Wait, Cameron Diaz Is Cuban?! And Her Family Helped Build Tampa’s Ybor City With Cigars?

When you think of Cuban-American culture, your brain probably jumps to Miami and its internationally-known beaches and always-booming salsa music. But way before the Castro Revolution made Miami the unofficial Cuban capital in the United States, there was another Florida city full of the island’s flavors. That place? Tampa. Specifically, a neighborhood called Ybor City, an industrial, cigar-scented melting pot where Cuban immigrants helped roll both cigars and history. And the latest person to remind us of that rich legacy? Cameron. Freakin’. Diaz.

“My family … went to Tampa and were cigar rollers,” Diaz explained.  “That was the first Cuban settlement before Miami, outside of Cuba, was in Tampa, Florida, in a place called Ybor City.”

Yes, this is the same Cameron Diaz who head-butted Tom Cruise in the movie “Knight and Day” and danced in her underwear in the iconic film franchise “Charlie’s Angels.” The star casually dropped a genealogy bomb in an interview currently making the rounds on YouTube and Instagram. “My father was Cuban,” she said in the decade-old interview. “Spanish via Cuba to Tampa, Florida, where my family came many generations ago, back at the turn of the century, (during the) Spanish American war.”

Wait, what? Tampa? Cubans? Cigar rollers? Let’s roll back the history.

Ybor City: The Cuban-American Story You Never Learned in School

Ybor City (that’s pronounced “EE-bor”) was founded in the 1880s by cigar manufacturers and quickly became the heart of the American cigar industry.

“At the turn of the 20th century, nowhere in the United States was as famous for its cigars as Tampa’s Ybor City, which was once known as the ‘Cigar Capital of the World,’” the National Park Service (NPS) writes.

Thousands of Cuban immigrants, along with Spanish, Italian, and German workers, flocked there to work in the booming cigar factories. By 1900, it was the spot for high-quality, hand-rolled cigars. The factories were so central to the city’s identity that they operated like mini-civilizations. They had highly educated readers, called lectores, who sat in the factories reading newspapers and novels out loud while the workers rolled cigars, an early version of an audiobook-slash-union meeting.

And Cameron’s family? They were part of it.

“My family were cigar rollers,” she said. “I have all of my great-grandfather’s cigar presses and choppers and everything.”

That’s not a metaphor. She literally owns the tools her ancestors used to make a living and shape a city.

Before Miami’s Mansions, There Was Ybor’s Sweat, Tobacco, and Heritage

While Miami’s Cuban identity largely emerged after the 1959 Castro revolution, Tampa’s Cuban roots stretch back to the days of Teddy Roosevelt and yellow fever. And Diaz’s Cuban-American story is one of labor, tradition, and the grind of daily life in a factory town now preserved by the U.S. government.

“The Ybor City Historic District is a National Historic Landmark located northeast of Tampa’s downtown, NPS writes. “The district contains more than 950 historic buildings and structures built during its peak industrial years. Ybor City’s vibrant character, preserved best in the 7th Avenue Commercial Strip, is defined by the community’s blend of cultures from European, Asian, and Cuban immigrants who settled there to support the region’s once-booming cigar industry brought to Tampa in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.”

The city boomed as a result of a government policy making headlines lately: tariffs.

“It was new American tariffs on imported cigars and political trouble in Cuba that compelled Cuban cigar manufacturers to build factories in the United States in the latter part of the 19th century,” NPS explains.

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And Diaz’s family was part of it. “I grew up with the Cuban heritage, the Cuban culture, the food, the language,” Diaz said. “Although I don’t speak Spanish … I can barely speak English, honestly,” she joked.

Classic Cameron Diaz, mixing reverence with self-deprecating charm. But her words shine a light on a broader truth: you don’t need to be fluent in a language to feel the heartbeat of your culture. And now, millions of fans know that her cultural upbringing has roots in the cigar town of Ybor City.

