Weshop’s Biggest Problem

Weshop’s biggest problem isn’t their pricing scheme. Nor is it their one-dollar charge for stolen candy. It isn’t even the fact that it closes at 5:00 p.m. on Friday nights. The shop’s biggest issue, one that I find completely and utterly unacceptable, is their salsa; in particular, Green Mountain Gringo Salsa. Overlooking the fact that this salsa completely stinks (if you wont take my word for it, dish out the five points it will cost you and try it yourself), the product’s name is the true origins of its demise. It’s not the Green, and it’s not the Mountain. It’s the presence of the word Gringo. For those of you who didn’t grow up watching John Wayne films or hanging around bodegas, Gringo is Spanish slang for a person who does not speak Spanish. In Collins English Dictionary the word Gringo is defined as “a person from an English-speaking country: used as a derogatory term by Latin Americans.” That’s right folks, derogatory. Type “Gringo” into Google search and every entry will define the word, in one way or another, as derogatory and offensive slang. Why I ask, does the supermarket at Wesleyan University sell a product containing a derogatory phrase? Whatever the reason, the Salsa should be removed from shelves immediately. For the few of you who know me, I’ve been talking about writing this Wespeak for a long time, ever since that first moment I saw the word “Gringo” on a food product. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not here to rant about oppression. I may be the least oppressed guy you’ll never meet. I’m a white male on the varsity rowing team at a prestigious liberal arts university. But when a derogatory word sits on the shelves of my campus store, staring me in the eyes every time I walk by the chips and dip aisle, I refuse to let it slide. I’ve got one word for you Bon Appétit: Tostitos.