Love Without Borders

In this episode of Cafecito and Chaos, we sit down with Tori and Vero—a Black man and a Mexican American woman—to talk about what it really means to build a relationship across cultures.

Their story goes beyond love at first sight. It’s about learning each other’s worlds, navigating differences in culture and identity, and showing up for one another through real-life challenges. From family expectations to honest conversations about race, Tori and Vero share the moments that shaped their relationship and the lessons they’ve learned along the way.

This episode dives into the beauty and complexity of interracial love—how it stretches you, grounds you, and ultimately brings you closer.

Whether you’re in an interracial relationship or simply want to understand them better, this conversation is a reminder that love isn’t about being the same—it’s about growing together.

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:04

Grab your compacito, your comadre energy, and maybe a little patience for your inner child, because today we're getting into it. Hey Amies, it's me, Isa, your favorite chaotic daughter, and today we're hosting with Google, and we're actually gonna interview our comadre along with our husband Tori. We're gonna be talking about interracial marriage, what it looks like, what it feels like, and what it takes to build something real across cultures. Um, like I said, I'm here with Tori and Veto, who are here to share their story as a black and Mexican American couple navigating love, identity, family, and everything in between. Love always doesn't look the way tradition expects it to, and that's exactly what makes it powerful. So welcome.

SPEAKER_02 0:58

Welcome to the show. Thank you. Uh and as customary, uh, our first question is always gonna be what's your go-to coffee order? Or your favorite coffee.

SPEAKER_00 1:09

I'm not a big coffee person, but uh if I do have to go to it, I'm going McDonald's. Everyone, I gotta try this McDonald's.

SPEAKER_05 1:21

I still haven't uh picked the right the right coffee at McDonald's. He always he's like, yeah, I want this and this, and I taste it, I don't like it. It's just too too much like caffeine for me. But mine's I know, but mine's more like, you know, the I guess sweet, yeah. Uh cold blended.

SPEAKER_02 1:43

They have a breakfast blend that's lighter, and then it takes a little bit less to sweeten it up.

SPEAKER_05 1:48

Um I might have to try that. We do the mill on it. I gotta try that McDonald's. Everyone's talking about McDonald's.

SPEAKER_02 1:53

My arm is the one that got me put on the McDonald's. This week has been a long week, so I've been on Bustelos and I got some for work. Uh man, it's wired me. Now I'm feeling it. I'm I didn't I didn't I had one this morning and I'm like, damn.

SPEAKER_03 2:04

You know they sell like cold coffee. I have one in the fridge that I'm gonna try.

SPEAKER_02 2:08

The bustelos cold coffee?

SPEAKER_03 2:09

Yeah. That's good.

SPEAKER_02 2:11

That's strong. That one, the regular one, brought all kinds of frank vanilla and and sweetener, and it's still strong. I might have to try that. That McDonald's one is good though. If y'all haven't had McDonald's coffee, just try it. Go check it out.

SPEAKER_05 2:25

I'm more of a scooters coffee type of girl. Me either. Mocha blended.

SPEAKER_02 2:30

I might go to scooters if they want to sponsor a little bit. There's there's a what is there? We have a lot of them now. We have Dutch Bros now, we have Scooters. There's that 51. Is it 151 coffee? Oh, we've been there. Yeah. I heard it's good. Yeah. Starbucks, of course. But everyone gets canceled and everyone takes turns. I don't know what what we can drink and can't drink anymore.

SPEAKER_03 2:49

Yeah, that's true too.

SPEAKER_02 2:50

But McDonald's is straight. Yeah, you can't you can't go wrong with McDonald's. Alright, so now we got that, that's the tough question. We'll get into some other fun questions. Uh so let's start off. I know um we've known each other for a long time, so we kind of know your story. But if you guys want to uh Tori, first, if you want to introduce yourself a little bit, tell us about yourself, and uh and then we can get into it.

SPEAKER_00 3:11

Definitely uh Tori Jones, born and raised uh here in Dallas, Texas. Uh actually raised in urban, uh crooked eye exactly north side. Um two-parent household by the grandparents, so got a whole soul. Um was taught a lot by my grandma. Um my dad was a truck driver, my mom was a uh worker at the cleaners. Um she made sure I was well taken care of, same as my grandfather, uh three years old, so I didn't really get to uh have that bomb with her, but uh big man of God, so I always talk to her. We have a couple relationships on that side. Yeah, uh Irving MacArthur graduate in 2003. Um go guard in the name. Yeah, oh god, yeah, you know, but uh yeah, uh pretty much it. Got two kids, beautiful kids, uh Cam and Kaylani. Kay Laney right behind you, looking at me right here, mom. My pride and joy. It's my beautiful love, right?

SPEAKER_02 4:18

Yes, sir, beautiful children. Yes, thank you, thank you. Well, we we know we know the story, uh, but let our audience know. Uh we can start on how y'all how y'all first met.

SPEAKER_00 4:31

I touch a little bit on that. Uh yeah, right.

SPEAKER_02 4:35

So uh the date, the exact time, change.

SPEAKER_00 4:40

Oh, it was it was a vibe. It was a vibe, it was a vibe. Um 2005, uh January, matter of fact, 25th.

SPEAKER_03 4:49

And Corey knew the year that always like, huh?

SPEAKER_00 4:53

You said January what?

SPEAKER_02 4:54

Let me just see, make sure that you're gonna be able to do that.

SPEAKER_00 4:56

I lost my pop in 2005, January 5th, 25, or January 25th. I'm sorry, January 25th, 2005. So I was um I was going through a little hard time at the at that at that time. Um I had a buddy of mine, uh, still to this day, good friend of mine, Joseph Lopez. Shout out to Joseph, man, Crooked Eye Legend. Um he hit me up, uh buddy of mine, uh DJ Elements, Randy. Hey, shout out to Randy, shout out to Randy, man. He did uh he did Mandy's King Signor. Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 5:24

Oh okay.

SPEAKER_00 5:25

DJ Elements, man. He was uh he was he was doing a set at Nefas that night. Uh Nymphas off at 35. You know you know. Is it still open? No, it's not open. It's like torn down now.

SPEAKER_05 5:36

I don't even know what's over there anymore. He's not even over there is anymore. No, no.

SPEAKER_02 5:39

It was uh Nefhas was on and popping on Fridays, right?

SPEAKER_00 5:42

Yes, yep. Yep, after 10, it was going down. Um I got a car, I was laying in bed. I was actually just, you know, just thinking about my pop and uh Joseph hit me up. He was like, man, you gotta get out that move, bro. And it's like Randy's doing a set tonight, and uh you coming with me, man. Ain't no no's. So I got dressed, um jumped in the car, met him over there. And uh you had to be 21, unfortunately. I wasn't 21. I lied a little bit about my age. Uh really didn't matter though, because my boy DJ uh elements was uh doing doing his set, so I got in with them. Um and uh shortly after uh I seen uh my now beautiful wife, uh Veto on the dance floor with uh with her friends.

SPEAKER_05 6:31

My posse.

SPEAKER_00 6:32

P Doug. Yeah, P Lady and uh Double Fisted Margaritas Yeah, they was they was they was uh they was line dancing in that thing. They was they was doubled up with the with the margaritas having a good time.

SPEAKER_05 6:46

That's what I was scared.

SPEAKER_00 6:47

So it was hot. I'll skip on that. I'll be but I seen her dancing on the dance floor. Um I I gained the courage to go over there and talk to her. Um she kind of I guess the song was like halfway over, but you know, we we uh we did our thing for probably like maybe like two minutes and then she did me, she did a slight diss. Maybe I think it was a shyness she had back then, but she uh basically was like, okay, song's over, I'm gonna walk away from here. So I was left on the dance floor by myself. Dang. Uh yeah, it was it was uh it's a little bit of a a heartbreaker at the moment.

SPEAKER_05 7:27

But I came back though. Then, you know, there was another song that started, and I was like, okay, you know what, where is he at? So then I saw him and I'm like, hey, you want to dance again? And so we danced and we didn't exchange those numbers at night.

SPEAKER_02 7:44

Y'all didn't? No, we didn't. Nothing, nothing. And for you young folks, uh you young kids that this generation that are listening, uh, we used to change exchange phone numbers.

SPEAKER_03 7:53

Yeah, not not Facebook. I mean, not even Facebook. That's all Instagram and TikToks.

SPEAKER_02 7:58

TikToks and Instagram is it was phone numbers. Sometimes you use the pen and paper 100%.

SPEAKER_00 8:04

You had to have a mouthpiece. You had to actually know what you're saying, you know what I'm saying? So I went up to her. Uh matter of fact, uh, I went two more weekends from there on out, and I actually seen her.

SPEAKER_02 8:16

That boy went back to late for years.

SPEAKER_00 8:19

I went back, I went back, yep, and I actually seen her again uh the second week, weekend, and uh we ended up kind of hitting it off a little bit. And they had a section at the time. Um one of their buddies, I forgot his name, what's his name was um Big Manual. Oh Big Manual out of Wisconsin.

SPEAKER_05 8:39

Yeah, he was he had uh buckets of Coronas and Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:43

They were vibing over there. So I joined the party. That was VIP wherever you went.

SPEAKER_02 8:48

Yeah. He knew somebody everywhere right here.

SPEAKER_00 8:50

I had a little backstory to that. Um he had bought a bucket of modellos, and uh, I guess everybody was feeling good, and V was like, grab your modello. I grabbed one, my boy Manny looked at me like, who the hell are you? I was like, ah, and she was like, nah, he's good, he's good. Ever since then that night it was it was on the popping. It was on the popping. Yeah, so we the third weekend we hooked up again. We actually exchanged, well, let me tell you, backstory to that.

SPEAKER_05 9:23

It was a lot going on every night, every weekend.

SPEAKER_00 9:26

Every weekend it was it was a little different vibe, but she didn't want to um she didn't want to dance with me one time.

