What is a No Sabo Kid?
I heard the term on TikTok for the first time only recently, and I got to thinking, who are these kids? I never thought I could be amongst their numbers.
And it's not a bad thing, actually. But what that label meant was such an eye-opener; why I felt in between worlds or that I wasn't Mexican enough. How many times have I heard, "You're Mexican and you don't speak Spanish?" followed with "the look", like I was an oddball, which of course undermined my sense of self. I recall all the times I explained the years of Spanish I took in school, or how my parents were bilingual but for me it never really stuck, offered as if that was some kind of apology.
I lived like that all my life and let me tell you that confusion is real, especially having grown up in a family with its own self identity issues.
But the No Sabo Kids I hear about today are unapologetic. Confident. Almost defiant. They are U.S.-born Mexicans in every sense; living their dual cultures while proud of their identities as Mexicans. No hiding. No excuses. No shame. I like that!
I may have been late to this game, but embracing my inner No Sabo Kid is what I do now, and instead of feeling undermined, I feel like I've found my community. I own it, and so can you.