Why Cameron Diaz’s Story Matters

Until the 2011 interview started making the rounds on social media, most people didn’t even know Cameron Diaz was Latina. But that’s not a surprise. The Hollywood landscape, especially that of the 1990s and early 2000s, often erased, or overlooked, multiracial and multiethnic identities. But now, Diaz’s story reminds us of just how diverse Latin American stories in the U.S. really are. There’s so much history lying under the surface. Plus, her newly-revealed story also re-centers Tampa in the Cuban-American narrative.

For decades, Tampa’s Ybor City was the quiet heartbeat of Cuban life in the U.S. There were Cuban newspapers, mutual aid societies, and domino games happening way before they popped up on Miami’s Calle Ocho. Even today, Ybor City still has a few cigar factories where hand-rolling remains an art form.

So next time someone says “Cuban Americans,” and you hear them start to say “Miami,” kindly interrupt with: “Actually, did you know Cameron Diaz’s family helped roll cigars in Tampa at the turn of the century?” Then casually sip your cafecito and pretend you’ve always known this. Because thanks to Cameron, now you do.

Feature images of Cameron Diaz and Ybor City courtesy of Deposit Photos.

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Pope Francis Was the ‘Pope of the People’

Millions around the world are mourning today after the passing of Pope Francis, the 88-year-old head of the Catholic Church. The beloved pontiff died Monday following a lengthy battle with double pneumonia.

“Pope Francis’ death has set off a centuries-old orchestrated series of events to honor his life and legacy, though the funeral for the 266th bishop of Rome will likely differ drastically from those of his predecessors,” the New York Post writes.

Often called “The People’s Pope,” Francis was admired globally for his compassion, humility, and unwavering focus on social justice. As tributes pour in, one particular story from his early life is bringing both smiles and tears to those remembering him.

An Instagram post from RocaHistory recently reminded followers of a little-known fact: “Pope Francis (then Jorge Mario Bergoglio) … was once a bouncer at a nightclub and a janitor. Then he became a priest … now he’s the Pope.”

That story is true. Before he wore the white robes of the papacy, he was sweeping floors and checking IDs in Buenos Aires. One Instagram user commented: “Imagine getting kicked out of the club by the future pope.”

Long before he was guiding over a billion Catholics, Pope Francis was guiding the door line at a local nightclub—making tough calls about who got in and who didn’t. Perhaps it was that early life experience, shaped by humility and everyday challenges, that helped him become the “Pope of the People.”

His legacy, marked by mercy, inclusion, and deep humanity, will live on in the hearts of millions.

A Life That Led Pope Francis to the Vatican

Growing up, the “First Pope of the Americas” Jorge Mario Bergoglio worked various jobs to support himself. Born into a large, modest family, in Argentina, he wasn’t wealthy and took whatever work he could find. Among those jobs? A nightclub bouncer.

“What’s funny now is you can imagine Pope Francis being the worst bouncer in the world,” the CNN team joked on air, 12 years ago. “I mean, judging by his nature, he’d let everyone in. ‘Come on in the nightclub!’ He’d probably buy them a drink once they got there. That’s the way he’s been as Pope. It’s a wonderful little tidbit to learn about his life.”

His brief time as a bouncer, however, was just one stop on a winding road to priesthood. At 24, he says he felt a calling from God and applied to a Jesuit seminary in Chile. Accepted into the order, he began his spiritual journey. He earned a Master’s degree in Philosophy and also studied Chemistry, which later allowed him to teach literature and psychology at the university level.

Did His Time as a Bouncer Shape His Papacy?

The public first found out about his many jobs from the Pope himself. During a talk at a church in Rome, in 2013. “… the Pope talked about sweeping floors, working in a chemical lab and teaching in high school,” NPR reported at the time.  “All jobs that would help explain his now famous common touch. But he also revealed that he was once a bouncer.”

Many now wonder if those nights watching over the entrance of a Buenos Aires nightclub shaped the way he leads as Pope. As they pray for a speedy recovery, they find comfort in his past. The Pope worked hard, like so many of his followers.