SPEAKER_05 9:34

Nah, nah, nah, no, no, no. It wasn't that it was it was that same night uh uh Big Annual was there, right? So he's like dancing, and you know, we're all dancing with them, not with him, but like around him, and so I guess he thought uh we know we was with you know with him or whatever. So then this one chick approached him. So and it was funny because she went to high school with me.

SPEAKER_02 9:58

Uh-uh. We'll find out this show.

SPEAKER_05 10:01

And that was like I was like, okay, so they were dancing and I was like, alright, whatever. So I was doing my thing, and then um, I guess after they were done dancing, I was um, you know, I guess we you know we hooked up again and we're dancing or whatever.

SPEAKER_00 10:16

I was vibing with V. That was that was really uh I locked in with her, I think.

SPEAKER_05 10:20

Uh, you know. He was just trying to make you tell. I think so. I think so. It worked, it worked and repeated. It happens, it happens. I saw her like exactly.

SPEAKER_02 10:32

I like you. Why you dancing with someone else? We weren't together. Yeah, I think it was like a Thanksgiving when we went to DMX. That's why I don't even like going to DMX. So y'all, so you went back, y'all started vibing, kind of but what would what would you say was your first impression of V?

SPEAKER_00 10:45

Um, I don't know. I just she just caught my she just caught my eye, to be honest with you. I mean, she wasn't like wearing like, you know, dressed up to the T. She just had, you know, her vibe, just some jeans, some, you know, regular tennis shoes. I think she had some bands on that night, you know, a t-shirt. She had a little hat. A little more relaxed. These always been stylish. Her trucker hat on. Trucker hat signed by Pharrell, I believe, that night.

SPEAKER_05 11:09

And uh I didn't wear that one. It was an NERD hat. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 11:14

That was bolted up.

SPEAKER_05 11:15

Yeah, that was that was that was that was locked up.

SPEAKER_00 11:17

She had the NERD hat on, and uh, you know, I it's kind of vivid, like I didn't really, I kind of remember, but I didn't remember. Everything's moving too fast, but you know, she was.

SPEAKER_02 11:27

I mean we were we were young. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:29

Yeah, definitely. She just caught my eye. Um, you know, she had a good conversation once while I got to know her.

SPEAKER_02 11:34

So then, all right, cool. So then started vibing, started talking. Uh when did y'all when after what time or when did y'all start realizing like, oh, this is this is for this is something. This ain't just we're just talking and meeting up at the club.

SPEAKER_00 11:46

At third week, uh, I actually took my He knew, see? Yeah, he knew.

SPEAKER_07 11:49

Oh wow Yeah, at third week that was pretty quick.

SPEAKER_00 11:50

Oh wow, because I got her number, um, and then we kind of started kicking it after that. I think we went to this other club over in Addison, or I can't remember. It was like uh it was another club. I can't remember.

SPEAKER_02 12:05

If you tell me what day of the week it was, I'll tell you.

SPEAKER_00 12:08

It was over actually off of Midway. Um it was No, we went to Dukes on Fridays, but that's what happened to the city.

SPEAKER_03 12:14

Oh, I never went to Dukes. I heard about all the stories, but I went to Dukes for Five Pictures. I went more to the Spanish clubs now it's Japan clubs.

SPEAKER_02 12:22

Now it's uh Ventana and uh what is it? It's a hamburger, it's another restaurant, but I miss Dukes. That was what I went uh Fridays. Uh y'all went to either Rapture or Purgatory.

SPEAKER_05 12:36

Oh, Purgatory's a shirt.

SPEAKER_02 12:37

Purgatory and then Saturday. I don't know what y'all did on Saturday. Yeah, I don't Mondays was like, have a nice day for the freestyle battles. Tuesdays was something.

SPEAKER_05 12:46

Yeah, we were we stayed out. I only did Thursday through Sunday. No, we did like every day. I know, like when he met me, he's like, Dang you going out again. Every night, bro.

SPEAKER_02 12:57

We have a schedule, we gotta keep it I only really went with P. We we all we all used to get together and go to the freestyle battles on Monday at Caribbean Girl. Then after that, I didn't see P till the weekend. Yeah. Or till Sunday. Yeah. But they had a schedule lockdown. Have a nice day, cafe.

SPEAKER_05 13:15

Have a nice day, rapture, purgatory first. Purgatory.

SPEAKER_02 13:19

I only went to that like twice.

SPEAKER_00 13:21

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I wasn't a big purgatory guy. I didn't go to any of those clubs.

SPEAKER_03 13:30

No, I was I was 2001, 2009, far west. We went to the Mexican. Yeah, we went 2009.

SPEAKER_02 13:40

That's the infamous 2009 night. We won't get into that, but that was a memorable night for my hair. Sure. Um, so then yeah, y'all getting going. Yeah, we kicked it off. Oh, and you said the third week you started.

SPEAKER_00 13:52

Yeah, the third week we exchanged numbers. I think that the following month, we ended up going, I can't remember the name of that club, might have been Rapture or something like that, but we end up going over there. I bought her a little rose. I had a little 2003 Chevy uh Silverado thing, a little 1500. Yeah, that was playing. Yeah, it was my ride right there. So I scooped her up. First time in Garland. I'm I'm I'm a crooked eye native, man, urban native. So like I got out of my comfort zone, driving over. I actually got lost. I was going to Denton. I was like, man, that's right. Did you not print out MapQuest? Nah, I didn't. My dad taught me at a young age, make sure you follow them signs. He was a truck driver, so I just try to remember, but I actually missed that 635 exit and kept going 35 up north. I had a great moment. It didn't look too familiar, so I swung back around. I went to actually I've gotten Garland, picked her up, met the parents.

SPEAKER_03 14:48

Oh, he met the parents. Wow. Mr.

SPEAKER_00 14:51

Strata, man, RP Gloria. Uh met her, met Mr. Uh Mateo, and uh we ended up kicking it, and then ever since then, just locked in.

SPEAKER_05 15:01

Um yeah, I moved we moved kind of fast. Yeah, yeah, and uh I remember he took me out to dinner to like this nice little restaurant.

SPEAKER_01 15:09

Cuba Libre.

SPEAKER_05 15:10

Yeah, so it's closed now. It's closed now, but I was really excited. My girl P came over, did my hair. Oh, she always helped me out with that.

SPEAKER_01 15:22

Yeah, because my girl Pra guy right there.

SPEAKER_05 15:25

She all into that again. I'm a big town boy, so I couldn't do what she did. And she came over, and uh my mom was like, Oh, where are you going? Like that week before, and she's like, We gotta go to the store, get you a nice dress, blah blah blah. I feel like I was in prom again. She visited her and you're going on a date. Yeah, I was going on a date. And this was like a real, like I would honestly say, like a real first date for me. Like a real, real date. Yeah. So um he, yeah, because say he came, picked me up, and you know, met my parents and um opened the door for me. Closed the door. How old are you?

SPEAKER_00 16:03

I was a gentleman.

SPEAKER_03 16:04

I was I had just turned 21. So I love that your mom was like, let's go shopping for a dress. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 16:10

She was like, let's go, and I'm like, okay, so I was really excited. She was excited for me too. So um, yeah, we got there, opened the door, we got out, just pulled the chair out, just like, you know, gentlemen type stuff. Yeah. I wasn't used to that.

SPEAKER_02 16:27

Yoda. Um's a good game.

SPEAKER_05 16:33

Every now and then, every now and then he'll go and open the door for me.

SPEAKER_00 16:36

You gotta get out of hand a little bit, so it was just raised by the grandparents, the old soul, you know what I mean? Gentlemen.

SPEAKER_05 16:44

Yeah, so it was it was nice. It was really nice.

unknown 16:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 16:47

But yeah, we it to me it we moved, it moved kind of fast. But I mean, you know, we were young, having fun. So live in line.

SPEAKER_00 16:57

Yeah, yeah. I was uh playing college ball at North Lake at the time, and you know, uh, she was going to scholar uh college in uh Richland.

SPEAKER_07 17:05

Richland.

SPEAKER_00 17:06

Thunder Ducks. Thunder Ducks. Thunder Ducks, yeah. I did it once a month. Yeah, it was good times. It was definitely good times. We uh like I said, the uh the cultures came together real quick, you know, um just the black culture next in with the Latina culture, the Latin culture.

SPEAKER_02 17:24

It's funny that you mentioned that because that's what we're gonna talk talk about next. It's a good segue. So, so uh how you know, just for you know, and it and then our area in our region in Texas, it's it's it's a little more common um interracial relationships in other parts of the country, it's still very controversial. So uh being Mexican and being African American, what is it to y'all? One, what does your culture represent for you, and then how does that translate into your relationship?

SPEAKER_00 17:53

Uh for me, um I don't know, I guess more so like definitely proud to be a black man, you know, uh in America. I know we had our struggles coming up, right? But um just being raised by my grandparents, um, you know, very respectful, knowing that, you know, I have something to represent, right? And my mom just kind of taught me, you know, the culture of just being happy. And I never really was like around a lot of uh Hispanics coming up, so like I guess her catching my eye is just like sometimes it's not really about um particular the the culture. I guess it's more of like you know, you really like liking that person. So I learned a lot and I was always open. So um just being uh you know, always with my people and you know, doing the big family reunions and uh having big cookouts and things of that nature, and then like kind of meeting her and you know, kind of going to her family events, um, it kind of opened me and I was like, well shoot, man, pretty much like we are, you know what I'm saying? Like to drink, have a good time, you know, party. Always have got some good food going on.

SPEAKER_03 19:11

Oh yeah, definitely the food. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 19:13

At the beginning when we started like, you know, started going out, he was like, dang, I have a party like every weekend.

SPEAKER_02 19:18

Every week. Every day that day that's eleven.

SPEAKER_05 19:21

Yeah, and he's like, and y'all are always eating. I'm like, yeah, pretty much. Yeah, that's okay. Pretty much.

