I am an errant Mexican American Prince. We're everywhere, us princes. Are you one, too? Here are the signs:
- You are a “junior” or a II or III, or you are named after your grandfather.
- You have a degree from a four-year college in California. Preferably, Stanford, UC Berkeley, UCLA or USC. (For the intra-Latino Pac-10 football-weekend parties, of course.)
- There is a wall in your parents’ house reserved for your baby pictures, graduation pictures, and framed awards and certificates.
- You took Spanish in middle school, high school and college, and can still barely speak above “menu level.”
- Your mom is the most important person in your life.
- When you go “clubbing,” you almost always wear a button-up shirt (untucked), black dress shoes, dark jeans and a nice watch.
- Your car has a Dodgers, Raiders, Mexico or UFW bumper sticker.
- You have a small collection of shot glasses commemorating trips to Baja, Cancún or Vegas, and more than a few honoring your favorite sports teams.
- You traveled to be the escort or chambelán of honor in a quinceañera in another city, or in Mexico.
- You can perform light auto-body work.