CNN summed it up the best way, by saying that Pope Francis has “totally earned” his reputation as “Pope of the People.” Now, as the world mourns his passing, that reputation feels even more profound, because he wasn’t just the people’s pope. He was one of them.

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Potatoes Aren’t Irish! They’re 100% Peruvian, and We’ve Got the Receipts!

Ask someone where the potato comes from, and, odds are, they’ll say Ireland. Blame the Great Famine of the 1800s, or the country’s famous shepherd’s-pie comfort dish. But the true origin of the world’s most versatile vegetable lies not in the emerald hills of Europe, but high in the Andean mountains of South America, specifically, modern-day Peru.

Potatoes: a Peruvian Crop as Old as Time

Long before Europeans had ever laid eyes on a potato, Indigenous communities in the Andes were cultivating and cooking them. Archaeological evidence shows that potatoes were first domesticated in Peru thousands of year ago, making them one of the oldest cultivated crops in the world.

“Between 7,000 and 10,000 years ago, local people in South America’s Andes Mountains bred a poisonous plant into edible potatoes” the American Museum of Natural History explains. 

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The plant thrived in the harsh, high-altitude climate, and Peruvians didn’t just grow it—they worshipped it. The Incas even built intricate agricultural terraces to grow potatoes and used a freeze-drying method called chuño to preserve them for years.

So Why Does Ireland Get All the Credit?

When Spanish conquistadors arrived in the 16th century, they took more than gold and silver back to Europe. Along with maize, tomatoes, and cacao, they brought the potato. But it took some time to catch on. Suspicion over the strange tuber ran deep. Some Europeans even thought it caused leprosy.

But, by the 1700s, potatoes had taken root in countries like Ireland, where they became a dietary staple due to their hardiness and high yield. That dependency ultimately led to disaster during the Irish Potato Famine in the 1840s, further cementing the potato’s (somewhat misleading) Irish identity in the global imagination.

From the Andes to the World

Today, potatoes are one of the world’s most widely grown crops. But back in Peru, the spud still reigns supreme. The country is home to more than 1,000 native varieties ranging from bright purple and deep red to knobby, finger-sized varieties you won’t find at your local grocery store. Each type has its own flavor and texture.

Potatoes in Peru are the star of many plates. Papa a la Huancaína is a classic appetizer featuring boiled yellow potatoes smothered in a creamy, spicy cheese sauce made with ají amarillo peppers. Then there’s causa limeña, a cold layered dish where mashed yellow potatoes sandwich a filling of tuna, chicken, or avocado. And no Peruvian menu is complete without lomo saltado, a beef stir-fry that pairs soy-marinated meat with thick-cut fries.

Fried, mashed, boiled, or baked. However you slice them, potatoes are pure comfort food. And now you know: they’re proudly, unmistakably, 100 percent Peruvian. The Irish may have made them famous, but the Andes made them iconic.

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David Alonso is Redefining the Future of MotoGP

If Formula 1 is the king of car racing, then MotoGP is its two-wheeled equivalent – making for the highest level of professional motorcycle road racing in the world. With riders hitting speeds of over 220 miles per hour, knees scraping the asphalt in death-defying corners, and races that often come down to hundredths of a second, it’s definitely not a sport for the faint of heart. Enter: David Alonso – a fresh-faced 18-year-old who has already etched his name into motorcycle racing history.

And the best part? He’s representing the Latinos.

Born in Madrid to a Spanish father and Colombian mother, he proudly races under the Colombian flag, and he’s quickly becoming the next racer to watch in the world of MotoGP. 

The MotoGP World Championship is divided into three classes: Moto3, the entry-level category, featuring smaller 250cc four-stroke engines; Moto2, the next step up, featuring more powerful and even faster bikes with 765cc engines, and MotoGP, the premier class where legends compete on custom-built, state-of-the-art bikes. 