SPEAKER_00 19:26

Just I mean, that's so, you know what I mean? Like, you know, I think with the blacks and the Hispanics, you know, we got culture. I mean, we got we got like we got good vibes. Everybody has really good vibes. Um, you know, we like music, we like food, we like we like flavor, you know what I mean? So the flavor part, yeah. Yeah, for sure. Guys too, that's a must. You know what I'm saying? So I added the sass on to my to my uh to my little cooking now. So you know what I mean? Like, but I mean overall, like, I mean, I think that you know, just looking at both cultures, I think we have so much in common.

SPEAKER_02 20:00

Yeah, so would y'all say that y'all had things that blended in, like now that you adapted the other cultures? Like you mentioned, you now you put something salt on your food, but like like legit you probably took something, infused it with something that you already did or based on.

SPEAKER_00 20:14

Yeah, yeah. I mean, you know, I'm basic salt and pepper, uh salt and pepper and and and uh uh garlic person, you know. So when I mix that in, and then like I said, you gotta have the color, you gotta have the flavor in there, right? When you cook your food. So having that little um and then her pop, you know, he he likes to get in the kitchen, so I learned a lot from him. Like using I really wasn't a big onion person, yeah. And putting the onion in there, you know, with the food and stuff like that.

SPEAKER_05 20:41

Uh aguacate, he didn't like awakate at first. He didn't even like the texture or nothing, and now it's like I have to have it. So we have avocados at home all the time, and yeah.

SPEAKER_02 20:53

Is there something that you that you're done to that you took on that you you maybe gained from like Tori's side of the family or his family?

SPEAKER_05 21:00

Um I mean, like you said, we're pretty much the same. So um, I mean, I I've never had soul food and man, his mama could throw down, especially the catfish. That's like the first time I have ever tasted catfish. Fish, period. Because we weren't we didn't eat fish at home. Yeah, nomadlongjongs. And um, but when I met him, I I knew like what soul food was and I mean it was so good. It was you know, having soul food and then going and having fajitas and arroz and fricoles, I mean, it was it's just so yummy. It's so good.

SPEAKER_00 21:43

Yeah, like they used to get out in the kitchen. Yeah, and that's also another thing. Like, you know, we ate traditional, you know, soul food, you know what I mean? The candy arms, the greens, the you know, the cabbage, right? The smothered pork chops, things of that nature. You making me hungry. I know. I mean it was good. It was good, right? And then I I'm eating V and then, you know, you know, I'm seeing more of like the fajitas and you know the Dalitas and But did you eat the Menudo? Nah, I ain't messing with Manudo, man. Yeah, yeah, man.

SPEAKER_02 22:14

It's an acquired taste, but it is something. Look, there's a lot of Mexican food that I didn't eat till I was older too, just because I didn't want onions or I didn't want vegetables or you know weird like menudo. I didn't have it until I was old enough to drink because I needed it. And then it went over, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:30

Yeah, pasola was always good, but like tamales. Yep. Like sure. Yeah, pasola is a must. Um, I just I just never, like I said, they used to always kind of like try to throw it in there. Oh, eat this, eat this tour, it's good. Let's try it. What did I try to get in there?

SPEAKER_02 22:45

And we're just saying we got we got like three pies and yeah, yeah. Y'all got chitlins. Yeah, the chitlins.

SPEAKER_05 22:50

I remember that first time I walked in his house and his mom had cooked. I was like, what does that smell? I was like, it smells so bad. And his mom was in there, she's like, You want to try some? And I'm like, No, I'm good. She's like, You put a little, was it vinegar or something?

SPEAKER_01 23:09

Vinegar, a little hot sauce on it.

SPEAKER_05 23:10

Yeah, and I'm like, No, ma'am, I'm I'm good. You haven't had any? No. You've never tried it? No, I've never tried it.

SPEAKER_00 23:16

She had that hot water cornbread, famous hot water cornbread my mom used to make. Yeah, hot water cornbread. She used to have the sick on some cornbread, bro.

SPEAKER_03 23:26

I remember when the kids were little, they went to a daycare, and it was mostly um their teachers were black. It was a black church that they went to. And they would come home, they're like, Yeah, I ate some cornbread and some greens. It was so good, mom. I was like, okay. So from a really young age, that's what they were eating. Yeah, it's just that ain't no joke.

SPEAKER_01 23:47

Nah, that's a real deal. It's a real deal.

unknown 23:50

I love it.

SPEAKER_02 23:52

And then, I mean, I just uh us knowing you, I know you you learned a lot of Spanish. Uh Paquito, man.

SPEAKER_00 24:00

I know I I can say, you know, uh, how you doing, you know, good morning, stuff like that. But you understand a lot more. Yeah, yeah, I definitely understand. Um, and like I said, I kind of embrace that. Like I said, I'm an outgoing person. I like to talk, I like to, you know, uh, you know, just be happy, you know what I'm saying? And like, you know, I get around, you know, I get around the culture and stuff like that.

SPEAKER_03 24:20

Tori is like the coolest dude ever. Like, he's super calm. Like, yeah, even with Medal, like when we get together and we're drinking and acting all crazy, he's like, Come on, it's time to come home. Like, yeah. I did see him like raise his voice once, but it was just like, y'all leave that girl, you leave that boy alone because we're messing with Ugo. And I was like, Okay, Tori Rose's voice, let's stop. Because he's usually like real cool, comment just yeah.

SPEAKER_00 24:48

I look out for my boy Ugo, man. We got some time. I know, man.

SPEAKER_02 24:53

I'll let you sleep, you let me sleep. About that time. But I I will say my mom always remembers uh the first time she saw Tori. I don't know where we were at. Where the uh as a at a quinte or a party or something, he's like, he dances so good. He's been around us for I don't know how long, but he didn't like you know, you know, come on, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 25:15

He dances better than I'll tell everybody he dances better than me. So it's that rhythm, that natural rhythm. It's natural. I just don't have that.

SPEAKER_01 25:22

And you don't I taught her a little song, maybe they have two left.

SPEAKER_00 25:27

You got your husband teaching you pumia.

SPEAKER_05 25:29

I guess, yes, I know.

SPEAKER_00 25:32

Yeah, and then my boy Ugo used to say, you know, I got the Dominican and the Puerto Rican or whatever.

SPEAKER_02 25:37

I still say it if we have a don't like a like kind of original winning, huh?

SPEAKER_01 25:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 25:45

So I know we're here in Texas, Dallas, and Dallas is pretty, you know, common for interracial couples. Have y'all ever been in an area where y'all felt judged being an interracial couple? Have y'all ever dealt with that before? Yes, we have.

SPEAKER_05 26:00

We have actually here. Um, this was a couple years uh back. We we had we were just finished uh a baseball tournament that that day with our son, and we went to El Rancho right here, right on the first street. And um it was I was actually I was with Tori and then one of our other friends who you know happens to be black too, and there was a guy there, he was drunk, and you know, he told me he's like, you know, in Spanish, he's like, Oh, you know, you think you're the shit because you know you're with two, and he goes, Negros, and I was like, What the hell? Like, who are you? And um there was another couple that was with us and they were Hispanic, and that guy just kept like saying stuff, you know, walking around the store just saying stuff to me, and and Tori was like, What is he saying? I'm like, Don't worry about it, you know, it's fine, don't just ignore him. And he's like, No, no, no, what is he saying? I was like, I'll tell you when we get outside. Yeah. So he get that guy gets in his truck, comes around where we are, and he's still talking mess. And then him and our friend was they were like, you know, what is he saying? And then I told them. So, you know, like all three of the guys were like, you know, running up to him, like, you know, you know, leave her alone, you know, whatever. So I mean, that was that that that was kind of scary, you know, because when we got in the he was actually waiting for us, we got in the car and he followed us. And I was like, that was unnecessary. Yeah, you know, and I mean we've younger when we were younger and we had our our son, I mean, we would go to the store and people would would look at us, but I mean, it is what it is. Uh at the end of the day, you know, we know that we love each other, and I mean that's all that matters. And like you said, now it's I think it's more acceptable, you know, people are more open. So, but yeah, we we had our we had our moments.

SPEAKER_00 27:49

Pioneers of it.

SPEAKER_05 27:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 27:51

How about on your side, Tori?

SPEAKER_00 27:53

Did you ever like family or friends? Yeah, my family, you know, they wanted me to be with the you know the black girl. Yeah, you know what I mean. But like again, I just like I said, I gravitated to that culture, I like the culture. It wasn't nothing against mine. I mean, it was just, you know, I met V, we hit it off, and you know what I'm saying? I liked I like the way she represented her culture, and you know, she took me open, uh took took me in with open arms. Um, but I mean, you know, of course, you know, I had people uh why you with her, why you know blah blah blah, but you know, love, love, hey, love is love, yeah. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_05 28:27

So Yeah, and in the same, I mean, I had some family members that were like, you know, why, you know, are you dating somebody you should be saying to somebody your own race? And you know, I did talk to my mom, you know, when she was you know still here with us, and she was like, you know what, at the end of the day, you know, you love who you love, and and as long as you know your father and I are fine with it, then you know, ignore the other noise. And I was like, Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 28:51

Do y'all think there's a different stigma when it's like um like let's say a Mexican girl and a black guy or a black guy or a black girl and a Mexican what when it's a white person? I think it's like like do you think it's less scrutiny? Unfortunately, there is I just just just thinking about it, like I don't I don't remember like because I know we all have those old old family members that are like anybody that's outside the race is like what? But you don't really hear that when it's someone that's white.

SPEAKER_03 29:14

Like it's like well, because of the skin color, because there's a lot of um colorism um in the Mexican community, the Latino community, even with their own, like you know, if you're darker complexed, you get colorism. So it it's taking a while for for us to get out of that. I used to think, like when I was younger, like, oh, I hate my skin because I was brown. Now I love it. I'll stay in the sun all day. I don't care. Like I love my brown skin, and before I was like, because of the colorism that we grow up with. And I know in the black culture too, it's like they check the ears, make sure they're like conflicted.

