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Fresa (which is Spanish for strawberry) is a slang term often used in Mexico for a cultural stereotype of superficiality to youngsters of whom many come from a high class and educated family.

The term fresa (then often likened to the "preppy" stereotype), was born in the 60's to define teenagers with a conservative mentality, who didn't drink and enjoyed being from traditional families. During the 80's the meaning changed and became a term to describe the lifestyles of the young and rich.

[edit] Sociolinguistic use

Ever since it started being used, the term has referred to a specific lifestyle, behavior, habits, and other characteristics that have no specific relation to economic position or ethnicity, but that somehow ended up being factors of the phenomenon when these lifestyles and habits require certain aspects that only can be found in an upper class circle, although not being critically necessary because belonging to a fresa group is a matter of the way one thinks and act mainly. Some that call themselves fresas, are usually not part of it but a false attempt to belong in that group, authentic fresas doesn't consider themselves so, they naturally think, behave, and act into the stereotype without noticing it, and finding it totally normal. The term has been made popular in other Latin American countries due to international popularity of TV shows with fresa characters. In Venezuela there is another word for the same people, which is "cotufa", which literally means popcorn. It is believed this term came from "Brain as small as a popcorn", but this term has its differences from the word "fresa". The term "cotufa" is actually more like the "dumb blonde" stereotype, but in Venezuela they don't associate it directly to the hair color because it's seen on people with other hair colors.

Fresa is sometimes considered the stereotypical opposite of naco, however it is not always a derogatory word. Traditionally, teens who attend expensive schools or have wealthy parents (and are more likely to be fresas) are called "niños bien" (fine kids) or "gente bien" (fine people). The fresa accent is also different (faked) from the typical slow-pitched Mexican accent, with a higher established accent, different tone and "proper" vocabulary. Their clothing mostly consists from top mainstream brands such as: Abercrombie & Fitch, Hollister Co., plus other top brands, and are always seen shopping in well located shopping centers (malls) and always paying with cards instead of cash.

Things go back to the late 80s when (for the first time in Mexican society) kids, teenagers and even young adults started using stereotypically "fresa" behavior as a way of giving a false impression (deceiving) of their real social, economical (& educational) status. Since then, such tendency prevailed as a mainstream among the Mexicans until recent (and rather counter) new subcultures have risen and replace it, such as "Emos", "Goths", "Darks", "Punketos", "Tech-savvy teens", "Metrosexuals", "Barrio", "Chuntaros", "Rancholos", "Cosplayers", etc. (although there are many still stuck in the "Fresa" style). Back in those days, it was a "priviledge" to be mistaken by a real "Fresa". The copycats rapidly spread all over the country, and kick-offs replaced the quality of the original brands for cheap ones that deceived passing out as "originals". The brands of choice of the "Fresas" were Ocean Pacific, Swatch, Polo, Furor, Reebok, Trapper Keeper, Top Sider, Rayban wayfarer, Banana Republic, Studio Line, Levi's, Vans, among others. The bands and artists of choice, whose influence bred and helped expand the phenomenon were "Timbiriche", "Flans", "Fresas con Crema", "Fandango", "Luis Miguel", "Sasha", "Pandora", "Alaska y Dinarama", "Mecano", "Hombres G", "Ole Ole", etc. The places of choice were "The News Pedregal", "The Magic Circus", "Plaza Satelite", "Perisur", "Pericoapa", "Plaza Inn", "Chazz", "El Ajusco", among others. Besides, as a part of every subculture, a "characteristic" dance was born: the "wavy", in which one would remain standing, sort of bouncing from left to right and all the way round while miming a "wavy" move with the opposite arm (lifted about the shoulder's level pararell to the floor). The magazine "Eres" was the most popular and influencing among adolescents and the radio station "WFM 96.9" was definitely the most important back in the day.

[edit] Fresa as a Subculture

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Fresas have become something of a subculture in contemporary Mexico. Metalheads and Punks they dress in a certain way, speak in a certain way and live in a certain way. They are an abundant and very influential subculture with little or no knowledge of what happens outside their circles. But since the mid-90's the Hip-Hop and Reggeaton scenes have been taking over Mexico and other Latin American countries.

Fresas are mostly stereotyped as frivolous, self-centered and pretty much unintelligent; mostly as zombies who swirl through life solely thinking about "frivolous matters".

The word fresa is somewhat pejorative outside the fresa circles. Being called a fresa, for example, in a punk subculture could be considered an insult, as many of the people in other subcultures absolutely abhor fresas, and use the term as an insult.

The term fresa however, is scarcely used within the fresa circles, as people who live and belong to these circles don't view themselves as fresas and simply see the word as a term to describe their lifestyle; they view themselves simply as "normal" people and refuse to label themselves as something, even though people outside could see them as such. Rarely, if ever, will you hear someone who lives in this circle call another one a fresa.

[edit] Fictional fresas

• A well-known "fresa" is the fictional persona El Pirrurris, created by comedian Luis de Alba, a parody of the so called juniors, the young and presumptuous children of Mexican politicians and entrepreneurs. Although this character is overacted and doesn't exactly match the real life fresa standards, he is often mentioned as a reference.^[1]
• Jose Emilio Pacheco, in his novel "Las Batallas en el Desierto" written in 1981, exposes a series of characters that accurately represent diverse social Mexican subcultures from which we can have a more precise understanding of some social aspects in real-life interaction to comprehend how really several groups are.
• In the Mexican telenovela Soñadoras Angelica Vale plays Julieta, a teenager of lower middle class origins who often poses as a high society person by behaving like a fresa.

[edit] References

[edit] See also

• Naco (slang)