As of right now, his meteoric rise through the ranks of Moto3 has captivated fans worldwide, positioning him as a formidable talent to watch in the Moto2 World Championship and beyond. Here’s a closer look at his impressive trajectory. 

From Toy Bikes to World Records

Alonso’s passion for racing ignited at the tender age of five when his parents gifted him an adorable toy motorcycle. But while we may have all been gifted Sesame Street-themed pianos or Barbie’s Malibu Dream House as kids, not many of us have taken the steps to make those childhood toys into adulthood realities. 

Yet for the 18-year-old Colombian athlete, this seemingly innocuous present sparked a lifelong dedication to the sport. By the age of six, he was already competing in regional championships (!!!), propping him up for a career marked by relentless ambition and exceptional skill.

Alonso would eventually become a force to be reckoned with, if that hadn’t been established already by his literal racing skills at six years old, as he went on to earn the Spanish 85GP Championship in 2018, secure the European Talen Cup title in 2020, and eventually win the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup with six victories and ten podiums by 2021.

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Alonso would then go on to make his official, full-time debut in the 2023 Moto3 season – which was nothing short of spectacular. He clinched four victories and four additional podiums, earning the title of Rookie of the Year and finishing third overall in the championship standings. 

The following year, Alonso’s performance reached real historic heights. In the 2024 season, he amassed 14 wins out of 20 races, setting a new record for the most victories in a single Moto3 season. Seven of those wins were back-to-back-to-back, landing him a whopping total of 421 points, the highest ever in the Moto3 category. With a record like that, it’s no surprise he went on to win the Moto3 World Championship, and subsequently solidified himself as the most successful rider in Moto3 history.

Latino Representation in Motorsport

Alonso’s wins on the track are clearly more than just a personal triumph; it’s a win for Latino representation in motorsports overall. Most riders within MotoGP, motocross, and motorsports in general tend to be from Europe, which doesn’t give other racers with talent the ability to push through the barriers that stand before them. Even his decision to run for Colombia instead of Spain (again, his father’s heritage) stands out as a huge defiance of what is traditionally represented on an international level.  

In true Mami’s Boy fashion, Alonso made the decision to run for Colombia in honor of his mother’s unwavering support over the years.  

In an interview with El Colombiano, he elaborated on his choice, saying, “It’s a decision I made together with my team and my family to honor my mother. To raise the tricolor flag as high as possible. When you hear the anthem, you feel much more special in those podium moments. It just makes you feel better.” 

The love is being given right back to him, with his success resonating deeply in Colombia, a country not traditionally known for producing motorcycle racing champions. Alonso’s achievements have ignited a newfound enthusiasm for the sport, inspiring a generation of young Colombian riders to pursue their own dreams, and even a new entertainment surge of motorcycle stunt shows in places like Bogota and Medellin. Who knew? 

What Lies Ahead

This year, Alonso has already taken the next step in his career by moving up to the Moto2 World Championship with the CFMoto Aspar Team. He’s one of the team’s newest and youngest additions, and while the competition is fiercer and the challenges are sure to be more demanding, Alonso’s track record suggests he’s well-equipped to excel beyond expectations.

And his aspirations don’t just stop at Moto2. The budding Colombian rider has his sights set on MotoGP, the very pinnacle of motorcycle racing. 

With his blend of talent and determination, he’s got everything it takes to become a future world champion. But even more impressively, he’s walking that path for Colombia and Latinos everywhere. It’s a feat that hasn’t been given to Latin America in the past, but is sure to soon develop more racers like Alonso ready to show the world that we’ve got what it takes.

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La Chancla: Older Than Time, Scarier Than Zeus, and Apparently Used by Aphrodite

Move over Zeus. Take a seat, Hercules. There’s a new ancient weapon trending online, and it’s not a thunderbolt or a lion skin. It’s la chancla. Yes, that legendary slipper of doom we all remember from childhood. You know, the one that could turn a kitchen into a courtroom and a hallway into a racetrack. And now, according to Latino corners of Facebook and X (formerly Twitter), la chancla is mythological.