SPEAKER_02 29:53

You're not that light skin, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. But yeah, I that's one thing I've heard. Like, even like, well, uh not that not to put it anymore, but like I have nieces and nephews that are also biracial, and that's the first like let's see what their skin tells me. Like look at their nails, or like like the little skin above the ears. I'm like, we got look at the so sad. Come out, caramel, it's gonna be okay.

SPEAKER_03 30:17

You know what?

SPEAKER_05 30:17

I never this is the first time I ever hear about that.

SPEAKER_03 30:19

Yeah, about it. I've never I've I've always heard about it. Like the colorism was real with my family, and because like my mom's side, they're all light-complexed, even my dad's my dad's really dark. Um, and even his family, like they all married like really light-complexed, you know, women and stuff like that. And I'm just like, it's sad because it's like now I make it a point, like, you know, brown is beautiful, we're gonna, you know, embrace that.

SPEAKER_02 30:46

There is my mom, her side is very light-skinned, fair-complexed, and my dad's completely opposite. And then my brother and my sister and I all know different shades of brown. So good. But yeah, there's there was that uh, I don't know, I guess I don't know if it was someone that was with us or someone that came by to visit the babies, and like, oh, you can see because my mom was like, I wonder how how what their skin tone's gonna be, because my doc my brother, like I said, my my brother's darker than I am, darker skinned Mexican, and I'm way when our other side is lighter, so that my mom was like, I just wasn't wondering what someone, I don't remember who mentioned it. I might have been my their baby mom, their their their mom could have said it, or someone else said it. Like, look at their the like the skin right above the the nail. And when their baby that that gives you the telltale sign of like what it's gonna be. I don't know if it's true. I don't I don't remember looking at it, but yeah, I'm right now.

SPEAKER_05 31:39

Yeah, someone over here about that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 31:41

Well, okay, try have another one and we can we're gonna love it.

SPEAKER_07 31:46

We can take the series.

SPEAKER_02 31:48

We good. I can't start.

SPEAKER_03 31:55

So is there any stereotypes that y'all have heard, like that you've heard about black people that you've heard about Mexicans that y'all have to confront and defend, kind of like no, that ain't true.

SPEAKER_05 32:08

We've always heard it that black people are lazy. That is not true at all. That is not true. Right, right.

SPEAKER_02 32:17

Like for real.

SPEAKER_05 32:17

Yeah, and and and really it's and truly it's not. I mean, you know, Dory gets up, goes to work, very hard work to me.

SPEAKER_02 32:24

Oh, early too, huh?

SPEAKER_00 32:25

Yeah, 5 a.m. Start time. Start time at 5, that's crazy. Yeah, so it's like four o'clock, you know, get up, try to get it in. But you know, when I do it, I do it for my family. Yeah, um, it pushes me, you know what I'm saying, throughout the week, you know, because it's always things we go through, right? At work and stuff like that. But I think about my family, so it always gets me through.

SPEAKER_05 32:44

Yeah, I mean, and besides him working, he also coaches um, you know, a youth baseball team. On detailing. Oh, and then he does detail. Yards. Yard work yesterday after a long day of work. I mean, in and it is, it's it's not true. I mean, I mean, there's there's laziness in every culture, let's be honest.

SPEAKER_03 33:04

Yeah, but to to just put a blanket statement to one culture, it's disgusting. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 33:10

Have you heard any did you have to defend anything on the Mexican side or the Hispanic side?

SPEAKER_00 33:14

I mean, honestly, the respect um from the Hispanic culture, you know what I'm saying? Like the hardworking, I mean, because like so they're doing jobs that a lot of people ain't gonna do, right? Um, and then the unity that they have, you know, you might see like five or six of them staying in the same house with everybody working together. Yeah, uh respect out of them 100%. Um, so I mean I always try to definitely defend them in a good way because like I say, I don't see anything wrong with you know trying to better yourself, better, you know, the people around them. You know, just learning from them. Like I wish, you know, my culture would be able to do that, like see what you know their their end goal is, right? Um and just kind of like work together and try to have more than what you know the average person has. So, you know, everybody, every everybody on the team eat, you know, yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_03 34:03

So um as far as gender roles, like I know the Mexican community, like it's like the woman's in the kitchen, the man's outside. How does that differ from like your culture? Like, or is it the same? Like, how are gender roles in your your own cultures?

SPEAKER_05 34:21

So, I mean co culturally, you know, that's pretty much it, right? But in our relationship, it's not like that at all. Like, Tori cooks. Um, I rarely get in the kitchen and cook. Um, he's the one cooking, I'm usually the one washing the dishes as he's finishing up, and um, I mean he cleans, and you know, his like he said, his grandma raised him. So, you know, um her house was spotless. So he brought that over, and I think it made me, you know, like, okay, I need to, you know, tighten up on some things. Yeah. So um, you know, cleaning, he helps clean. Uh, I mean, it's it's it's our our relationship, I would say it's it's different. It's it's the gender switch, I guess, too.

SPEAKER_00 35:06

She got a good one.

SPEAKER_05 35:07

Yeah. She says it all the time, sorry.

SPEAKER_03 35:10

She really does.

SPEAKER_02 35:11

Do you think that's a generational thing? You think our generations kind of swap those?

SPEAKER_03 35:15

Yeah, because like Josh is like 100-100, that's how it works in our house too. Like, yeah, and like with the kids, like everything. I know too, like all like everything afraid of like all of them. They're all right.

SPEAKER_02 35:30

Pete, don't get mad, it's taking it in the trash. That's my thing. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 35:34

I don't do that.

SPEAKER_02 35:34

Yeah, I really know 100 and 100.

unknown 35:38

100.

SPEAKER_02 35:40

Every now and then you'll see me take out the people take it out, people take it out if I'll get if I forget or I got lazy or didn't do it, or she has to nag on me. Or just like but if I see her take it out, then I was like, damn, I knew I should have taken it out.

SPEAKER_05 35:52

Lately I've been just taking it out because I need a little breather. But uh I'll take out the trash. I'll go get the bell, I'll do it, I'll do it. Just leave it there. But uh, but yeah, other than that, I mean it's yeah, I think it is a generational theme. Yeah, probably.

SPEAKER_00 36:08

But I will say for for for me, it's more of the I guess the uh the schedule. Because like V, she gets off later in the day, right? I get off early, so I'm able to come home, you know, pick up Kaylani, cook dinner, try to have that rate. Because, you know, our son, he's 18 now, so you know, when he was younger, we had a busy schedule, you know, baseball, always on the go for tournaments. I would try to, you know, get it.

SPEAKER_02 36:35

Yeah, for a long time we couldn't get to any weekend. It was like, uh, tournament again.

SPEAKER_03 36:40

Yeah, baseball during baseball season.

SPEAKER_05 36:42

We never saw that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Do that.

SPEAKER_00 36:46

We unavailable at the time. But yeah, just kind of like always being being, I guess, the first one to get off and stuff like that. And then, of course, you know, again, touching on what you know, raised by the grandparents, uh, mom used to always get in the kitchen and cook, so I learned from her. But recently I have learned that um V does have a little skill in the kitchen. Uh she's just pretending. Yeah, she just wanna cook it.

SPEAKER_05 37:08

Yeah, I was like, oh Tori got it. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 37:11

She do her thing, you know. Does he make Mexican dishes?

SPEAKER_05 37:15

Uh yeah, yeah, he does. Yeah, pajitas, tablitas. I mean, he he's honestly like if if we're having like a little cookout, you know, my pops will buy like meat and he already knows. Dila Tori can look que se vaya fuera, you know, calendar la la la carne, and I'm like, okay.

SPEAKER_07 37:31

Talk to him.

SPEAKER_03 37:32

We need to have Vedel do some soul food, you need to go down. Oh, I don't know about that. I don't know about that.

SPEAKER_00 37:37

Her main dish is that chicken chetadina. She she she's nice with that chicken chetch bean. She do that.

SPEAKER_05 37:42

Yeah, but and rice, I got I got rice down.

SPEAKER_02 37:47

I can't. I'm I I want to learn how to make rice. I just I can't. I'm with you on that.

SPEAKER_03 37:51

I got I got my rice down. It took me years. No, yeah, rice is a thing.

SPEAKER_02 37:54

Like, if you once you get it, you get it, but like I'm always like, no disrespect to nobody, but my mom's rice is like, oh man, it's my favorite, it's my favorite. I think everyone just grew up learning that. And then we went to a restaurant in taxi, and that rice is pretty damn close to my mom. Like, this is like just give me a whole bowl of this. Like, I don't want anything else. I just want this rice. But rice is hard, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 38:15

Yeah, but I mean I got that down, I think. Love it. So, but yeah, you know, he's like, okay, now I know you can cook. Yeah, yeah. I mean, I've been knowing, but you know, I didn't have to because you know, you were always in them. I didn't want to get in your way. Yeah, I didn't want to get in your way.

SPEAKER_02 38:31

Men are probably better cooks. Some of the best shits in the world are men.

SPEAKER_03 38:36

I guess I'll I'll say yeah, because I don't want to be in the kitchen trying to cook.

SPEAKER_00 38:41

I love to cook. I don't know. I got a passion for it though, yeah. 100%.

SPEAKER_02 38:46

I like to cook and I love, especially the catchy at the end of what I did wrong or what I added too much. I love it. It's my favorite part. Because then I learned, then I learned. It's a lesson. That's not true. There's a lesson in it, like, oh, it's a little bit too much.

SPEAKER_07 38:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 39:00

Yeah, we we've we've said that.

SPEAKER_00 39:01

I got some critics, definitely. Uh Vegan Cam, you know, ah, too salty, or you know, you overseas and it's like, too much, too.

SPEAKER_02 39:07

Maddie thinks everything is too salty, bro. The day Maddie says it's perfect on song is the day I it rains because everything she thinks everything is salty, bro.

