyone should take offence from this, you have no idea how many grandmothers want to be called Nonna even though they are far from Italian 😂 I think it’s cute

I had multiple hispanic role models growing up and am pretty fluent in spanish. I’ll be choosing to teach not just the language, but culture to my child (he’s also half mexican).
My mother likes to be called lola (tagolog for grandma) even though she’s not fluent. In fact, her husband is from Philippines , but is far from fluent and demands to be called lolo(tagalog for grandpa).
If your mom is teaching more than just language, I don’t see the problem. Other countries teach their children 3 languages from a young age and it’s great for brain development.
If I were you(as a parent), I’d focus on
Arabic, the traditional jewish language, and the cultures of both.
Your mom teaching your child spanish won’t hurt them.

Not really the main topic of your post, but my husband decided he won't teach our son his language until he's age two. Wants to make sure there's no delay or issue in learning English. For me, just don't want him to lose the opportunity to be bilingual.

as someone who is also Spanish, I think you’re being rather dramatic 😂 it’s not offensive in the slightest, people like you just love to have something to moan about. Let people live, if that’s what she wants to call herself then that’s her choice and her life. By calling herself ‘Lita’ she is not being offensive to Spanish people. Honestly you sound like you have way too much time on your hands trying to argue the most ridiculous of points 😂