Aphrodite Used La Chancla

Recently, an image of a Greek vase from around 360 B.C. went viral on Reddit, then took off faster than a kid hearing “¡Ya vas a ver!”

The vase? It shows none other than Aphrodite, goddess of love, holding what appears to be la chancla, threatening her son Eros (a.k.a. Cupid). Forget arrows and roses. This goddess, and apparent disciplinarian, brought the real heat.

“Did you know that the traditional mother’s threat, using the back of her slipper, is as old as Aphrodite and her son Eros?” the Reddit caption reads, accompanied by a photo of the ancient vase that instantly sparked a cultural earthquake.

From the comment sections of Facebook pages to the threads on X timelines, the reactions have been pure gold:

“Even the Greek gods weren’t safe from la chancla. We’ve been warned for centuries!”

“This confirms my abuelita’s power was divine.”

“Next, we’re gonna find out la Virgen had a backup chancla under her robe.”

About the Chancla

A chancla, or chancleta, is a slipper or flip-flop (typically rubber or plastic, usually old and slightly bent from years of use). It is worn by mothers and grandmothers across Latin America and the U.S., and when wielded with precision, it becomes a missile of maternal justice. Its power lies not in the flexible material, but in the intention behind it.

Chanclas are multilingual. They don’t care if you speak English, Spanish, or even Greek. They are aerodynamic. They defy physics. They are like boomerangs. They always find you, even around corners. 

RELATED POST: Potatoes Aren’t Irish! They’re 100% Peruvian, and We’ve Got the Receipts!

And now? We learn that Aphrodite herself might have been the original chancla queen. And the chancla transcends time, language, and now, apparently, entire civilizations.

This historical revelation begs the question: what else have archaeologists been hiding? 

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Cholita Style Just Hit Hollywood Thanks to Dany Escalera Zambrana and ‘Cholita Takes L.A.’

When the creators of the new short film “Cholita Takes L.A.,” a short film by Minivela, were casting the wardrobe for their main character, a Bolivian luchadora-slash-fashionista dropped into East L.A., they didn’t run to Rodeo Drive. No, they went straight to the source: Dany Escalera Zambrana.

Zambrana, the internationally acclaimed Bolivian designer and founder of La Piquito de Oro Boutique, created all the looks for the film delivered designs to dress a character and tell a story. By blending handmade detail with heritage, she turned every scene into a love letter to Bolivia.

Zambrana is famous for doing what most fashion designers only claim to do: honoring tradition while keeping things fresh. She’s taken the timeless cholita aesthetic (layered pollera skirts, embroidered blouses, colorful mantas, and the familiar bowler hat) and made it move fluidly between La Paz and the city of angels.

Wait, What’s a Cholita?

With the recent release of “Cholita Takes L.A.,” many are asking the question What’s a cholita? Think of the cholita as the original fashion rebel.

“The word cholla was a derogatory term for someone of mixed race (Spanish and indigenous). Adding an ‘ita’ on the end in South American Spanish either makes something smaller or refers to it with tenderness and so the word ‘cholita’ has been reclaimed by groups of indigenous women,” Hero Traveler explains. “Most cholitas in Bolivia come from the Aymara or Quechua cultures, two of Bolivia’s 36 recognised indigenous groups. In the mountainous Andean region of La Paz the predominant cultural group is Aymara and nearer Cochabamba you’ll find more people with Quechua ancestry.”

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Cholitas dress to impress, but also to resist, to remember, and to reclaim their place in a society that once tried to erase them. Over the centuries, cholitas said, “Fine. We’ll wear your skirts but our way.” What was once imposed became reimagined, and honestly, way better.

Cholitas Go to Hollywood

In “Cholita Takes L.A.,” Zambrana’s designs help tell the story of a woman who doesn’t have to choose between heritage and ambition. She carries both with every swish of her skirt. The film is part heartwarming drama and part fashion show with soul.