SPEAKER_00 39:15

I agree you on that. Yeah, it's just, you know, I guess like I say again, I enjoy doing it. Um, but like lately I've been on the um I've been on the the uh the avocado uh cut up with the the cotilla cheese and uh you know throw a little hot sauce on that thing. I just eat it like that. I actually ate some rice the other day with the cotilla cheese and the uh little avocado cheese.

SPEAKER_02 39:37

Bro, rice by itself with some cheese. Oh man, yeah, I don't know what it is, but it'll put you up to every tongue. Yeah. When how things are going around the world right now, we might be eating a lot of rice.

SPEAKER_03 39:46

Oh yeah, and beans.

SPEAKER_02 39:47

And beans. I'm okay.

SPEAKER_03 39:48

Like I said, I could eat fideo and beans every day.

SPEAKER_02 39:51

Oh, I don't know about it. Bro, but we ate it so much that I'm burnt down on it. Like it could be it every other soap is the same. It's a just different cut, it's a different letter or um the elbow, elbow or alphabet or little stars. 100%. Bro, but I can't. I the fiddle was just something about it. It's a s it tastes the same, it's the same noodle, yeah. It's just cutting it, it's just something about it. But it don't get me wrong, it I'll eat it. It's good. I like it, but I like a little cagula with some the tortilla. Oh man.

SPEAKER_03 40:24

I know we could talk about food.

SPEAKER_02 40:25

Um, a food episode. A food episode.

SPEAKER_03 40:30

So anything that y'all had to unlearn, like going into like meeting him, his family, the culture, is there anything you had to unlearn that you had like this is how they are, or this is what their culture does, and but something that you had to unlearn that you thought, but then when you really met them and like blended in, like, is there anything?

SPEAKER_05 40:51

Um that's a tough one.

SPEAKER_00 40:54

My mom. Oh black mothers. They don't hold back on what they what they like to say.

SPEAKER_03 41:03

I mean so you weren't you said that you're just taking aback? Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 41:11

I guess maybe she she meant it in a in you know in a in a in a good way, you know. But I mean that's just that was just her. Yeah. You know, so I didn't try to take it to heart. Yeah. But um but um yeah, I g I guess I guess that. I mean there's um I really can't think of anything, honestly. I mean, because I mean once I met his family, it was kind of like um I I kind of felt like our family is a little bit closer, and also like I have brothers. Yeah, you know, and and he didn't have any, you know, he doesn't have any siblings.

SPEAKER_06 41:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 41:50

So, you know, it was always, you know, with my mom helping her with my brothers and all that. And I he didn't really have that experience. So um, other than that, I mean nothing.

SPEAKER_03 42:06

Anything that you had to unlearn before you coming in?

SPEAKER_00 42:22

I guess I think I think that was parents. I guess I wasn't putting the pressure on her, like trying to be, I guess, as a relationship guy at the time. So they uh they pulled me to the side. I wasn't expecting it, but you know, it was a it was a tough talk, but it was a much needed talk. So, you know, um my parents were kind of laid back, but you know, they weren't really on me like that. So, you know, kind of bringing me in and sitting me down, you know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_02 42:58

It was that's really nice, bro. My mom will allow my ass all the time about something.

SPEAKER_00 43:02

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 43:03

I mean, especially with the relationship, like you better not pick this one up.

SPEAKER_00 43:08

Yeah, yeah, I got you. It was I would I would guess yeah.

SPEAKER_03 43:11

I mean Well, I'm glad that they they felt comfortable enough with you to do that, you know what I'm saying? Like, that's they saw you like a son, that's probably why they're like, come on. Yeah, yeah. You know, you can you can do this, come on.

SPEAKER_02 43:23

Because there'll be a day when little friend brings someone home and you're not gonna be like, hold up, let's go outside real quick, let's take a walk. No, we're gonna make that walk.

SPEAKER_03 43:32

We'll be right back while he's cleaning his guns. Alright. So I know y'all have been through some tough, tough stuff in your relationship. Um, how have y'all learned to support each other through through the the experiences that y'all have had?

SPEAKER_05 43:49

Um, you know, talking it out, um, really being there for each other, asking each other, you know, how are you feeling today? How are you doing? Um, do you need You know and as you know you guys know, I mean Tori just recently lost his mom. Um that was tough. Um like I've I've uh like you said Tori's real calm, right? Calm person and and to see, you know, and and I and I get it, you know, I've also lost my mom and I you know I I remember the way you know I was acting and just to see him like that, it really hurt me.

SPEAKER_06 44:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 44:30

It really really hurt me because I mean we always I always had in the back of my mind like what's gonna happen when his mom is no longer here. Because basically, I mean they were so close and when it happened I didn't even know what to do. You know, all I could do is you know just hug him and and um you know my dad would just tell me, you know, just let him cry, just let him cry it out. So and that's what that's what I did, you know, just let him cry it out and and just try to be supportive, very supportive. Um but yeah, I mean he helped me, you know, also you know, my mom, my grandpa passed away.

SPEAKER_06 45:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 45:07

Just really being there for each other and just checking up on each other. Yeah, and giving each other space when needed, I guess. Yeah, yeah, yeah, and he and he did, you know. And um, I mean when my mom passed away, Cam was young, and you know, he helped um as well as his mom, you know, to watch him because yeah, those first couple of weeks were were really hard.

SPEAKER_06 45:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 45:31

Um, you know, and and he's also really supportive, like with my dad, with my dad now, yeah. Um, you know, making sure, you know, he'll tell me, like, hey, your dad hasn't gone gotten out of the bed today, you know, you check on him. Hey, your dad left the stove on. I don't know how long it's been on, but he left the stove on. You know, we might need to check, you know, check in with you know with him on that. Um, but I mean, he's always like real attentive, you know, and um uh you know, I love him for that.

SPEAKER_00 46:04

So the growth and maturity. Um you know, I guess like I said, we met when we were 21 years old, 20, 21 years old, so we're a baby. Um just seeing um you know V grow and me grow over the time, like things that we've been through, you know, getting each other through it. Um I think um just learning each other more so of uh of anything, right? Um because I told her, like, say once we once we're together, once we get married, you know, it ain't no divorce, you know.

SPEAKER_05 46:36

You did tell me that and I was like, you're like that. I was like, at first they wanted to, but I don't know now.

SPEAKER_00 46:43

Yeah, just learning. I'm I'm I mean I'd be on TikTok and stuff, you know. You see little, you know, little um Oh, by the way, he loves TikTok. Yeah, I'd be on the side, you know what I'm saying. You know what I'm saying? Like you learn and you see stuff people post, other couples, you know, you learn from them and stuff, but like just having patience too. Um, times times do get where you know you might get in each other's face or you know, whatever the case is, but just learning how to like take a breath, you know, relax, and then you know, uh talk it out. Communication. Communication.

SPEAKER_03 47:14

So you get to see the other side of Vettel that she said, because supposedly she said she's very different than what we see. Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_00 47:24

That's that that's that that's that spicy Latina that's a different animal.

SPEAKER_05 47:30

I'm like, no way, it's just like a story. Yeah, a story. I'm not like this all the time.

SPEAKER_02 47:36

And both so calm in public, like can we?

SPEAKER_05 47:38

Yeah, they're like yeah, in the car, we had just finished duking it out, we can't come up the car.

SPEAKER_02 47:44

Like, okay. I think that's all of us.

SPEAKER_00 47:47

It is, it is. That's true. Yeah, just learning each other again. Like I said, I think that you know, we've been through a lot, and so you know, just being able to be there for each other for sure.

SPEAKER_03 47:56

And y'all have some heavy stuff that y'all been through together.

SPEAKER_05 48:00

Yeah, and I mean he's my person, so um I can't see myself with anybody else, you know. So and we grew up together, I mean 20, 21.

SPEAKER_02 48:12

You met the parents on the third day today.

SPEAKER_03 48:16

Yeah, yeah. But do y'all ever have like conversations about race, identity, social? I know, especially having Cam, who is Afro-Latino, like raising him and how the how the environment is right now. Do y'all ever have those conversations with each other? Like, this is what we're gonna do, Cam, we need you to do this. Like, do you have those hard conversations with him about culture?

SPEAKER_05 48:41

Um, yeah, I mean, we've had the conversation about you know, um, when the driving, the whole thing when he started driving. You know, if you get pulled over, make sure you open all those windows, follow, you know, what the the officer says, um, um, you know, things like that, you know, make sure that you know you watch your surroundings, make sure you, you know, you know who the the people you hang out with. Um I mean any other things y'all talked about.

SPEAKER_00 49:11

Yeah, just you know, just from a father to a son, you know what I'm saying? Things to do and not to do. Um even though he's you know Afro-Latino, you know, it's still I guess they always say that, you know, the kids what your dad is.

SPEAKER_02 49:25

Yeah, they're gonna always see him. I I'm saying the the bad cops out there are always gonna see him a hundred percent of the black man, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 49:30

Yep, yeah. And so, you know, the way he behaves, the way he carries himself, you know, is a big part of the of the last name, right? Um, and I just try to tell him, you know, uh represent yourself well, but also represent your family well.

SPEAKER_05 49:42

So yeah, we've always that since he was little, you know, the way when you go to someone's house, the way you act is a reflection on us, you know, and your last name. So, you know, make sure that you're always very respectful. Um, so I think I mean I think we did pretty good. I did good.

SPEAKER_02 50:02

We watched Ken Grow Up, yeah. I think he's always when he comes over, he's respectful. Very respectful. Always like making sure he don't just go up there and run and get all the food.

SPEAKER_07 50:10

Like he's always like, like, no, just go make something wrong. Like he's always super respectful.

SPEAKER_00 50:14

So I got to get that for veto.

SPEAKER_05 50:17

Yeah, he's more like me. Yeah, he really is.

SPEAKER_00 50:19

Kelani's more like a little friend's only wow.

