RE: [ranchos] Ojos Tapatios

["Janet V. Iglesias" <reynavaleria@...>]

Hi Rosalinda:

 

"Ojos Tapatios" is a great complement. I've been always told the same thing & yes my family is from Jalisco. It is suppose to mean that you have very large beautiful eyes. The woman from Jalisco are known to have the large eyes (it's a trademark). . . and I don't know why but it tends to be true if you have "Ojos Tapatios" you must descend from Jalisco.

 

 

~Janet

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From: ranchos@yahoogroups.com [mailto:ranchos@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of lareina2@...
Sent: Wednesday, January 04, 2006 10:40 PM
To: ranchos@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [ranchos] Ojos Tapatios

Hi folks,

 

Within a month's time, I have heard two people mention this phrase about my eyes.  I have never heard this description before, so to hear it twice in a month was surprising.

 

In this first instance, I was at a mall cafe waiting for my sandwich when the sandwich maker asked me in Spanish if I was from Guadalajara, since I had "ojos tapatios".  I told him no, and after he shook his head, I did admit that my family was from Jalisco (my grandma was born in Totatiche, but grew up in Guadalajara).  He was quite happy, as it confirmed his description.

 

On Christmas, I went to visit the same grandma, and there visiting her was one of her friends, a Mexican lady.  My grandma was talking about me, and the lady mentioned that I had "ojos tapatios."

 

Now, my family is not just from Jalisco--- I have family from Zacatecas, Guanajuato, Aguascalientes, Michoacan, and San Luis Potosi.  So how did two different people know about my Jaliscan descent?

 

I never thought of my eyes as beautiful or particularly interesting-- they are plain brown, but the pupils are large.  My optometrist did tell me that the reason why I have astigmatism is due to the largeness of my pupils (so please don't think my eyes sound wonderful to have!). 

 

So, how did these people 'know'?  I can tell other attributes about people from Mexico... my mom and brother are so light they burn in the sun, and the famous "Montoya" nose on my mom's side of the family harkens back to the indigenous of Mexico.  My brother's eyes, in contrast, are quite narrow, and he is often mistaken as part Asian.  However, I have never heard of "ojos tapatios."  And I never would have guessed I have them.  Has anyone else heard of this term, and how do you define them?

 

Thanks,

 

Rosalinda