Zambrana, whose dresses have already traveled to eight countries, sees her work as more than fashion. She says it’s a love letter to Bolivian women and the power of dressing like you mean it.

As for the new Hollywood project, Zambrana was an obvious choice.

Catching up with Dany Escalera Zambrana

We caught up with Zambrana to learn more about the inspiration behind her boutique, her work is preserving cultural heritage through fashion, and more

NS: How long have you been creating Bolivian fashion?

DEZ: Since 2019, I’ve been dedicated to creating and promoting Bolivian fashion through La Piquito de Oro Boutique, the first boutique exclusively for Bolivian women who wear the pollera. Our goal is to highlight Bolivia’s cultural richness by fusing tradition and modernity in each design. To date, we’ve exported custom designs to clients in eight countries: Spain, the United States, Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Canada, Sweden, and Switzerland.

… we specialize in dresses inspired by the cholita boliviana style. These designs aim to honor and revitalize traditional clothing by incorporating contemporary elements that allow for proud cultural expression.

We’ve showcased our collections at fairs, events, TV shows, and also on digital platforms:

NS: When did you notice Cholita-style fashion becoming popular in Bolivia?

DEZ:  Although cholita clothing has been part of Bolivian culture for centuries, its popularity and recognition have grown significantly in recent decades. Events like fashion shows and appearances in international media have helped spread and elevate its global appreciation.

A recent example is our participation in the short film ‘Cholita Takes L.A.,’ where our creations were featured as part of the wardrobe.

Additionally, our brand has been recognized on important platforms that promote women’s entrepreneurship in Bolivia. In 2019, we were awarded the Red Mujer recognition by Banco Económico, receiving seed funding and mentorship to strengthen our business. This award highlights women entrepreneurs whose projects have economic, social, and environmental impact.

We also participated in the TV program Nada Te Detiene, a competition that supports talent and the national economy. Our participation helped us showcase our proposal and connect with a wider audience.

These experiences have been key to bringing cholita fashion into new spaces, showing that tradition and innovation can go hand in hand.

NS: What was it like working on the ‘Cholita Takes L.A.’ project?

DEZ: Participating in ‘Cholita Takes L.A.’ was an enriching experience. The short film celebrates the identity and strength of Bolivian women, and contributing our designs allowed us to bring the essence of the cholita to an international audience, showing its relevance and beauty in a modern context.

NS: What do you think of your dresses in the finished film?

DEZ: I hope our dresses highlight the elegance and pride of cholita culture, complementing the short film’s narrative and offering an authentic, powerful representation of our traditions.

NS: How can readers learn more about your dresses?

DEZ: You can learn more about our designs by visiting our social media and website:

• Facebook: La Piquito de Oro Boutique
• YouTube: Dany Escalera Zambrana
• Website: lapiquitodeoro.com
• Instagram: @lapiquitodeoro.boutique
• TikTok: @lapiquitodeoro_boutique

There, we share our latest creations and projects that celebrate Bolivian fashion.

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Romania, Witches & a Frog’s Behind? The Bizarre Origins of ‘Sana Sana, Colita de Rana’ Explained

Just yesterday, I overheard my daughter comforting her friend by gently rubbing her head and saying, “Sana Sana, culito de rana.” My daughter was serious. Her friend was confused.

You see, Dahlia had told Cristina, my daughter, that she had a headache. Naturally, Cristina wanted to help her feel better. So, like any self-respecting Latina, she performed the time-honored “Sana Sana” ritual.

And that’s when the cultural clash we often see here in the United States made an appearance, right in the middle of an afterschool activity. A well-meaning gesture caused confusion. And the healing powers of a frog’s butt took center stage.

It all made me wonder: How did a tiny amphibian body part become the best medical advice my child could give? Like most Latino sayings, there had to be a good reason behind it … or was this just one giant leap (pun intended) of faith?