SPEAKER_03 50:23

Oh, she's like, oh, they can move. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 50:27

Right, get out of my way.

SPEAKER_03 50:29

She's a little toy.

SPEAKER_02 50:30

So do y'all think is you think there's gonna be anything different? Uh you know, already experiencing having one become an adult to how you were gonna maybe do it differently. Is there anything different you would do with Kaylani? Like things that you learned from raising Cam? Cam.

SPEAKER_03 50:44

Um because y'all were really young raising Cam, and now y'all are more mature, you've learned, so it's different with Kaylani.

SPEAKER_00 50:52

Having patience. Oh, yeah, it's a little girl, bro. That's that's number one right there. I'm learning. I'm learning. I pray for I prayed for my baby, though. I'm not gonna lie, I prayed for um God, you know, granted me, obviously gave it to me. But the girl and the boy are like night and day. Cam and Kaylani are night and day, so just and then they always say the second one's harder too. Yeah, she's showing she's she she's independent, a mind of her own. You know, I love everything about her, uh, but sometimes she can get a little bit.

SPEAKER_05 51:23

She tests our gangster every day. She has spiced on both sides. Yeah, she does. She does, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 51:29

But she didn't get no equal out, so you got both sides. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 51:33

Yeah, and and I think for her, um, maybe doing things different, more like um I would say kind of focus on like with Cam, you know, we were always baseball, baseball, baseball. And like with her, I kind of want to like do something different, you know, try different things. Um things that we didn't get to do with him. Um no softball tournaments.

SPEAKER_02 51:57

Uh we we might we might we might try it though.

SPEAKER_03 52:01

Yeah, you know, Kaylani would be like, uh I don't like this color mom. Yeah, yeah. But we gotta get to beautiful.

SPEAKER_05 52:08

Yeah, yeah. But um I don't know. I mean uh we I I guess maybe just more focused on um you know education for me. Yeah, you know. Um but self-love.

SPEAKER_00 52:25

You know, I mean having a girl, and then like right now in in today's society, it's like uh, you know, it is crazy. So, you know, it's like like I said, the raising cam, it's a lot different than it is now. So I just try to teach her, you know, to love herself, love the skin that she's in, you know, represent herself well. Like, even though she's four, I think girls mature way faster than boys. For sure.

SPEAKER_02 52:47

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 52:48

So she's gonna be a grown teenager by when she's eight. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, 100%. She sees things that I I couldn't even imagine or says things that I couldn't even imagine she says already. So um you'll learn, bro.

SPEAKER_02 52:59

You'll learn that that they'll you'll try to say something and then they come right back and like, man, I can't even say nothing. Like, touche, check mate, you got me. For real. So speaking of uh of family and expanding on that, so can you give us a little bit about you know, now we're at the point where y'all are married? How do your families blend together? I I mean I've I've I've been there, I've seen how the family functions go, they're great, but like can y'all let us know at the beginning, was it anything, any type of thing, like y'all had to introduce families to each other? Was there any funny or odd things? Or how did that go? How did that go about? Like, was there was there was it tougher than you thought it was, or was it easier than you thought it was?

SPEAKER_05 53:38

I think it was pretty easy. I mean, the one that really comes around is his uncle.

SPEAKER_02 53:43

We love Uncle Billy, Uncle Billy, Uncle Billy, man.

SPEAKER_05 53:46

Shout out to Uncle Like Tori, you know, social butterfly. Uncle Billy can't.

SPEAKER_02 53:50

Uncle Billy's been to the house a few times. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Uncle Billy's good people.

SPEAKER_05 53:54

That's my guy. So um, I mean, the few times that we, you know, we we've all like come together. I think we've always had a great time.

SPEAKER_00 54:02

Yeah. Um, for sure. I mean, the bigger like my mom definitely, you know, being my grandma, she old school, you know, I mean, she met Veto and she used to always come over to the house. So, you know, we used to always go out to eat and things of that nature, and then of course Cam was born. So I guess, you know, um her and my mom, her and my mom were were basically, you know, I say best friend.

SPEAKER_07 54:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 54:31

Yeah, and going out to eat with his mom, just a quick story, is is isn't it's experienced. Um I remember this one time we went to Cheddar's, it was just me, her, and Cam. And um, I don't know what she had ordered. I think it was like a steak, yeah, steak. And the chef came out the third time to, you know, have her cut into the steak and asked her, you know, is it good? She looked at him and said, This is not how I wanted the steak. Oh damn. And I was like, oh my gosh. So I, you know, I I don't think she ended up eating.

SPEAKER_00 55:10

I think we just send up, she sent it back.

SPEAKER_05 55:12

Yeah, we we Cam and I ate and then you know, we we left, but it was that wasn't just the only time, there was a couple more times, and I said, I'm never gonna go out to eat with your mom again.

SPEAKER_01 55:25

It was certain certain restaurants we can only go to. Yeah, seriously.

SPEAKER_05 55:29

Yeah, and and she used to pick some fancy ones too, and I would be like, I don't I don't I don't feel comfortable in here, and but she you know, she didn't care, and you know, she sat there and she ate and we had a good time.

SPEAKER_03 55:44

She loved to go out to eat. Was it intimidating like having a black mother-in-law? Because the expectations and like am I ever gonna meet her expectations? Was it intimidating for you?

SPEAKER_05 55:56

At first it was. At first it was, but then um, you know, I got to know her and I mean I mean she was a really nice lady. You know, she was always um, you know, on the Tory about, you know, this or that and um making sure that you know Cam had what he needed and stuff like that. So um, yeah, but I mean, like I said, it it was at first, but after that, after cold.

SPEAKER_02 56:22

Did you have any did you have did you feel like you made any expectations or you felt like you ran into a brick wall or something with with Neto's parents?

SPEAKER_00 56:30

No, I think they were uh they're pretty laid back. I mean, uh like I said, after the little talk we had, you know, I had to walk in. And from there on out, like I said, I I kicked it with her cousins and we had a good uh Oh yeah, all my cousins love Tori.

SPEAKER_05 56:43

Yeah, I think they talked to Tori more than they actually talked to me.

SPEAKER_02 56:48

Did you come in today?

SPEAKER_00 56:49

Yeah, yeah, no, I was laid back though. The parents, I mean Miss Gloria, Mr. Mateo, he was real, real cool, like I said. Uh once they once they knew what I was about and knew I would, you know, what I represented. I mean, I have no issue with that. So they gave you the expectations of what they want. They told me what they wanted and I had to I had to make it happen.

SPEAKER_05 57:07

So yeah, and my brothers, you know, also love Tori and you know, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 57:12

John Big Hoff. But I don't know anyone that doesn't like Tori. I know, yeah, I know. Oh, we all got a few haters. You need some haters. You need some haters. Everyone got a few haters. You gotta have those. Now you can get you some. If you have no one to hate on, like if you got no one to hate on, come get me. So, um, kind of circling back, and like, I mean, you guys are pretty good representation of like how how it could be easy to to blend in and make your cultures work. Is there anything any advice that you could give to someone maybe like, hey, we're we're kind of talking, but we don't know how to approach our families. Maybe they still think about it differently. Is there anything you can share that kind of you from your experience that would make that easier transition or sh you know maybe g pave the way of not being so difficult to bring those so sometimes it can be a touchy subject in some families?

SPEAKER_05 58:06

Yeah, it it can be, but um, you know, like my mom said, you know, you love you love that person and you know you you have to look past the you know the skin color. I it's just a honestly to me it's just a color. I don't I don't sit here and see, you know, you know, Tori for you know for the color of his skin. Yeah, you know, I see him for the person inside. Yeah. So I would always that's how that's my mentality, you know. As long as y'all have each other pretty much, each other's backs, then right, right. And I mean, you know, it's oh it's just how that person makes you feel, yeah. You know, how that person makes you feel, and and um I mean it wasn't hard for me to tell my parents, you know, you know, this is who I'm you know, my my boyfriend or whatever. Um, because my my parents were also very open. Yeah, you know, my my mom had many friends, you know, different cultures. Um my dad, you know, he got along pretty much with anybody too. So it was never of me being afraid to tell them, you know, who I was with. Um because uh like I said, you know, my mom would, you know, she told me that and I was like, okay, well I felt comfortable. Yeah, you know, and that's what you need to like if you're confident in that person and you truly love that person, then I don't be afraid. Yeah, you know, just go after because you just never know what might happen, you know. I mean, we've what 21 years um together. I mean, that's that's a whole lifetime. I mean, sometimes it's even more than some married couples, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 59:43

I mean, so yeah, just this kind of feeding off what V said. I mean, but yeah, I like I mean, like I said, um my biggest thing was I didn't have a lot of I guess family members like for commitment wise, you know, and being there and all that. So um V kind of just like she she was behind me, she stood behind me, and I just needed somebody to ride with me.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:05

Your ride or die.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:06

Yeah, my ride or die. And um, you know, after a while I just knew that, you know what I'm saying, that Latina love was different. Yeah. So, you know, it's got my thing.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:17

Hey, black love's nice too.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:22

But yeah, just you know what I'm saying, like if you know if you if you uh if you're in a relationship, current current relationship or whatever the case is, and you know, something attracts you to that person, you know what I'm saying, and and and you know, you're not minding nobody else, you know, what they're saying or whatever, stick it out, ride with them, you know what I'm saying? Figure it out because uh, you know, that might be your one. Exactly.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:44

I wanted to ask this question about the kids. Like, how are you raising them to identify? Like, are you instilling in them like this is your black heritage, this is your Mexican heritage? Like, how do you go about that? Because your cultures are so vibrant on their own. Yeah but like mixing it together and letting them be proud of both, like how are y'all managing that?

