Speedy Gonzales: An Icon and Symbol for Hispanics Delfin Carbonell Basset - VOXXI
go to original October 4, 2013

Speedy Gonzales Cats And Bruises - Cartoon character Speedy Gonzales became a symbol for Hispanics in the U.S. (Warner Brothers/Than Arounrainbow)

Stereotypes die hard, as we know, and sometimes backfire, as it was and is the case of the beloved Speedy Gonzales, the cartoon character created to poke fun at Mexicans but who became a much-loved hero in the Spanish-speaking world, especially in Mexico and Spain.

Speedy Gonzales was born in the early 50s and was intended to be a real stereotype of what Anglophones in the United States considered to be a “typical” Mexican: he spoke with an exaggerated Mexican accent; he wore an oversized sombrero, Mexican type, and white shirt and trousers, with a red kerchief around his neck. His speech was sprinkled with Spanish words like ¡ándele! ¡arriba! amigo, gracias, señor, gringo, hasta la vista… and others to make him sound authentic and real.

The cartoon hero became very popular and was an instant success with audiences who laughed at the Mexican mouse’s way of talking and acting. However it backfired on its creators and American audiences as well.

Read the rest at VOXXI

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