Origins of ‘Sana Sana’

Most of us raised in a Latino household know this rhyme – mostly by mothers, grandmothers, or any person authorized to kiss booboos –, works every time. It’s like Neosporin for the soul.

“Sana, Sana, Colita de Rana (heal, heal, little frog’s tail) is an endearing phrase based on a common children’s rhyme in Spanish about a little frog’s tail healing to offer comfort and build resilience,” an article on the topic, by  the County of San Mateo, explains. “This expression is commonly used in many Latino/a/x communities to offer consolation when one, specifically a child, has fallen or gotten hurt. The phrase continues with ‘if you don’t heal today, you will heal tomorrow.’”

But where did it come from? A couple of unexpected origin theories hop into the story.

A Romanian blogger claims, “’Sana Sana, Colita de Rana‘ actually comes from a medieval Romanian phrase: ‘Vindeca ca o broasca, si azi si maine!’”  (“Heal like a frog, both today and tomorrow.”)

He says it was brought to Spain by Romani (Gitano) communities through flamenco music, then passed on to Latin America during colonization. In Romanian folklore, frogs were seen as healing creatures, especially for their magical ability to regrow limbs, often used (allegedly) in witchcraft.

This takes us to Spanish-language TikToker, @diccionariovenezolano, who offers his own theory: it’s rooted in Northern Irish witchcraft, suggesting that the rhyme’s healing power has mystical origins far older than Latin America.

Is it Sana Sana Colita, Culito, or Curita?

Everyone can agree that, at its core, no matter what country it came from, “Sana Sana” has a great message: things will get better tomorrow. Some go so far as to say that, as a healing ritual, this rhyme actually works. As Dr. Gustavo Ferrer, author of “Cough Cures: The Best Natural Remedies and Over-the-Counter Drugs for Acute and Chronic Cough,” tells me, most healing rituals by Abuelas bring comfort no matter what. They “offer a moment of mindfulness, a spiritual reset.”

Now, because Latin America is a vast, diverse place full of linguistic creativity, “Sana Sana” comes in many forms. The magical spell has a few colorful variations, so let’s explore them. Here’s what real Reddit users, and others, had to say about the variations they grew up with.

Mexico: Tail or … Not-Tail

“I know people sing it differently,” one Reddit user explains. “Some people say, ‘culito de rana,’ which is frog’s a*s. My mom always sang ‘colita de rana,’ which is frog’s tail. She said it was because the pain, much like a tadpole’s tail when it turns into a frog, will go away and you won’t even notice,” a Reddit user explains.

So, depending on where you stand in Mexico (or maybe which tia is doing the healing), your frog anatomy lesson might get a little … anatomical.

Cuba: Let’s Just Say It

“My Cuban family always said culito,” a Cuban American Reddit user writes.

Culito. Straight-up. No frogs pretending to be modest. This version is less about healing and more about making you giggle so hard you forget you just face-planted off a tricycle.

Chile: The Butt is Small, But Still a Butt

“In Chile, we say ‘Potito de rana,’” my Chilean American friend tells me.

Potito is a cutesy way of saying “little butt.” This is how Chileans gently ease you into the realization that life hurts, but it’s adorable about it.

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4. Puerto Rico: Bring in the First Aid Kit

“My Puerto Rican mom said ‘Curita sana,’” another Reddit User writes.

A curita is a Band-Aid. So this version skips the frog entirely and goes straight to first aid. Practical and sanitary, like Puerto Rican moms tend to be.

Latin American Moms in General: Rated G

“My mom always said curita,” a Reddit user writes. “I wonder if that was a family way of making it G rated.”

This G-rated version replaces frog butts with healing bandages, for moms who don’t want their kids repeating questionable anatomy terms at school during Show & Tell. Other online comments related to this version.

So what have we learned here? That frogs are apparently powerful healers? That moms everywhere are creative ancient healers? That “Sana Sana” may be rooted in witchcraft and/or frog abuse?

It doesn’t matter. What matters is that, if it doesn’t work out today, well, then there’s always mañana.

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