SPEAKER_05 1:01:06

Like, how do y'all um for me it's music-wise? You know, I I always say, Man, I'm Mexican, I I can listen to English and Spanish, you know, so so many, you know, songs and everything. So yeah, with Cam, like he'll listen to rap and you know, RB, but then he'll listen to corridos and you know Tejano music and you know, stuff like that in in in in Spanish. Um, but um it's to me it was more that like I want him to you know know like who Vicente Fernandez is and you know how green is Al Green. He was a Drake fan. But um, you know, and and making sure that um I mean like I told him before, um, I was like, we don't celebrate Cinco de Mayo. So I'm gonna tell you that right now, okay?

SPEAKER_02 1:02:00

Especially when you have French heritage in your life.

SPEAKER_05 1:02:05

So um, yeah, I mean it's it's more it was for me, it was more the music part for me.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:11

So really just taking them like just knowing like where different cities is, you know what I mean? Like we I got an aunt that lives in Oak Cliff, so you know we we go to Oak Cliff a lot, you know. Uh we go to sunny south side, you know, putting them on different foods, yeah, things of that nature, right? Um, but then like say one time he had waves in his head, you know. I know a lot of I love that, you know, they have the different waves, you know, he had to wear the do-rag and stuff of that nature. I mean, he just kind of like he kind of follows behind me, and like I said, I have to set a good example of what I'm what I'm representing, who I am, and so I kind of, you know, just taught him little things along the way of you know, uh what to expect and who he is, you know, from the black culture.

SPEAKER_05 1:02:55

Yeah, no, and I think kind of going back to one of the questions y'all asked about what we would do different. I'm I'm really trying to teach Kalani Spanish. Now with Cam, I mean, I kind of I felt, I felt and I didn't teach him, but but right now he's you know he's taking courses in in college and um you know like who listened to a song, he's like, Wow, what are they saying? So pretty much all the the songs are uh heartbreak or love or something, you know.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:25

It's a Spanish country world.

SPEAKER_05 1:03:26

Yeah, so I think that's the um that's one thing that I I wish I would have you know taught him was you know talking to him in Spanish. He understands it for the most part, but you know, just you know, making sure that he knows you know that that part of it too. So I think I kind of but it is it it is what it is now, but you know, we're trying again.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:48

He will integrate it in both both cultures, you know what I mean? Like he definitely know you know the black side and the Spanish side, like like V said the music side. I mean, he listens to everything. He'll listen to you know rap, uh, you know, Latina music. Definitely on the bad bunny right now. Yeah, yeah, he's jumping on the bad bunny, but a little bit a little bit everything. He's on his country trip too.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:09

So oh yeah, big country boy now.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:11

But so you would say now that he's in Austin, right? Do you think so you would you say Cam's good, like well-rounded in both? Yeah. Oh yeah, oh yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:18

He's like proud, like of both cultures. Oh yeah, I love that.

SPEAKER_05 1:04:20

Yeah, and and I and I heard him one day telling his sister, he was like, you know, we're Mexican and black. You know, we're Mexican and black. And he was like, Oh. She's still learning all this stuff.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:35

She's gonna eat that with cornbread. I just thought about it. I just cornbread or something. I'll eat it out like that. Um so like what would y'all say is like your favorite thing about loving someone from a different culture? Like, is there anything that sticks out that, like, man, I'm glad I got introduced to this, or I'm glad I took part of that, or I'm glad we celebrate this, or I'm glad we're part of that. That that was something maybe new.

SPEAKER_05 1:05:05

I guess maybe like back again to music. You know, Tori put me on Lil' Wayne, uh, young jeezy. What do you think? Um, I mean, that's all we bumped at the sobrato at 1500.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:20

Heard it down the street. Gotta keep the Wayne on deck, gotta keep the Jeezy, the rig ros. I mean, that was that was what we're listening to. But I don't know. I mean, like I said, our cultures are are very familiar, uh very like very much alike, right?

SPEAKER_06 1:05:33

I love that.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:34

But you know, there was a little couple different things that she did that I think just kind of like um I think the Spanish for me, when she be speaking Spanish, you know what I'm saying, it's just kind of like, damn, that my girl. Yeah, what she said. You know what I'm saying? So, I mean, having a having a Hispanic girl that can speak Spanish, I think that's a plus, yeah, you know, definitely. Um, and the Business world and then also just you know everyday life.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:03

Did y'all have anything that was like a culture shock? Like that you didn't just boom and hit you like, oh damn, I didn't know.

SPEAKER_05 1:06:10

Besides that, chinlin' smell right.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:14

That's a pretty big one right there. Yeah, I mean, uh probably uh the goat. I think we went down to uh Theo's house one time and uh they had had that little goat in the pasture. Yeah. Kill that cat right on spot, man, put him in the ground.

SPEAKER_07 1:06:31

I can't do that.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:33

That's what I said. I was like, ah, I gotta it's a little gamey, it tastes too much too gamey for me to go. Oh, you know, yeah, because I cut it off and goat. Yeah, you know what I'm saying? But yeah, I just kind of was a shock because I was like, dang, man, they're like, you know, we're gonna have goat for dinner. I was like, where's it at? It's right there.

SPEAKER_07 1:06:48

That one right there, the one that's looking at you.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:50

Yeah, little goate, man. They went over there, chopped them up, did everything right there, put them in the ground, smoked them for a few hours. I was like, wow, I mean, that's something different for me, but you know, like I said, I embraced that. I I enjoy the uh the Hispanic culture for sure.

SPEAKER_05 1:07:04

Yeah, he had lingua tacos without knowing he had lingua. Oh, that's that's that's that's good though.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:08

If it's cooked right, it's good. Oh, yeah, pop cooked, yeah. He seasoned it and everything. Yeah, yeah. So they're not a sponsor, so it's okay. We can say so this and this isn't just this isn't race-related or anything, but what would you say y'all learned about each other? Like love? What what what have you learned about love through Veto and Veto? What have you learned through love from Tori?

SPEAKER_05 1:07:31

Like, and Tori, he's a very like touchy-filly type of person, and I'm not, you know. So um I'm I'm still trying to get used to it, even now. After 20 years, yes. At first I didn't mind it so much, but now I guess because I'm getting older, and you know, that menopause is coming around the corner. So my patience is really thin, and it's like, it's like, I just got home, give me a minute, you know? But um, I just and when he doesn't do it, I'm like, something did I do something wrong? Is he mad at me? So I think that and and just just the way that he's just like calm and you know, and sometimes, you know, every now and then he'll get a little out of hand, but um but uh you know his calm nature, it just you know kind of calms me down. I love that.

SPEAKER_00 1:08:29

Yeah, I gotta get used to that because she don't like that, like I said, I like the hug, kiss, and she was like, I don't want, you know what I mean? So at first it made me a little angry, and then I was like, well man, she don't love me like that. You know, I know she like when you gotta embrace a person, right? You gotta cuddle and hug and all that. She wasn't with all that at first, so it she she she's starting to grow even you know 21 years later.

SPEAKER_02 1:08:52

But what'd you say you learned would you learn something about love through middle?

SPEAKER_00 1:08:57

Yeah, um patience. Again, I I'll say patience, I learned because you know, I was like kind of rushing, like to rush into things, you know what I mean? Like with her, she just like take a step back, you know, let's just chill for a second, you know what I mean? And so now I'm like not so I guess like I don't know, I guess like putting the pressure on her to make her feel like like she said like earlier, you know, if I don't kiss her, don't hug her or something like that, you know, not I don't love her or whatever, something wrong, but no. Just learning, you know, to give her a space, you know, and uh respect who she is and you know go from there. Yeah, just know who she is.

SPEAKER_02 1:09:42

Yeah, I think I think couples that have been a long together for a long time learn a lot, they grow up. Yeah and then like if I if I were to look at myself now and back then it'd be like who is that nerd? Like that's why but you know I I I uh you know we wouldn't change things, I don't think um would would y'all say there would if I can give you one word to describe the relationship just one word, one word understanding that's better.

SPEAKER_00 1:10:14

Yeah, definitely. Well that's what Bethel's saying. What is it? Whatever Vettel saying. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, same good answer.

SPEAKER_02 1:10:24

Uh I mean it could be the same answer.

SPEAKER_00 1:10:27

Yeah, I mean I like that understanding, just because like so she understands me and I understand her, you know what I mean? Like coming from two backgrounds, two different cultures, you know, um she's one way and I'm another. So we just kind of like understand each other now, you know what I mean? And I know at times before she'd do something and I'd be like kind of upset about it, but you know, I understand that's that's how she is, that's how she was raised, or you know, that's you know who she is.

SPEAKER_05 1:10:54

So and you know, we had her episode about first gen yeah and how you know we were had to grow up a little bit faster. And um, you know, he sees that and um you know he's like man, you know, you do this and you do that, you know, for your dad. And he's like, um, he's like, yeah, I just I just don't know how you you know do do all of it, and just it's it's just natural. I mean, I'm the first, you know, firstborn. On top of that, I'm a girl, a woman, yeah. So but yeah, understanding for me because he has been very understanding.

SPEAKER_02 1:11:30

Was that something different that you think you dealt with? Like first generation wife who's like also plays mother role, who also plays like takes care of her.

SPEAKER_00 1:11:40

At a young age, yeah. Yeah, for sure. I mean, like I said, just being raised by the grandparents. My mom, I mean, she pretty much did everything, you know, around the house and stuff like that. I really, I mean, she taught me how to cook and clean and stuff, but you know, I was it, you know, I mean, I came home, I was I was the the grandbaby. Yeah, I didn't really have to do all that stuff, but like seeing Veto like kind of take charge and you know, doing this for her dad and you know, her brothers and stuff, I'm like, damn, man, like she really a boss, you know what I mean? And and it was kind of like, you know, she had to get a job at like what 14, 15 years old. I was working. Her brothers didn't work, and you know, they had to make sure that you know things were taken care around the house, and I was like, I respect that. That's another thing I think I love about her, is just because you know, she I guess it would maybe been tough back then when she was the way she was raised, but you know, it's starting to show, you know, obviously in our relationship, you know, takes charge of things when what needs to be done. I give her all the she's I call her my my secretary. You know what I'm saying? Make sure everything house manager, yeah, in place.

