10/12/2006 10:02 PM CDT By Michael Quintanilla Express-News Staff Writer, San Antonio, Tx Throughout Hispanic Heritage Month (which ends Sunday) heroes and leaders from the Latin world are saluted, culture and customs are celebrated. But here in San Antonio, the nation's Tex-Mex headquarters, Hispanic pride comes in muchos unconventional ways. Here (in no particular order, except for the first) are 100 reasons why it's great to celebrate all cositas (things) Hispanic, the S.A. way.
1. Amá (Mom)
2. Huge hugs from 'güelita' (abuela or grandmother)
3. Tías talking chisme (gossip) while making tamales
4. Warm flour tortillas slathered with butter
5. Images of the Virgin Mary on a tortilla
6. Wearing chanclas (flip flops)
7. Babies with pierced ears
8. El Cucuy (the boogeyman)
9. La Llorona (the folk legend about the crying mother)
10. Selena
11. Salma Hayek
12. Dolores del Rio (the actress and the restaurant)
13. Paseo del Rio
14. Chicharónes (crunchy pork rinds), tripitas (cow intestines) and lengua (tongue)
15. Poultry living in the backyard
16. Religious grottoes in the front yard
17. Piñatas, especially 'La Estrella' (the star)
18. Radio estrellas Hot Henrietta, Sonny Melendrez, Elizabeth Ruiz
19. Charro beans
20. Refried beans
21. Playing lotería with pinto beans
22. Charreada (Mexican rodeo)
23. Easter Sunday picnics at Brackenridge Park
24. Eating conchitas (seashell-shaped pasta in tomato sauce)
25. Barbacoa on Sunday mornings
26. The broken-down Chevy in the driveway
27. Drinking Bud Light at Night in Old San Antonio
28. Tequila shots at the Esquire Bar ... oops!
29. Big Red on a hot day
30. Homemade chocolate(over the stove) with cinnamon sticks on a cold day
31. A 15-year-old in her quinceañera gown
32. Twenty bridesmaids in a wedding
33. The dollar dance
34. Cruising Zarzamora Street
35. The honking car in the street waiting to give a kid a ride to school, or to announce that the Spurs just won or to pick up a date on a Saturday night.
36. El Grito on Sept. 16 or any other day for that matter
37. Over-the-top makeup and diva drama on telenovelas
38. My sister's impossibly long, long, long hair in a trenza (braid)
39. Our Lady of Guadalupe (she's our gal)
40. Our man Manu (yes, we claim him)
41. The Malt House on the West Side
42. The haunted railroad tracks on the South Side
43. Slang: '¡Ay te watch-o, cucaracho!' ('See ya later, ****roach!')
44. Being naughty in Spanish (That pinche car almost ran me over!)
45. Chihuahuas
46. ¡Ay Chihuahua!
47. Comino (cumin) in everything
48. Fútbol
49. The Chili Bowl
50. Chili powder on raspas, on fruit cups, on corn on the cob and on gigantic dill pickles
51. 'Sabado Gigante' with Don Francisco and his bikini-clad spokesmodels
52. Watching boxing on pay-per-view in someone's backyard
53. Oscar de la Renta and Carolina Herrera, our designing heroes
54. Tom Frost and Lila ****rell, nuestro amigos
55. Cascarones during Fiesta
56. Huevos rancheros served all day
57. San Fernando Cathedral, the city's corazón (heart)
58. Paletas
59. Mi Tierra restaurant, 24/7
60. Dashboard saints
61. Shakira, because hips don't lie
62. 'Lowrider' ringtone
63. Vikki Carr and Eva Longoria calling San Antonio home
64. Salsa dancing
65. Salsa, red and green
66. The Lopez trifecta: George, Jennifer and Mario
67. The Henry trifecta: Cisneros; B. Gonzalez; the Puffy Taco
68. Flea markets
69. Double features at Mission Drive-In
70. Pancho Claus
71. Mariachi serenatas (serenades) on Mother's Day
72. The soon-to-open Museo Alameda
73. Leche quemada, divinity and pecan pralines from Segovia Candies
74. Lu Ann Platter from Luby's with enchiladas on the side
75. Pan de Muerto from Bedoy's
76. Birthday cake from H-E-B Plus
77. Los Lonely Boys
78. Flaco Jimenez and his boys
79. Jalapeños
80. Las matas (potted plants) on the front porch
81. Washing machines on the back porch
82. Yerbas and toothpicks in raw eggs under the beds to cure everything and ward off evil spirits
83. Botanica power: 'Come to me Lover' talcum powder; 'Come to me Money' floor wash; 'Come to me new car' room deodorizer.
84. Asking St. Anthony of Padua, the saint of lost and stolen articles, for his sleuthing powers when something has gone missing (and finding it almost instantly!)
85. Relatives named 'Cuca,' 'Chon' and 'Chela'
86. La Sandra Cisneros
87. The clicking of tacones (high heels)
88. The clacking of dominoes
89. Opening gifts on Christmas Eve
90. Las Posadas
91. Superstitions ('mal ojo,' 'ojo' or evil eye)
92. Comadres and compadres
93. Ruffles
94. Guayaberas
95. Shooting hoops (and fireworks) in the street
96. Speaking Spanglish:
Mom: '¿Mijo, vas a H-E-B?'
Me: 'Sure, Amá, what do you want me to get for you?'
Mom: 'Trai me el brown hair dye that's on sale.'
97. Anglos speaking perfect Spanish
98. Fideo (at five boxes for $1, this vermicelli is the Mexican version of Ramen noodles)