SPEAKER_02 1:12:45

So that's a charge, bro. You know what I'm saying? So if you guys can go back sitting here today and right before you walked in, the NIFAs are back in the day, what would you tell your younger self when you could tell yourself something?

SPEAKER_05 1:13:04

It don't have to be the night for NIFAs, you can just tell myself like you know, slow down a little bit. I think like I said, we I think we moved quickly, very quickly. Take more time for each other. Um, you know, I think after what like a year and a half that we knew each other, we know I was pregnant with Cam. So I felt like we didn't really get to know each other, we didn't, you know, go out on trips with each other, um, had that experience. Yeah, you know, I I I definitely would would tell my younger self that like you know he's he's your person, you know, but let's take it slow, you know, let's work on each other, but then also on our individual selves, but you know, but also work together as a couple, and you know, and travel. That I've always wanted to travel.

SPEAKER_03 1:13:59

And y'all recently went on a on a on a travel mini vacation, just you two.

SPEAKER_05 1:14:05

And it was just that's the very first time ever, ever. And and it was so nice. It was so so nice. Other than our trip to Oklahoma.

SPEAKER_00 1:14:14

Other than our trip to Oklahoma that we had that was shortly ended, you know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_05 1:14:18

Yeah, we almost got sucked up by a tornado. Oh no.

SPEAKER_00 1:14:22

That was a wild night, bro. I can't believe I forgot all about that.

SPEAKER_07 1:14:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:14:26

But yeah, just like she said, I mean, just kind of taking time to ourselves, you know what I mean? Like to be able to enjoy each other. Um, because you know, for almost 18 years, I mean, it's always been somebody there other than you know, me and V. And you know, we have to we had to grow up, be, you know, be parents and be adults. So, you know, to be able to kind of have that time to ourselves for a little bit longer, I think that would have that would have definitely been a bigger change.

SPEAKER_03 1:14:52

But y'all are still young enough where y'all can can do it. And yeah, Kaylani has a lot of sitters now. Right, for sure.

SPEAKER_01 1:15:01

Shout out to the baby showers.

SPEAKER_02 1:15:06

Y'all have any last words?

SPEAKER_05 1:15:10

Um no, I mean just um, you know, if you're listening to this and like we already, you know, you already asked us the question, and you know, if you're stuck in a situation where, you know, the parents might not agree with the person you're with, um, you know, just kill all that noise and just take the leap, you know. Because I mean, our relationship is not perfect, but um, I mean, we love each other a lot, you know. And Tori's like sometimes. And you know, and and we and we have a lot of fun, you know. Yeah, you know, we we roast each other. Tori taught me how to roast.

SPEAKER_00 1:15:50

That's something I yeah, that's something I ain't bringing up in the in the segment, but yeah, this roasting, you know what I'm saying? That's something she kind of learned through the culture is is is roasting. Because I used to roast. I tell her, you know, she probably have a you know, a baking bit head or something like that. I come back.

SPEAKER_05 1:16:07

So it took me a little while. It took me a little while, but you know you get them back in like damn. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. Sometimes I've left him, you know, on silent mode and he just walks away. He's like, damn. Yeah, but um, yeah, just just take the leap and you just never know what's gonna happen. And you know, we've been our through our ups and downs, but um, you know, we still have a lot, a lot to look forward to. Yeah. I love that.

SPEAKER_00 1:16:34

Yeah, well love who you love. Um and then embrace the culture. It doesn't necessarily have to be the Hispanic culture, the black culture, but like I think that you know, whoever you are, if you're learning something or you want to learn something about somebody else's culture, do it. You know what I mean? Don't don't let the people you know in the background, you know, guide you away from that, you know what I mean? Because, like I say, you never know who you're gonna love. You don't have to necessarily have to be the same person of your race. Um, but I think that, you know, me adventuring out and and you know, finding V, I think I've learned a lot and I want to learn more.

SPEAKER_03 1:17:07

Um and I think Tori's more Mexican than you are. Yeah, sometimes I think the same. I get that.

unknown 1:17:12

I get that.

SPEAKER_07 1:17:13

I don't like the uh the Blue Rag and Boots. You know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_00 1:17:17

I'm bored, I'm bored. Race the culture. I I love I love the Hispanic culture, I love my black culture, I love my black people, man. I just like I said, I tell you, I know sometimes, you know, you know, black people might say something bad about the Mexican people, same as the vice versa, you know what I mean.

SPEAKER_03 1:17:32

I always say like we would be so much stronger together. Like if we just united, because we're we're so much the same. Like some of my best friends, you know what I mean? And it's like we're so much the same. We grew up so much alike. If we just took out the animosity, like we would be so powerful together.

SPEAKER_02 1:17:51

Like if we just yeah, I think in Texas, I think we especially in like in the music scene, like we we blend pretty well. Yeah, yeah, like we support each other with like our music, but we need to expand that outside of music and it's and it's we could do so much more. And there's a lot that goes on now, like working together, like there it's a like and especially here in the South, like in tech, like we embrace each other. We we grew up on the same streets, we same neighborhood, same schools, we learn everybody's culture, but it's the outer area that need to work, like they gotta embrace it, bro. You're missing out on a lot of beautiful things when you don't embrace other people's culture.

SPEAKER_03 1:18:29

Exactly, and that goes for every culture, every couple of like every culture is beautiful and they have their own things. And at the end of the day, we're the same. We love, we party, we you know, we drink, we yeah, we eat.

SPEAKER_07 1:18:43

We can eat yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:18:45

Shout out to my boy Ugo. I know the segment was about me and V, you know, I'm black in uh Hispanic relationship, but my boy Ugo, man, who's always been open arms, real dope to bring from day one, man. I mean, like you meet people like him, and then you start to understand the culture, you know, and who they are and what they represent. Um, Texas raised, born Dallas born, raised, man. We we connect on a lot of music stuff too, man.

SPEAKER_02 1:19:08

Yeah, for sure. We jamming that G Z in the Super Bowl. You know what I'm talking about. But it is nice, like I said, like when I grew up, I was on my street, I was one of the few Hispanic families. There was only four on my street in one white family. So like I I like my parents, like they knew I listened to hip-hop like at eight years old. Like, what are you listening to? And what did they say? What is that? I was like, that's just what I like. So it's it's that's just around me. I mean, and I I will say, I don't think Priscilla, she mentioned it a few times. I probably listened more to hip-hop and like rap and all that before I listened to more Mexican music, and then she's like, I didn't even know you listened to Mexican music. I mean, that's what I know, bro.

SPEAKER_00 1:19:52

That's what I know. Yeah, I can dig it.

SPEAKER_03 1:19:54

No, I think y'all are beautiful, like your relationship, like I really admire it, just especially like what y'all been through together. It's I admire it. We see y'all, and we I yeah, I I skipped out a little bit, but I saw the beginnings, and then I got to come at the end when y'all got married, and just the love that y'all have for each other, your beautiful kids.

SPEAKER_04 1:20:13

Thank you.

SPEAKER_03 1:20:14

Y'all are making it work, and I just love that how open y'all are to each other's cultures, and I think that's what makes it ultimately work is how open you are to each other and that each other is at the same level. Your cultures are at the same level, y'all have the same respect for each other.

SPEAKER_04 1:20:29

Yeah, yeah, we make it work. Yeah, we blended it very well. I I think.

SPEAKER_00 1:20:33

That's my dog right there. Yeah, somebody got something to say, holler at me. All his haters. So thank y'all, thank y'all for for hosting us. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:20:46

No, I'm glad that y'all said yes. I think it needs to people need to hear this. This is a beautiful love story, and and I think people need to see themselves, you know.

unknown 1:20:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:20:58

I want to put this out there. If anybody wanna sponsor a kickback, good music, we got wings. T Dog's been talking about this. We have a passion of mine. Like, I want to be able to play old school 2000s, 90s music, hit party music on it.

SPEAKER_03 1:21:12

You're gonna have to put some L Green, I'm sorry. L Green and everything. We're doing everything. Teddy Pentagon, yeah, black culture, Hispanic culture.

SPEAKER_00 1:21:20

I want to mix it up. I love it. Anybody want to rent out a spot or have a spot open? Holler.

SPEAKER_02 1:21:26

We'll be we'll be pushing with the invite. Make sure you cool because you want to do it.

SPEAKER_00 1:21:29

No haters allowed. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:21:33

So Tori Meadow's story is a reminder that love doesn't erase our differences. It honors them. Interracial relationships aren't about ignoring culture or identity, they're about embracing it, learning from it, and choosing each other through it all. Thank you for tuning in to this episode of Gafisito on Chaos. Um, if this conversation resonated with you, share it with someone who believes in love and goes beyond that goes beyond borders. Make sure you tell your friends about us. And um I think our our last episode's coming up, so y'all won't want to miss that one. And we're gonna take some time off in the summer that we'll be back.

SPEAKER_02 1:22:09

Season break. Season break. We with the clip hanger ready to subscribe season two. Y'all thank you. But yes, please share, subscribe, put it out there, make someone listen to it. Let me know if someone else knews listen to it. Like this is this is something that people need, especially at times like this. And and just a tangent off the side before we close out. Everybody hold your head up. I know things are getting tough, and it's gonna get rough. Yeah, but together, if we work together and we embrace each other, we can get through anything. Yeah, no one's gonna hold us down.

SPEAKER_03 1:22:40

Or tougher together, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:22:42

Absolutely. Work together, open your eyes, and if you don't feel like it, just try it and you'll realize what you've been missing on. But everyone hold your head up, stay strong, we'll we'll get through it.

SPEAKER_03 1:22:52

Exactly. Y'all want to sign us off? Yes, so keep your cafecito close.

SPEAKER_02 1:23:01

Remember, surviving your childhood doesn't make you crazy. It makes you a legend.